20.01.2012 -
A food plain for Eastern Slovenia, an agreement to
create a transnational biotechnologies cluster in Central Hungary
and the implementation of a knowledge transfer system
(mentoring) in the mechatronics sector (putting together
mechanics, electronics and information technology) for Higher
Silesia. These are the goals for the ACCESS Project (Accelerating
Regional Competitiveness and Sector-based Excellence through
Innovation Management Tools and Techniques), a 3-year EU-funded
programme involving 11 partners, among which 2 Italian
institutions: AREA Science Park of Trieste and the Emilia Romagna
CNA Regional Office (Confederation of Crafts and SMEs).
ACCESS was conceived with the objective to increase
competitiveness and excellence in specific fields in the involved
territories, fostering direct access to innovation management tools
and techniques in 3 key sectors (agro-food industry,
biotechnologies and mechatronics). To achieve their goals, the
project partners have devised a systematic methodology, addressed
to identification, development and implementation of innovation
strategies, currently going through its testing phase. The
methodology establishes in full detail how to implement
peer-reviews to identify actors, policies and tools for innovation,
using interviews with stakeholders as one of the available
resources.
The testing phase, after two sessions held in Budapest and
Prague with the participation of experts from AREA Science Park and
CBM (the Regional Cluster in Biomedicine), both based in Trieste,
arrives to Friuli Venezia Giulia (from 23rd to
27th January) with a delegation of experts from Hungary
and the Czech Republic, participating in visits and interviews with
the most significant actors of the local innovation
system.
Among these: professors and researchers from the Universities of
Trieste and Udine, officers working for the most important regional
innovation support institutions (among which AREA Science Park, the
Chamber of Commerce of Trieste, Friulia, etc.), directors of
international research centres (CBM, ICGEB, etc.), journalists and
experts in science communication, representatives of the most
significant regional enterprises operating in the biotechnologies
sector, representatives of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional
Government (Directorate for Education, University, Research,
Families, Associations and Cooperation and Directorate for
Productive Activities).
At the end of the week, the delegation of experts will be able
to draft a plan, to become a point of reference for the devising of
future regional innovation policies. AREA Science Park, together
with CBM, performs a crucial function as concerns
biotechnology-specific activities.
The partners of ACCESS: South Transdanubian Regional
Innovation Agency Non-for-profit Ltd. (H), AREA Science Park (I),
Theodore Puskas Foundation (H), CATT Innovation Management Ltd.
(A), Clusterland Upper Austria Ltd. (A), European Development
Agency (CZ), Emilia Romagna CNA Regional Office (Confederation of
Crafts and SMEs) (I), Regional Development Agency of Bielsko Biala
(PL), Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Prešov Regional
Chamber (SK), Pomurje Technology Park Ltd. (SLO), Virtual Dimension
Center (D).