VBN InnoReg kick-off meeting was organized in Tampere, March 2006

The Baltic Institute of Finland organised a three-day kick-off meeting of the VBN InnoReg -Strengthening Via Baltica Nordica Macro-Region through Transnational Cooperation for Regional Innovation Promotion project on 28-30 March 2006 in Tampere. The meeting gathered over 40 representatives of the partner organizations from Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany.

The main goal of the kick-off meeting was to bring together representatives of 10 partner regions from the Via Baltica Nordica zone in order to present features of their existing innovation systems and regional innovation activities as well as to discuss the core topics of the project with other partners. In addition, training sessions on project coordination and reporting were organised for the partners.

The kick-off meeting showed that each partner region has different innovation activities and approaches to Regional Innovation System (RIS). However, the problems that the partner regions face in innovation development are fairly common: cooperation between academia and private sector as well as between public and private sector is insufficient or non-existent. During the VBN InnoReg project the partners will share their experiences and find out good practices for RIS development.   

In the kick-off meeting, the following topics of the VBN InnoReg project were discussed: common framework for RIS analysis in the partner regions, content of regional training programmes for RIS actors (regional authorities, academia, SMEs and others) and aims of regional pilot activities. In developing a common framework for RIS analysis it is essential to agree on a common definition for innovation and RIS.

The aim of the RIS analyses in partner regions is to create awareness of the infrastructure that enables the production of innovations, and to create a strategy for the VBN macro-region to support cooperation in innovation promotion. Capacity building of RIS actors will take place in form of regional trainings and workshops, study tours, discussion panels, and through information dissemination. With regard to new instruments to develop RIS, the partners will implement different pilot projects from consulting sessions and other supporting tools for technology-oriented SMEs to creating a model of a seed capital fund.               

As a result of the three-day meeting, further steps of the project were discussed and deadlines for future activities defined. During the event the participants had the opportunity to learn about RIS development in Tampere Region, visit Hermia Technology Centre and enjoy the innovative post-industrial atmosphere of Tampere.

Next joint VBN InnoReg meeting will be held in November 2006 in Tartu, Estonia.

PROGRAMME