2. Lifelong learning as the knowledge base for innovation: the REKNOMA project. Elio Satti email address: eliosatti@regione.toscana.it Regione Toscana – Italia www.regione.toscana.it

3. Lifelong learning as the knowledge base for innovation: the REKNOMA project. Traditional economic growth models have their focus on capital and labor as growth drivers. Nowadays concepts of growth and new growth models are operating with a wider range of growth drivers including factors like human capital, knowledge and innovation and even intangible factors like entrepreneurial spirit. In the short run, innovation and knowledge creation become necessary instrument in the process of regional adaptation to industrial change as a response to changes in the competitive environment. In a longer perspective, innovation and knowledge are preconditions for a successful restructuring of the economic base, national as well as regional and local.

4. Lifelong learning as the knowledge base for innovation: the REKNOMA project. The most general purpose of the REKNOMA-project is basically to elaborate regional strategies of development in a knowledge based economy. A knowledge based society has to combine and integrate two basic policies: innovation policies and lifelong learning policies.

5. Lifelong learning as the knowledge base for innovation: the REKNOMA project. There are two main reasons why integration of innovation policies need to be combined with those related to lifelong learning: 1.Lifelong learning is the policy that ensures a knowledge base for innovation, as well as the presence of innovative people. 2.The existence of a learning network that acts as a sub-layer for every type of partnership for innovation

6. Lifelong learning as the knowledge base for innovation: the REKNOMA project. Detailed policies for lifelong learning occur when based on policies for innovation regarding the following topics: 1.To guarantee adequacy of the systems and the supply of learning. 2.To launch measures and services of general interest which support training and research centres, firms, individual entrepreneurs, researchers or employees, in order to create a regional conductive policy environment. 3.To adopt measures and initiatives which enable the creation, maintenance and development of partnerships, particularly amongst those with the common goal of creating learning infrastructures and a learning supply, that facilitates innovation processes within the production system.

7. Lifelong learning as the knowledge base for innovation: the REKNOMA project. Policy Revision of System and Supply Systems and supply revision policies intend to create an effective integrated approach which allows integrated system for the production, transfer and implementation of knowledge. Consequently, systems and supply revision policies must be directed towards the followings strategic objectives: a.To create of new paths for the production and transfer of knowledge, together with new approaches towards this type of opportunity. These approaches aim at improving flexibility and consequently adhere to the training for innovation demand proposed by firms and clusters. b.To allow continuity and integration within the supply (on a vertical basis and between levels, from lower to higher training and post tertiary education). It also must allow for different supply components which affect the production – transfer – and implementation of knowledge).

8. Lifelong learning as the knowledge base for innovation: the REKNOMA project. Services The creation of facilitating services is particularly important due to the need for infrastructures which act as a broker function of the advisory system or as a go between between the companies and the knowledge sector. These services can be activated by Research Centres (science parks for example), in the advisory and innovation support system (business incubators, technology transfer centres) or in the business sector itself (i.e. through the creation of R&D departments and co-operative networks between companies).

9. Lifelong learning as the knowledge base for innovation: the REKNOMA project. Despite the different modalities which can be adopted, and apart from promoters, these services take on some basic functions, such as: a.Accessibility of people - researchers, entrepreneurs, and employees – to the promoters of the innovation network. Accessibility is fostered through the management of the interfaces, or devices which promote communication and relationships amongst the promoters. b.Access to infrastructures, which facilitate accessibility to Strategic intelligence, and the opportunity to re-enter training programmes in their diverse forms. c.Maintaining and developing personal learning faculties through a quality educational system offered by the firm Moving towards innovative actions through construction and organisation of devices, which support innovative proposals, their start-up and implementation

10. Lifelong learning as the knowledge base for innovation: the REKNOMA project. Partnership 1.Partnerships of innovation are not bound to a specific spatial context. They are targeted organizational set-ups dedicated to specific objectives, i.e. product or process innovation, regional knowledge management in a broader sense or the dissemination of new processes or technology within a particular region. Each region or partnership should be able to relate to their specific set-up. Innovatio n Implemen- tation Integration Practice s Learnin g External context I Institutiona l support Facilitation Conduciv e policies Initiative Internal context Actors

11. Lifelong learning as the knowledge base for innovation: the REKNOMA project. Policies for the Creation of Conductive Policy Environment Pro firms measures The creation of a constructive policy environment is examined in relation to aspects more directly related to Regional Knowledge Management. The integration of innovation policies and lifelong learning policies asks for specific measure. A specific field of intervention can be defined by this types of actions: 1.Financial incentives directed to supply and demand for the production, transfer and implementation of knowledge. a. Benefits This measurement model is usually used to finance educational plans defined by the firms. b. taxation relies on different types of measures Reduction of taxes on profits - permits firms to detract higher costs from their revenues that are directly related to training for innovation

12. Lifelong learning as the knowledge base for innovation: the REKNOMA project. Pro Individual Measures Funds act to finance market analysis and patent prototyping. It consists in a voucher that can be used to pay consultants, in addition to other fees. Through this process, the region initiates a partnership with people full of innovative ideas who appeal to the production system. Individual learning account, is a method introduced in Tuscany in 2005, which was inspired by the Individual Learning Account model. It has already been tested in the United Kingdom. It differs from the later in that it introduces some substantial changes regarding support for vocational guidance services and the tutoring offered by job centres. Warranty and savings funds to access training programmes. This method is feasible, but it has not yet been applied to the field of training for innovation. The process would aim at boosting the amount of savings used either to invest in training for innovation or to start up new companies.

13. Lifelong learning as the knowledge base for innovation: the REKNOMA project. Individual development account is another measure capable of increasing savings, which can then be invested in training for innovation. Financial entitlements, which offer beneficiaries the possibility to take advantage of a government guaranteed voucher or grant. The right to use specific services free of charge. Grants or vouchers, seen as investments for individuals who wish to take part in training programmes. Privileged individual loans. These loans are bank loans given to individuals in order to finance training programmes. They are guaranteed by the government in case of a contract breech by the loan holder. Human Capital Contract. This contract obligates the individual in training to pay back part of his/her future earnings for a determined length of time, in exchange of capital to invest in his/her own studies. Professional funds – widely adopted in many European countries – this type could become a means for the promotion of integrated policies.