61. Comprehensive Regional Innovation Policy Impact Assessment scheme

Comprehensive Regional Innovation Policy Impact Assessment scheme EURO-COOP (Regional Innovation Policy Impact Assessment and Benchmarking Process: Cooperation for Sustainable Regional Innovation), 2007 Download   OVERVIEW This deliverable sets out the final scope and method of the ‘Regional Innovation Policy Impact Assessment’ method (RIPIA). Context A ‘Regional System of Innovation’ (‘RSI’) has many actors and stakeholders; and a regional innovation policy has many effects, direct or indirect, in the shorter or longer term. Any impact assessment has to be aware of these possibilities. Also, recent evidence suggests the importance of more intangible and fuzzy issues - communications, relationships and mutual learning between stakeholders – for the system of innovation. Therefore the RIPIA method does not aim at a simple fixed answer to the question of ‘impact assessment’. It aims more to provide a route map and working tools for investigation. This will help to explore the regional innovation agenda, the critical paths of causes and effects, the relationships of stakeholders, the qualities of governance, and the ‘organization / regional learning’ capacity as a foundation for the innovation process. The RIPIA method is designed to be run by experts in close consultation with regional stakeholders. It is designed as a flexible set of steps with a series of templates and graphic aids. It is compatible with the ‘rational management’ logical framework approach of objectives, inputs and outputs, where this is relevant. It provides a basis for benchmarking and comparison as far as possible, by identifying common and measurable issues among many other issues which are more fuzzy and intangible.  

Saturday, 01 September 2007 | 3414 hits

62. Peer-reviewing European Good Practices in Innovation Promotion for SME

Peer-reviewing European Good Practices in Innovation Promotion for SME EUROPEER SME (2008) Download   Preface The EUROPEER SME project in the European context The Lisbon Strategy, decided by the EU Heads of States and Governments in March 2000, sets out to make the EU “the most competitive and dynamic knowledgedriven economy by 2010”. The “Open Method of Coordination” (OMC) was introduced at the same time to help Member States progress jointly on their reforms. Subsequently, the EU Heads of State and Government decided in 2003 that EU investments in Research and Development (R&D) should approach 3% by 2010 (the Barcelona target), and that the OMC should be applied to reach this target. The Community’s Committee for Scientific and Technical Research (CREST) was given the task to oversee the OMC process. CREST has worked through a number of OMC expert groups in yearly cycles. To reinforce andcomplement the OMC application to investment in research, the European Commission launched the OMC-NET scheme in 2005. The scheme is implemented through calls for proposals for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). It offers Member States or their regions the possibility to develop policy coordination activities on issues of their own interest with support from the European Commission. EUROPEER SME is one of ten projects financed in the OMC-NET pilot call which was launched in 2005 under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The EUROPEER SME project (a) fostered mutual learning and elaborated best practices on national and regional R&D support programs to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), (b) optimised the exchange of best practices by identifying conditions for transferability and developing transfer schemes, and (c) diminished overlap and strengthened the coordination of R&D policies directed to SME. The EUROPEER SME project used peer reviews as its working method. The method of peer reviews implies that the partners present in the peer groups are equal, which is crucial for mutual learning. The project comprised 14 partners from ten European countries. Therefore, EUROPEER SME had and has an important transnational impact. The impact of the project has been valuable on different levels. In particular the mutual learning and peer reviews have initiated a vivid exchange between project partners, and several partners are preparing the implementation of new instruments as a direct result of the project. However the impacts go far beyond the core group of project peers. The instruments themselves as well as the transfer method have met great interest from various actors in the field in European countries and beyond.  

Monday, 01 September 2008 | 4464 hits

63. Policy Recommendations Innovation Financing in the European Medical Device Sector

Policy Recommendations Innovation Financing in the European Medical Device Sector INJECTION (2007) Download   Introduction The Policy Recommendations document outlines the knowledge obtained by the InJection network on innovation financing for the medical device industry and provide recommendations for potential actions, which can be implemented by the European Commission through instruments available. The challenges pertaining to the medical device industry are part of a wider complex of factors that influence the current challenges in the European medical device and health care industries. Consequently, the challenges described in this document alongside the concrete recommendations outlined, require action on several levels and are thus aimed at both short-term implementation and long-term inspiration on the level of European Policy development. The recommendations have been prepared on the basis of the work by the InJection network in analysing the European medical device and health industry with in-depth analysis of European health care systems, medical device industry, entrepreneurial and innovation support systems, financing and venture capital systems in European member states, as well as the global markets and global value chains in the medical device sector. The recommendations have further been discussed and edited by European policy experts and from the public and private sector, as well as industry specialists and representatives from the financing sector from the major European regions for purposes of validating and testing the recommendations to ensure quality and comprehensiveness on a pan-European level.  

Saturday, 01 September 2007 | 3515 hits

64. The RegStrat Guide to Strategic Policy Intelligence Tools

The RegStrat Guide to Strategic Policy Intelligence Tools EU-project RegStrat - Strategic Policy Intelligence Tools for Better S&T Investment Strategies in Europe's Regions (2008) Download   In a rapidly changing and complex socio-economic-political environment, decision-makers need to address the challenges of competitiveness, accelerated technological change and globalisation of a more and more knowledge-based economy. However, they often lack a comprehensive knowledge base and a structured stakeholder input to take informed RTDI-related decisions. To help regional actors develop novel strategies and approaches to RTDI decision-making, the RegStrat project explored new ways to apply SPI tools such as Foresight, Technology Assessment, Innovation Audits, Evaluation and Benchmarking.  

Monday, 01 September 2008 | 4830 hits

65. Struktuurivahendite rakenduskava hindamine

Struktuurivahendite rakenduskava hindamine Uuringuaruanne, juuli 2009 Download   LÜHIKOKKUVÕTE Käesolev aruanne võtab kokku aprillist kuni juulini 2009. aastal läbi viidud struktuurivahendite rakenduskavade hindamise, mille eesmärgiks oli välja selgitada, kuivõrd hästi on rakenduskavades  kavandatud struktuurivahendite kasutamine kooskõlas muutunud majandusolukorraga, ning vajaduse  korral teha sellest lähtuvalt ettepanekud rakenduskavade muutmiseks. Hindamise tulemusena jõuti  järeldusele, et 2007. aastal koostatud rakenduskavad on põhiosas jätkuvalt asjakohased, kuid  muutunud majandusolukorrast ja meetmete rakendamisest saadud kogemustest tulenevalt oleks  põhjendatud rakenduskavadesse teatud muudatuste tegemine. Hindamise põhjal välja toodud olulisemad tähelepanekud puudutasid eelkõige vajadust tõhustada ja  kiirendada mitmete meetmete rakendamist. Samuti tehti ettepanekuid suurendada ettevõtluse ja teiste  majanduskriisi taustal tähtsate valdkondade, näiteks tööturu ja sotsiaalse turvalisuse valdkonna  meetmete rahastamist. Tähelepanu juhiti ka sellele, et rakenduskavad on kohati liiga  infrastruktuuriinvesteeringute kesksed – ligikaudu 70% kõikidest vahenditest on suunatud  infrastruktuuriprojektidesse. Lisaks toodi hindamises välja mitu valdkonda, mille rahastamise mahud  tasuks muutunud majandustingimustes läbi vaadata, kuna ühelt poolt ei ole enam tegu kõige prioriteetsemate valdkondadega ning teiselt poolt ei ole kulutused konkreetsetele projektidele ja  meetmetele kohati piisavalt hästi põhjendatud või läbi mõeldud. Selliste valdkondadena toodi näiteks välja turism ja keskkond, lisaks osa ettevõtluse ning hariduse ja teaduse valdkonna meetmetest. Hindamise tulemusena koostati konkreetsed ettepanekud nii meetmete eelarvete kui ka sisu muutmiseks. Väljapakutud muudatusettepanekud on mõeldud struktuurivahendite administratsioonile kaalumiseks ja otsustamiseks. Kas ja millises ulatuses neid rakendatakse, sõltub struktuurivahendite administratsiooni sisesest diskussioonist ning Vabariigi Valitsuse ja vajaduse korral ka EK poolt vastu võetud otsustest.  

Wednesday, 01 July 2009 | 4944 hits

66. Supporting Policy Making with innovative assessment tools

Supporting Policy Making with innovative assessment tools Support to mutual learning and coordination in research policy making (RTDOMCNET), 2009 Download   Introduction The importance of science and technology for socio-economic development is widely acknowledged and has become a core field of activity for policy makers in many countries. While scientific efforts are still being undertaken to better understand the mechanisms of knowledge generation, technology transfer and commercialisation, a large array of different policy programmes and initiatives have already been conceived. Among the most important fields of action are: targeted investment in public R&D, promotion of scientific careers, incentives for investment business R&D, reduction of bureaucratic obstacles and fostering of closer interactions between universities, public research organizations and firms (the actors of the "triple helix"). While not directly focusing on the regional level, the increasingly popular triple helix approach illustrates the changing nature of the interactions between the research sector, the business sector and the state. It states that, held together by a complex set of organisational linkages, those spheres begin to overlap, and each sphere is increasingly able to assume the role of another1. While universities take on entrepreneurial tasks and firms develop academic dimensions, the role of public institutions in promoting research has risen beyond the provision of the rights framework. In this context, the trend towards the devolution of power to the regional level increasingly provides also regional policy makers with a mandate for RTDI policy. However, the relationship between general strategies for research and innovation and the concrete decision-making processes for the implementation of policy initiatives tends to remain particularly weak at the regional level.  

Thursday, 01 January 2009 | 4723 hits

67. RIP 2008-2013 vajadus- ja teostatavusuuringute lõpparuanne

RIP 2008-2013 vajadus- ja teostatavusuuringute lõpparuanne Riigihange 034118 „Riikliku Integratsiooniprogrammi 2008-2013 väljatöötamine” PRAXIS, TARTU ÜLIKOOL, BALTI UURINGUTE INSTITUUT, HILL&KNOWLTON, GEOMEDIA Download   RIP 2008-2013 vajadus- ja teostatavusuuringute valdkonnad on määratletud kooskõlas integratsioonistrateegia põhidimensioonidega järgmiselt: Konsortsium viib läbi 6 teostatavus- ja vajadusuuringut järgnevates temaatilistes valdkondades: 1) Haridus (sh täiskasvanute ja õpilaste keeleõpe, ajaloo-ja ühiskonnaõpetus, kodanikukasvatus) 2) Sallivus ja kultuuridevaheline dialoog, meedia 3) Naturalisatsioon, kodanikutunne 4) Sotsiaalsed riskirühmad 5) Tööturg 6) Kohalike omavalitsuste uuring Vastavalt sellele on struktureeritud ka käesolev lõpparuanne, mis koosneb käesolevast sissejuhatavast osas ning kuuest valdkondlikust osaaruandest. Sissejuhatavas osas anname ülevaate kõigi vajadus- ja teostatavusuuringute ühisest raamistikust (eesmärkidest, metodoloogiast), ühiskondlikust kontekstist, kvantitatiivuuringute alusel selgitatud empiirilistest lähtekohtadest, mis puudutavad integratsiooni üldisi eesmärke, nende tulemuslikkuse hindamist ning integratsiooni sihtrühmi, samuti esitame kõigi uuringute põhjal tehtud kokkuvõtvad ettepanekud integratsioonistrateegia prioriteetide osas. Sissejuhatava osa-aruande lisana on esitatud ka uurimisrühmade ettepanek integratsiooni tulemuslikkuse mõõdikute süsteemi edasise väljaarendamise kohta.  

Tuesday, 01 January 2008 | 4658 hits

68. [Project] European Cluster Policy Group starts

Rene Tõnnisson, member of the board of the Institute of Baltic Studies, was appointed as one of the 20 experts of the European Cluster Policy Group. The scope and objective of the group is to share intelligence about cluster policies in view to further explore how to better assist Member States in supporting the emergence of world-class clusters in the European Union. The European Cluster Policy Group will start its work in April 2009 with an 18-month term. The Group consists of high level policy makers, businesses and research and higher education institutions.

Sunday, 01 March 2009 | 3261 hits | Read more

69. The Impact of the European Union Regional Policy on Sub-National Mobilisation in a Unitary State

The Impact of the European Union Regional Policy on Sub-National Mobilisation in a Unitary State: The Case of Estonia Understanding and Shaping Regions: Spatial, Social and Economic Futures (RSA Annual Conference) Merit Tatar, konverentsiettekanne (2009) Vaata  

Wednesday, 02 September 2009 | 5064 hits

70. Evaluating Selection Criteria for Structural Funds in Estonia

Due to changes in the economical situation it is necessary to re-evaluate the strategies set in 2006-2007 for the use of EUs Structural Funds. Therefore the Estonian Ministry of Finance ordered an evaluation based on the EC regulation 1083/2006 article 48, which states that the evaluation should always precede the amendments of the Operational Programmes (OP). The aim of this mid-term evaluation is to carry out a thorough analysis of Estonian National Strategic Framework of Structural Funds and its Operational Programmes in the light of assessing the relevance of the set objectives and selection criteria for projects and if there is a need to make changes. The project is carried out in consortium with Ernst & Young Baltic and Policy Research Centre Praxis.

Wednesday, 02 September 2009 | 4751 hits