Our experience in RIS Best practices and transfer of know-how RIS MAZOVIA November 24th, 2005 Frédérique Pannier José A. Álvarez

Our experience Meta Group has been involved in RIS projects from 90’s. We have selected the following set of useful examples as best practices: RIS UMBRIA (Italy) SLORITTS (Slovenia) RIS SICILY (Italy)

RIS approach RIS as a dynamic process of reflection and exchange RIS as a process of continuous and increasing involvement of local, regional and international players A key action to integrate regional actors and build consensus RIS is not a standard process Other RIS experiences are useful to: Better understand the whole process Have a long term visualization of possible difficulties Share successful actions

RIS UMBRIA Population: inhabitants Area: sq.kms Main cities: Perugia, Terni Main sectors: Tourism, food products, textiles, clothing, graphics and publishing industry, iron and steel,machinery, chemicals, wood. A scattered and very traditional SME’s system An important public intervention to promote and support regional infrastructures for innovation. An unclear and fragmented public supply of services for innovation

RIS UMBRIA RIS UMBRIA the methodology Three connected to key components of innovation (awareness, technology transfer, services and interregional strategy) Two to the poles of excellence (inward investment and new business creation) Two on transversal issues (training and financing) Seven working groups were organised in order to identify needs, validate analysis, define actions and build consensus

RIS UMBRIA RIS UMBRIA strategy’s axes Creation, development, attraction: the three streams of technology based development and its percentages regarding resources. Support to innovation________ 50% New technology based firms__ 30% Inward investment__________ 20%

RIS UMBRIA RIS UMBRIA main results The current financing organisation GEPAFIN A regional agency for innovation called «Science Park of Umbria» A regional economic development agency Sviluppumbria. Rationalising the supply system: only three organisations for a more effective “industrial” policy

RIS UMBRIA RIS UMBRIA main results FIRST, Umbria seed fund was launched FIRST aims at supporting innovative business ideas and companies in their start up phase. FIRST initial size: ,00€ The fund was created with European structural funds Nowadays, FIRST is going through the evaluation phase of ventures with potential to invest on

SLORITTS SLORITTS the region of Slovenia Population: 2 million inhabitants Area: sq.kms National GDP: Services 61.5 %, Industry 30%, Construction 5.5%, Agriculture 3% Main cities: Ljubljana, Maribor and Celje Main industry: automotive, tool, transport and wood As far as innovation is concerned, initiatives are project based, there are no long term actions focusing on strategic key issues. Strong importance is given to information (newsletters, seminar etc.), very little is done in terms of awareness raising (including entrepreneurship and R&D results valorisation). Research is not communicating with the market: Universities and Research centres are not used to have commercial relationships with the business sector, focus on research and education (innovation = bridging research to the market).

SLORITTS SLORITTS overall objectives To increase the innovation capacity of Slovenia as an EU region with all of its statistical regions equally developed. Operational goals To integrate and connect regional initiatives To achieve a “nuclear reaction” by means of reaching the critical mass To increase the innovation capacity of the economy To start up the “engine” which would propel and draw together all key players in Slovenia To enhance the current legislation in order to better achieve support for innovations To encourage the joining of small and medium-sized enterprises into clusters in the area of conventional products and services as well as high technologies To initiate a business/technological cooperation between the regions in Slovenia To establish a key range of services for providing innovation support for small and medium-sized enterprises

SLORITTS SLORITTS the “umbrella” concept Its innovative approach on strategy formulation makes of SLORITTS an interesting example for other RIS Innovation is not only technology, but mainly economic development. Three ‘umbrellas’ : TECHNOLOGYTOURISMHEALTH

SLORITTS SLORITTS the “umbrella” concept Each of these umbrellas cluster local stakeholders around a set of measures ranging from service provision, to infrastructures, to human capital development, which will be turned into action using Structural funds resources Technology umbrella: Focuses on the development of business zones and the modernisation of the innovation environment. Tourism umbrella: Aims to involve as many Slovenian tourism actors as possible and development of new, integrated tourism products and integrated information systems Health care umbrella: Aims at improving the standard of national healthcare and at offering specialist services that can be marketed abroad

RIS SICILY RIS SICILY the region Population: million inhabitants Area: sq.kms Industry: 18.9% of the workforce Services: 68.6% Agriculture: 12.5% “Scientific research” over “innovation” Boundary line between research and market Relevant presence of public research vs a weak entrepreneurial system

RIS SICILY RIS SICILY main objectives Establishes the guidelines for a proper environment for innovation. Determine a territorial system based on knowledge and able to better take advantage of material and immaterial resources present in the region.

RIS SICILY RIS SICILY objective-tree overview Innovation capacity of the existent regional system Stimulating innovation within existing SMEs Improving Innovation interface Knowledge valorisation process Supporting the creation of knowledge based ventures Exploiting research results Tools: awareness raising campaigns, incubator empowerment, scouting pilot projects, facilitation the access to risk capital market, connection market-research, creation of seed capital fund and IPR fund. From main objectives to actions

Development of the interface system Scouting pilot project Incubators empowerment Awareness and training on entrepreneurship Testing and prototyping laboratories Creation and strengthening of TTOs in universities Creation of an IPR fund Seed capital funds Connect research with the market Incentive patenting and know-how commercialization Improve the activities for innovation diffusion throughout the whole Sicilian territory Qualify the supply of technological services aimed at matching market needs and inward investment initiatives Sensitive researchers and students on spin outs as mean for research results valorisation Qualify location factors addressed to SMEs based on technologies Increase the rate of NTBFs creation through the access to risk capital To initiate the process of commercial exploitation of scientific results gained by Sicilian researchers and stimulate the interest of external operators Improve the regional innovation interface system Support the creation of knowledge intensive firms Promote the exploitation of research realized in Sicily Improve innovation capacity and absorption of the existent Sicilian economic system Set the conditions for the growth of the productivity and the entrepreneurial development in SICILY ACTIONS OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES MID=TERM OBJECTIVES FINAL OBJECTIVES SMEs research, innovation and TT cooperative projects Stages and training of graduated students/researchers into SMEs willing to introduce an innovation Creation and management of knowledge circles Promotion of ETI and stimulation of collaboration among SMEs Promotion of research, TT and innovation within Sicilian SMEs and support of territorial!sectoral networking and clustering processes Promotion of SMEs’ technological, organizational, managerial innovation and matching of market needs, via the insertion of Diffuse innovation among existing SMEs 1,63% 57,66% 2,18% 4,08% 15,98% 0,82% 2,72% 5,44% 1,91% 3,21% 4,36% 61,48% 20,06% 8,98% 9,48% 81,54% 18,46% Rejuvenate and diversify the economy of Sicily through knowledge valorization processes (start ups creation and licensing)

It is not a study but an action Its necessary to involve decision makers and… Promoting their participation since the very beginning of the exercise Use local organisations/firms to maintain and develop contacts Lessons learnt about RIS

Involve SME’s and their associations and use working group Look for discussion and debate

“It is not difficult to learn new things, but to quit old habits” thanks for your attention