Regional Knowledge Management: focus on Tuscany Paolo Federighi Florence University ( professor ) Tuscany Region ( consultant )

The question How Tuscany Regional Government try to support the HRD and to reinforce the governance of transfer and absorption of knowledge

GDP per inhabitant, in PPS 2001 — NUTS 2

Employment rate of age group 15–64 Percentage Annual average 2002 NUTS 2

Unemployment rate Percentage Annual average 2002 NUTS 2

Objects and subjects Regional policies (education, training, job, innovation, etc.) Supply of research, education and training Demand of research and learning Regional Governements Research centresCitizens, individuals, entrepreneurs

Institutional Competences of TR Institutional competences 1. Vertical subsidiarity (devolution and complementary regulative power shared with national State) 2. Economical power ( fiscal power, direct management of Structural funds, etc. /for training –not education- regional investments reach 100 M of € per year) Political options ( or institutional building at regional level ) 1. Horizontal subsidiarity: - decentralisation of competences and resources (counties and communes) - regional round tables - public/private cooperation 2. Coordination and integration of public policies: - simplification: one general regional law on HRD substituting previous 17

A problematic context Within Regional Gov. Self legitimating institutional culture Administration prevail on policy making Lack of coherence among regional Departments responsible for different policies Society Weak investments in research (around 1%) Weak investments in HRD less than 5 days x worker x year 5 minutes a day x person

Participation in Education

Local policies on supply side (1) Context: a basic supply of research and learning exist (problem of quality and distribution) Focus: better connection with local demand and future perspectives of the region

Local policies on supply side: Goals and measures implemented Social productivity of training and research : - partnership ( compulsory ) - new learning subsystems ( post secondary and study circle ) - supply of competences ( regional system of competences ) Quality and competition for consumers protection and transparency in public money distribution: - compulsory certification of suppliers and operators ( specific regional service) Services and learning infrastructures for individual needs - open network of local job services - public and free distance learning regional system - local or specialised brokers for innovation and research Learning environments in firms (systems and informal learning) - mainly under the responsibility of social partners and problematic in a context of SMEs

Local policies on demand side Context: weak demand and unsustainable potential expansion Focus: how to increase the propension to the consumption of research and training among citizens and firms to make them more autonomous

Local policies on demand side: Goals and measures Access- Vouchers: - for learning (till € per person, or ILA till pp) - for entrepreneurship (till pp) - for young researches working in a firm (voucher/wage for 2 years) Power of decision - individual have the right to select content, level, time, place, suppliers of education (from apprenticeship till continuous training: f.i. Study circle) Networking among producers (associations) with suppliers of research (still a goal) Mobility for learning -local: among systems and work experiences - national and international: to select the best and work experiences abroad (integration with Leonardo, etc.)

A step ahead Regional knowledge management (Reknoma) within three economical districts (textile, motorbike,navy) based on: Integration of HRD policies and Research and innovation policies at regional level ( Regional pact, Common procedures, 6 M of € to finance the process ) Integration of public and private resources ( waiting for additional money from local authorities and from private actors: banks, chamber of commerce, etc.)

Implementing Reknoma Decision making process based on: Institutional decisions ( needed even if the lack of consensus can block the process, involving local authorities ) Concertation with social partners ( external control on institutions but risks of contamination concertation/management) Partnership among real actors (function of public real leadership, real interest of partners: local firms, associations of E/E, banks, centres of research)

Partnership as goal for Reknoma To find right goals To guarantee complementarity of resources To define an effective process

A European research on Reknoma To understand better the possible answers Tuscany Region Vastra Gotaland Region (Sweden) Vejle Region (Denmark) Are working together on a European research project (DG Research Knoreg program) open to a new partner from Eastern European countries