1. Project part-financed by the European Union
Aligning Metropolitan Innovation Strategies
for the Common Good of the Baltic Sea Region
Mr. Pekka Sauri
Deputy Mayor of Helsinki
Seminar ”Boosting Innovation through Metropolitan Partnership”
at Brussels Open Days, 9 Oct 2007
Project part-financed by the European Union

2. Baltic Metropolises Innovation Strategy BaltMet Inno project
Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B project
Duration: 1 January 2005 – 31 December, 2007
Budget: MEUR 2.6
14 partners from Berlin, Copenhagen, Malmö, Helsinki, Riga, Stockholm, Tallinn and St. Petersburg, 3 observers (Oslo, Warsaw, Vilnius)
City of Helsinki is the Lead Partner (LP), Culminatum is the project coordinator
Flagship project of BaltMet network

4. The Baltic Sea Archipelago of Innovation rests on four pillars:
A strategy and a governance regime positioning the Baltic Sea with its competences in science and technology-based innovation – as a polycentric and diversified innovation archipelago – at the top of the innovation chain
A communication framework to be used in branding the region and strengthening its identity
A selected portfolio of well connected, globally competitive science and technology clusters supported by creative environments
An innovation and entrepreneuship (I&E) infrastructure based on a set of qualified innovation competences and skills, and supported by a portfolio of I&E support programs and instruments

5. Aligning Innovation Strategies in Baltic Metropolises
The main goals:
Improved quality and coordination of local and regional innovation strategies and related strategy processes in the Baltic Metropolises and between them
Inclusion of BSR focused, transnationally complementary elements in the innovation strategies of Baltic Metropolises
Achievement of economics of scale as well as economies of scope between the Baltic Metropolises

6. Starting point: Very few metropolitan innovation strategies existed Three different cases: Local: The Innovation Strategy – Helsinki Metropolitan Area Regional: The Coherent Innovation Strategy (Berlin Senate) National: The Latvian Innovation System – Strategy and Action Plan

7. strategies at national, regional and local level
Existing or planned innovation and related
strategies at national, regional and local level
City
National
Regional
Local
BER
Innovation Report and Action Plan (Berlin Senate, 2003)
The Coherent Innovation Strategy (2005)
The Quadriga Project (2005)
CPH
The Danish Growth Strategy
The Danish Knowledge Strategy
Action plan for Public-private Partnership on Innovation etc.
'Growth Forum' (from 2007)
Strategy for Øresund Region cooperation (?)
Strategy and action plan for the business environment
HEL
Knowledge, innovation and internationalisation (Science and Technology Council)
Building on innovation - Priorities for the future (Tekes)
Competitive Innovation Environment Development Programme (Sitra)
Innovation Strategy – Helsinki Metropolitan Area (2005)
Business Development Strategies of cities of Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa
International strategy of the City of Helsinki (forthcoming)
MLM
Innovative Sweden – A strategy for growth through renewal
(City of Malmö Development plan)
RIG
National Concept on Innovation
National Innovation Program
The Latvian Innovation System – Strategy and Action Plan
RIS – the Latvian innovation system Strategy and action plan
Development plan of Riga City (forthcoming)
TLN
Knowledge-based Estonia, the Estonian Research and Development Strategy
Estonian Regional Innovation Strategy ERIS project (ongoing)
City of Tallinn Strategy
STO
Regional Development Plan 2001
RTP - Regional Growth Program
Business Development Strategy (?)
WAW
Warsaw development strategy

8. Helsinki example on creating and managing
a metropolitan innovation strategy ( )
POLITICAL INITIATIVE MADE
Lord Mayor of Helsinki called together Helsinki Club of leading policymakers
PROJECT ESTABLISHED
Regional development agency Culminatum Ltd, Oy launched the project.
HIGH PROFILE CHAMPIONS INVOLVED
Six special subject teams dealt with the topics: (1) the role of the cities (2) development
platforms (3) seed financing (4) creative sectors (5) the technology centre concept (6) Helsinki
Region as an international setting for education and research.
REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED
More than one hundred influential people were interviewed in the Helsinki Region
STRATEGY LAUNCHED WITH SHARED VISION AND SET GOALS
IMPLEMENTATION
NEW STRATGEY PROCESS STARTED

9. The main results of BaltMet Inno:
Analysis of existing innovation strategies and strategy processes
Local innovation strategy drafts for two of the participating cities, Riga and Tallinn
”Handbook” for designing a local innovation strategy for a metropolitan area
Surveys made on innovation in public procurement and planning as well as design of innovation infrastructure and creative environments

10. How can complementary innovation structures be achieved
across the borders?
Challenges
Different roles and resources of local/regional level with regard to innovation policy
Differences in R&D spending
Varying level of innovation awareness
Competition between regions

11. Future Prospects
Joint governance of innovation related strategies is necessary for
the pursuit of a prosperous Baltic Sea.
Thus, the collaboration should be seen as a “partnership for
growth” - a contractual framework between metropolitan
parties pursuing the same goals, and having specified and joint
rights and responsibilities.
BaltMet partnership for growth, is an instrument for joint
strategies and policies at the European level, allowing partner
regions to choose their own priorities and level of cooperation.
Discussion on concerete co-operation cases has already started.

12. Thank You!