Globalization leads to greater challenges for Research and Technology Development (RTD) policies and for the competitiveness of technology oriented SMEs. However, regional innovation policy-making is in need of innovation itself: It has to be more dynamic and adaptive. This can be reached by integrating RTD issues more coherently into strategic planning and by building communities in which regional stakeholders learn to develop the regional system. The REACT project helps to achieve this goal.

REACT is implemented within the European Sixth Framework Programme and focuses on regional empowerment in policy development and technology transfer.

REACT will offer a platform for cross-regional learning and provide concrete regional development concepts for knowledge-based technology regions in Europe.

REACT wants to make a contribution to the development and implementation of new policy-making instruments in the fields of micro- and nanotechnologies, innovation and regional development in order to improve the environment for public research. Moreover, the project aims at improving and fostering the link between public research bases and industry and helps to create bridges between researchers, policy makers and SMEs. REACT will enable regional stakeholders to formulate policy strategies with regard to RTD issues and will enhance and support concrete RTD concepts for knowledge-based technology regions in Europe.

The overall objective of REACT is to improve Research and Technology Development in European regions and to support innovative policy-making for technology transfer. The key question which will taken into consideration by the REACT project is: how can regions make their RTD interventions more successful? The methodology developed in this project will be implemented exemplarily with a focus on micro technologies. Nevertheless, the methodological approach can be adapted to other technological fields afterwards and therefore offers a tool for sustainable regional development.

REACT based on an interregional approach between 7 partners from 6 European regions (Limburg/NL, Styria/A, Franche-Comté/F, Thueringen/D, Southern Estonia/EE and Bratislava/SK) who will bring in their experiences and good practices and share their knowledge and competencies. Specific attention will be paid to  the development of a regional dimension of RTD policy-making and on the issue of mutual learning. However, the improvement of RTD policies and the application of efficient and innovative regional development instruments are main concerns for all REACT regions. Therefore, in each region an external group of regional stakeholders will be nominated to be member of the so called “REACT Sounding Board”. The Sounding Board will include regional policy-makers, opinion leaders, researchers, representatives of knowledge centers, investors, industry, entrepreneurs and SME’s dealing with micro technologies who aim at supporting the activities carried out during the REACT project.

The stated goals will be reached by a combination of analyses of the respective regional performances, interregional exchange of experiences and exploitation and transfer. In policy terms, the co-ordinated action aims at giving concrete recommendations for the governance of RTD policies at regional level.

Project website: REACT