A project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG III B Programme The Defris Project An idea for transnational co-operation from year 2001 in Östergötland, SE Developed with partners in an INTERREG III B BSR Seed Money Project in 2002 – 2003 Approved in the Fifth Call Spring 2004 Project start in autumn 2004 – 3 years 4 partners Project Budget EUR (ERDF )

A project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG III B Programme The ESDP/INTERREG concept of promoting balanced polycentric development structures To make powerful metropolitan regions stronger at the international scale To promote less dynamic major cities to catch up with those being more successful To strengthen medium-sized and not very diversified secondary cities as future growth engines for rural regions lagging behind.

A project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG III B Programme Defris Project Area Partners: 1.Östsam – Regional Development Council of Östergötland, SE 2.Regional Council of Central Finland, FI 3.Regional Council of Pohjois- Savo, FI 4.Kaunas County Governor´s Administration, LT 5.Regional Authority of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voividship, PL 4 5 © MapBSR Project

A project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG III B Programme Polycentricity in the ESDP

A project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG III B Programme A typology of FUA:s, based on five functions gives 76 Metropolitan European Growth Areas MEGA:s in the EU

A project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG III B Programme Functional Urban Areas (FUA:s) in the EU

A project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG III B Programme Defris Project Focus 1) The Globalisation process strengthens the metropolitan regions´ market powers and influences at the expense of the middle-sized (First Division regions) and smaller regions 2) First Division regions within the area of influence of a metropolitan region are able to take advantage of this and at the same time develop their own identity 3) First Division regions outside of the area of influence can develop city networks to strengthen their competitiveness These processes of interplay going on constantly can cause situations of imbalance The situations can be handled within a more or less prepared way. The preconditions for these processes are not possible to change in a dramatic way. The question is instead if and when these tendencies of concentration in a better way and to a greater extent can be distributed among several regions in urban regional (polycentric) networks.

A project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG III B Programme Problems to be Addressed Achieve more balanced development by supporting a more polycentric and sustainable regional development? Develop First Division cities and regions (”points of support”) in addition to metropolitan regions and in networks of First Division regions (polycentric systems and networks)? To give tools to develop within dynamic regional and polycentric processes? Expand established labour market areas etc in a sustainable way and in interactions with national and regional networks? Availability of certain infrastructure keep different parts of the region together in a better way and at the same time develop the interaction and links with other regions and ”points of support ”? All the regions in this project are First Division regions in their countries. It means that they more or less could have similar conditions to develop and to be more attractive.

A project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG III B Programme Defris Project Aim The aim of this project is to formulate equal or alternative strategies of development for First Division regions within the area of influence of metropolitan regions or in networks. The project is going to have phases of Analysing basic facts and comparison between participating partners – WP 1 Exchanging experience concerning regional planning processes – WP 2 Designing concrete project proposals and strategies for realization – WP 3 Networking in transnational seminars In each participating region the work should be cross-sector organised and the planning institutions in affected metropolitan regions and other First Division Regions should be fully informed and participate in specific packages or in the total project.

A project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG III B Programme Size (also) Matters to Innovation The New Economic Geography (NEG) Says: Regional innovation depends on the simultaneous presence of many specialised activities Only large regions can hold many specialised activities The traditional regional concentration will continue (or even worsen) Can we increase the size of our regions with improved communications? Rub it in: SIZE MATTERS! Gösta Oscarsson, First Defris Transnational Seminar

A project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG III B Programme Picture from the Swedish report (ITPS, KTH) “Polycentric Development and Territorial Cohesion in the BSR: STRATEGIES AND PRIORITIES”, July 2005