Looking Eastwards: Challenges and Opportunities for Innovative Companies in EU Border Regions LOOK-EAST NET

BACKGROUND At request of the European Council of Nice, in 2001 the European Commission launched the Pilot Programme on the Impact of Enlargement on Regions Bordering the Candidate Countries - BORDER REGIONS, in order to strengthen their competitiveness and smooth their transition to changing socio-economic conditions. 23 bordering regions in Finland, Germany, Austria, Italy and Greece were identified as beneficiaries of the Pilot Programme, including Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto. The European Parliament created a specific budget line dedicated to the Programme BORDER REGIONS.

LOOK-EAST NET PROJECT The LOOK-EAST NET project was co-financed by the Budget line B (2002) – Pilot Programme on the Impact of Enlargement on regions Bordering the Candidate Countries (BORDER REGIONS), within the framework of the Call for proposals on Regional partnership events for SMEs in the EU Regions bordering the Candidate Countries, launched by the European Commission in July The call was reserved to the members of the Euro Info Centre Network, a European network promoted by DG Enterprise and Industry, which includes more than 300 desks in all EU Member States, Candidate Countries, Mediterranean and Balkan Countries. In projects were co-financed by the Budget line B

LOOK-EAST NET PROJECT Project start-up: Project duration: 25 months Project conclusion: Total Budget: EUR ,69 EU co-financing: 80%

PROJECT AREAS

PROJECT PARTNERS Project Leader Informest EIC IT388 (Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Italy) Co-organisers Economic Promotion Fund KWF (Carinthia - Austria) Kavala Chamber of Commerce EIC GR157 (Eastern Macedonia - Greece) EU/CC Partners UP ZRS Koper EIC SI753 (Slovenia) Kopernikusz Innovation Association (Hungary) Cluj Chamber of Commerce (Romania) Vratsa Chamber of Commerce EIC BG808 (Bulgaria)

REGIONAL ANTENNAS Candidate Countries Regional Chamber of Commerce North-East Romania EIC RO827 (Romania) EU Member States Regional Development Agency of Murcia EIC ES217 (Spain) Economic Interest Group of Wallonia EICs BE001, BE010, BE011, BE015 (Belgium) ITDH EIC HU727 (Hungary)

REGIONAL WORKING GROUPS In each Country the project partners involve regional working groups including: – chambers of commerce and industry, – crafts chambers and associations, – SME associations, – development agencies, – sectoral associations, – etc.

PROJECT AIM To foster the development of the priority sectors in the three former EU border regions (Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Carinthia and Eastern Macedonia), which produce critical mass and need new markets to expand, in order to stimulate the development of the correlated sectors in the new Member States and Candidate Countries, with the contribution of the EU no border regions’ innovative expertise.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES  Promote the economic development of three EU border regions: Friuli- Venezia Giulia in Italy, Carinthia in Austria and Eastern Macedonia in Greece;  Improve the competitiveness of EU border region SMEs;  Develop their trade and industrial relations with the SMEs of the new Member States and Candidate Countries from Central-Eastern Europe;  Foster cooperation relationships among SME development institutions Key word: INNOVATION

PROJECT ACTIVITIES A. Analysis of regional needs; B. Territorial animation; C. Organisation of partnership events.

A. ANALYSIS OF REGIONAL NEEDS Analysis of priority economic sectors in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Carinthia and Eastern Macedonia, in order to: (i)Identify strengths and weaknesses, (ii)Define the impact of the Enlargement process on the priority sectors and sketch out its short-, middle- and long- term consequences, (iii)Propose innovative approaches to common problems, (iv)Identify best practices.

B. TERRITORIAL ANIMATION Establishment of territorial and/or sectoral working groups, involving sector associations and other institutions, in order to: – identify the needs of the local enterprises, – define the contents of the training/information sessions during the partnership events, – inform the local enterprises about the opportunities offered by the project, – involve the local enterprises in the partnership events, – provide the local enterprises with follow-up assistance.

C. PARTNERSHIP EVENTS Organisation of three partnership events, one in each EU border region involved, each event focused on three priority sectors.

PROJECT RESULTS I. Three partnership events with more than 900 participants II. Three market analyses on FVG, Carinthia and Eastern Macedonia economies III. Multimedia catalogues of the companies participating at the partnership events IV. Project web site V. Final report

I. Events: Calendar Friuli-Venezia Giulia (IT): Udine, December 2003 Eastern Macedonia (GR): Kavala, June 2004 Carinthia (AT): Villach, October 2004

I. Events: Priority sectors Friuli-Venezia Giulia: (i) advanced technologies for food industry; (ii) mechanics, incl. electro-mechanics & construction technologies; (iii) environmental management technologies; Carinthia:Eastern Macedonia: (i) mechanics&engineering;(i) tourism; (ii) micro-electronics; (ii) marble quarrying&processing (iii) software;(iii) textile

I. Events: Programme  plenary conference to analyse the EU enlargement process;  thematic workshops on in-depth issues focused on the specific regional sectors;  bilateral meetings between enterprises and economic operators;  visits to companies;  exhibition areas dedicated to regional, national and international financing institutions and business institutions providing SMEs with internationalisation and innovation services.

I. Events: Beneficiaries  Micro enterprises  Crafts companies  Small and medium enterprises  Sector associations  Local development agencies  Local authorities  Institutional SME service providers operating in the Countries covered by the project: Austria, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Spain, Belgium and Italy.

II. Market analyses Analyses of the priority sectors in FVG (agro- industry, mechanics, environmental management), Eastern Macedonia (tourism, textile, marble) and Carinthia (mechanics&engineering, micro- electronics, software), available on: – CD-Rom, – Internet, through the project web site.

III. Multimedia Catalogues The detailed profiles of all the companies involved in the project are inserted in multilingual catalogues, which are spread out at European level on: – paper support, – CD-Rom, – Internet, through the project web site. The SME Database containing all the company profiles is freely accessible on the project web site and it allows to make tailored searches according to selected criteria.

IV. Project web site It represents the main information and communication tool of the project and it includes: An INTERNET section containing: Project presentation Partners’ presentation Regional market analysesCalendar and programme of the events Company profilesProject reports Local contact points An INTRANET section accessible to partners only, for: Exchange of good practicesInternal communication Dissemination of documentationAdministrative and organisational management

V. Final report At the end of the project a CD-Rom was produced, containing: – the final project report – the market analyses on FVG, Carinthia and Eastern Macedonia economies. The CD-Rom is freely distributed on request.

For further information: INFORMEST – EIC IT388 Via Cadorna 36 – Gorizia Tel Fax: Web site: