Helix Central Baltic

Quadruple Helix –promoting innovation through cluster networking and capacity building in ICT

 2 year INTERREG project combining a gender perspective with ICT  Joint effort of authorities, universities, entrepreneurs and civil society actors in Estonia, Finland and Sweden  Funded by Central Baltic INTERREG IV A programme & Tillväxtverket (Women’s Resource Centre Programme)

Gender, clusters and mobile solutions in combination  Initiated a small scale cluster / network in the tourist sector  Strengthen women owned SME’s through cooperation, international contacts and capacity building and practical experience in ICT, mobile phone services.

Quadruple Helix  Added a sector to triple helix model  Public authorities - Universities-Entrepreneurs and NGO’s  Municipality of Norrtälje  Stockholm County administrative board  KTH  Åbo Akademi University  Saaremaa University Centre  Läänemaa Tourism  BalticFem  Eurohouse  + WINNET Europe

Background  Malin Lindbergs study on how public promotion of clusters and innovation systems in Sweden is distributed shows that:  47% supported Basic industries/Manufacturing industries  33% New technology  20% Services/Experiences

Gender distribution Branches of industry Men dominated (over 60 %) ICT, Vehicles & macinery, Mining & metal, Chemistry, Forestry, Telecom, Transports, Other industry, Agriculture, Manufacturing industry, Steel, Biotech, Wood, Data technology, Electronics  New technology + Basic Industries/Manufacturing Balanced (max 60 %) Health care, Consumer goods/ Commerce, Media & entertainment, Services, Textiles, Tourism  Services/Experiences Women dominated (over 60 %) Biomed, Health care, Personal services, Education & research, Retail trade  Services/Experiences Gender distribution in branches Source: PhD Malin Lindberg, LTU.

Gender equality story line in project structure  Recognising this gender gap in public funding one can Quadruple uses two measures in its structure to change the situation. Inclusion  Inclusion of sectors employing many women in the public support to clusters and innovation systems. - The Quadruple project includes tourism industry Bridging  The measure of ‘bridging’ highlights innovation systems and clusters that manage to bridge the gap between men dominated, women dominated and gender balanced branches of industry. - The Quadruple project combines tourism (gender balanced) and ICT (men dominated)

Focus areas in general (WP3)  Increase the knowledge and awareness among business and policy actors on how to promote gender equal cluster networking  The project will design and implement models, methods and tools for gender mainstreaming in cluster promotion  Promote cluster and innovation initiatives in branches where many women are active (in CBR)  Enhance women’s use of ICT and active participation in the Information Society

Cluster initiative in practise  Costal and archipelago regions; Roslagen, Åboland, West Estonia. Tourism plays an important role.  tourism entrepreneurs in each country – E-teams  Local development program (bottom up) and cross border activities  Micro enterprises. Say themselves they need a network (same size) and join their resources in order to develop and expand the various business’  In order for SME’s to provide mobile apps, at this early stage, cooperation in a network might be the way. New business model.

ICT – mobile services  Assumed that effective mobile solutions will be a competitive advantage for the Travel Industry in the future  The phone - a personal device that we bring everywhere. Thus clever to build a platform for tourist services on mobiles  The basic services – where to stay, where to eat, activities, how to travel etc. Easy accessible and complementary information  Big breaktrough now with smart phones

Pilot test of mobile services  Capacity building in ICT and connection with cutting edge research  Needs analysis - Adapt new services to the demands of tourism SME’s  3-4 ideas from the E-team will be realised as mobile prototypes  Test it during the project  Rings on water… hopefully new knowledge will lead to own initiatives

Results so far…  E-team members do business with each other  Ideas of new packages and travel routes  Mobile solutions to solve practical matters  Spin offs to other tourism actors  Routes – Skärgårdens Ringväg and Roslagsleden, West Est- bases for new cooperation, packages and mobile applications?  Baltic circle – our cross border cluster?

Thank you!

Clusters  “Clusters are geographic concentrations of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, service providers, firms in related industries, and associated institutions in particular fields that compete but also cooperate”. Michael E. Porter in On Competition (1998).

Cluster initiatives  “Cluster initiatives are organised efforts to increase the growth and competitiveness of clusters within a region, involving cluster firms, government and/or the research community”. Örjan Sölvell, Göran Lindqvist & Christian Ketels in The Cluster Initiative Greenbook (2003).