1. B R U S S E L S Partnership of local authorities in sciences and business Best practices of Brussels-Capital Region Sofia, 31st October 2008

2. B R U S S E L SB R U S S E L S Overview of Best Practices Exchange Agreement between Sofia and Brussels  2004, signature of the agreement between the 2 regions  Major domains of application :  urban planning and development  transportation  housing  economy  environment, nature conservation and water management  waste management  renewable energies  cultural heritage conservation  European affairs

3. B R U S S E L SB R U S S E L S Overview of Best Practices Exchange Agreement between Sofia and Brussels The current agreement aims at : 1) Management of local authorities: promote exchange of best practices between the Municipality of Sofia and the Brussels-Capital region in terms of management of local authorities, notably in the following areas:  administrative and financial management  public tenders legislation and its impact on budget & accounting procedures

4. B R U S S E L SB R U S S E L S Overview of Best Practices Exchange Agreement between Sofia and Brussels The current agreement aims at : 2) European Affairs: reinforce the cooperation between contracting parties in the area of EU affairs in order to speed up the accession process of Bulgaria to the European Union. This collaboration is based on :  exchange of experiences and information  the organisation of seminars and trainings  joint participation to specific programmes  consultation with other international bodies of which both contracting parties are members

5. B R U S S E L SB R U S S E L S Overview of Best Practices Exchange Agreement between Sofia and Brussels The current agreement aims at : 3) Environment and waste management policy : strengthen cooperation between both parties regarding waste management policies through the exchange of best practices in the following areas:  initiatives against noise pollution and air pollution, enterprises’ waste management ;  transport network development strategies

6. B R U S S E L SB R U S S E L S Brussels best practices The Regional Innovation Plan & The Brussels Enterprise Agency  Innovation  Complex process  High tech vs. Low tech  Multi factor dependent: company culture & environment, …  Importance of networking: enterprise/university, clustering, …, internationalisation  Leverage in (regional) development  Supportive role of public authorities  Large scale initiatives & support measures  Economic & research policies

7. B R U S S E L SB R U S S E L S Brussels best practices The Regional Innovation Plan & The Brussels Enterprise Agency  The Regional Innovation Plan (PRI):  Public coordinated action to boost innovation in the Region  Foster synergies & cooperation between local authorities, academia & industry

8. B R U S S E L SB R U S S E L S Brussels best practices The Regional Innovation Plan & The Brussels Enterprise Agency  6 strategic priorities:  Promotion of strategic sectors with innovation content: ICT, Health, Environment  Strengthen innovation creation: academic & industrial research  Foster use of innovation: technology transfer  Promote internationalisation of innovation: EU programmes  Attract innovation related investments: incubation facilities  Create innovation friendly environment: economic measures

9. B R U S S E L SB R U S S E L S Brussels best practices The Brussels Enterprise Agency  The Brussels Enterprise Agency (BEA): BEA provides advice and guidance free of charge to start-ups, SMEs or foreign investor who wish to set up or develop their enterprise in the Brussels-Capital Region.  European concept: local access to public support services  Public agency under the authority of the Ministries for Economy & Research  « 1st Stop Shop » for entrepreneurs in the Brussels-Capital Region  Economic & Technological support services  No provision of direct funding, but close collaboration with local funding agencies (IRSIB, Fonds de Participation, …)  Board of directors: public authorities ( Region, ministries), academia (universities), industry (employers’ federations), trade unions

10. B R U S S E L SB R U S S E L S Brussels best practices: The Brussels Enterprise Agency (BEA)  4 complementary departments:  « Economy & starters »: economic stimulation  Enterprise creation  Grants & financing  Law & tax advice  « Technology & Innovation »: technological stimulation  Project coaching:  Idea validation  Strategic information  Intellectual Property Rights  Business Plan  Application for Regional funding

11. B R U S S E L SB R U S S E L S Brussels best practices: The Brussels Enterprise Agency (BEA)  4 complementary departments:  « International Relations »: technological stimulation  Attraction of foreign investors  European Technology Transfer  Promotion of Research, Development & Innovation European Programmes  7th Framework Programme  Competitiveness & Innovation Programme

12. B R U S S E L SB R U S S E L S Invest in Brussels C/O The Brussels Enterprise Agency Jacques Evrard Director jev@bea.irisnet.be C/O The BEA Avenue du Port 86 C - b 211 1000 Brussels Tel. +32 2 422 00 20 Fax. +32 2 422 00 43 www.investinbrussels.com Ana Luisa Baptista Inward Investment Advisor aba@abe.irisnet.be

13. Thank you for your attention! BRUSSELS