BSR InnoReg project achievements

Project Steering Committee (PSC) and Project Advisory Group (PAG) consisting of regional and local decision-makers from partner regions were established. Project kick-off meeting was organized, 22-24 April 2009 in Tampere, Finland including a seminar introducing e.g. EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and long-term global economic challenges.

Each partner region has planned its own development process including an analysis targeted at business development organisations (BDO). Partners have organised workshops for BDOs that have been selected to the development process and training activities. Questionnaires for partner regions and Questionnaires for business development organisations to be filled by the partners were produced.

Partners provide findings on the impact of the global trends (globalisation, ageing of society, climate change etc.), on the positioning of the BDOs' role in relation to the characteristics of the future business environment and conclusions on the future key competences of the BDOs. The findings from the partner regions to the common questions are analysed to formulate policy recommendations for the Baltic Innovation Memorandum (MoU). Preliminary content of the MoU targeted at local and regional decision-makers was prepared.

The first Transnational Training Module (TTM) “Preconditions for Successful Innovation Processes” was organized, 22-23 Oct. 2009 in Seinäjoki, Finland to support development processes with the BDOs. The second TTM "Creativity, Innovation & Management" was organised, 29-31 March 2010 in Tartu, Estonia. The topics of the TTMs come up from the regional development processes as identified key focus areas in innovation promotion.

WP5 was divided into three thematic Action Fields (AF): In AF1 four partners deal with Living Lab concept and Innovation Voucher tool. Seinäjoki Technology Centre develops already existing Agro Living Lab and as an expert in Living Labs provides consultancy on the subject to City of Tartu who is learning the concept and making a plan to develop a Living Lab in Tartu. Heria Business Development conducts a new method that can be used in estimating the financial benefits of the Living Labs for companies. ZAB Brandenburg develops Innovation Voucher tool utilising experiences from other partners.

In AF2 three partners develop new concept aiming at assessing the risks of start-up companies in a new way.

AF3 deals with involving young generation in innovation processes. Seven partners organise “innovation days” for students utilising different methods. For example one partner organised a workshop for university students to develop new solutions for one real company. As a result, the company received useful ideas from students. The experiences from developing innovation promotion tools and concepts will be reported into a handbook and utilised also in the formulation of the Memorandum.