IP/09/259
Bruxelles, den 13. februar 2009Regionerne bør "netværke om
resultater", således at de er bedre rustet til at håndtere
finanskrisen, klimaforandringerne og de energipolitiske udfordringer, siger
Danuta HübnerMandag den 16. februar åbner Danuta
Hübner, EU-kommissær med ansvar for regionalpolitik, den årlige
konference "Regioner for Økonomisk Forandring", som Kommissionen lancerede
tilbage i 2006. Mere end 800 repræsentanter for Europas regioner vil
på denne todages konference få mulighed for at udveksle idéer og
fremlægge deres erfaringer med hensyn til at forbedre konkurrenceevnen,
skabe øget vækst og styrke beskæftigelsen. Et af
højdepunkterne på konferencen bliver annonceringen mandag aften af
vinderne af RegioStars-priserne for 2009, der tildeles de mest inspirerende og
innovative projekter, støttet af EU's
samhørighedspolitik.
"Temaet for dette års konference, som er 'networking om resultater', kan
vanskeligt være mere passende på et tidspunkt, hvor Europas regioner
står over for en lang række globale udfordringer – finanskrisen,
klimaforandringerne og energiforsyningen for blot at nævne et par stykker.
Vi kan gennem de specifikke samhørighedspolitiske netværk fremme og
udbrede de enkelte regioners bedste praksis og erfaringer, således at alle
kan få gavn heraf", udtaler kommissær Hübner.
Regionerne vil få mulighed for at fremlægge eksempler på god
praksis i ni workshopper med følgende temaer: vandplanlægning,
bredbåndsadgang, immigration i byområder, kreativitet og innovation,
industriel omstrukturering, klimaforandringernes indvirkning på regionalt
niveau, hurtigtfungerende innovationsnetværk, satellitbaserede
oplysningstjenester og platformen til overvågning af Lissabon-processen,
der løbende vurderer EU's strategi for vækst og
beskæftigelse.
Cyril Svoboda, minister for regional udvikling og repræsentant for det
tjekkiske formandskab, Luc Van den Brande, formand for Regionsudvalget, og
Ján Figel', kommissær med ansvar for uddannelse, efteruddannelse og
kultur, vil ligeledes tale på konferencen.
Kommissær Hübner og juryens formand, Amsterdams borgmester Job
Cohen, vil i forbindelse med aftensarrangementet den 16. februar overrække
RegioStars-priserne for 2009 til vellykkede og innovative regionalpolitiske
projekter. I alt 52 projekter fra 18 lande deltager i dette års
konkurrence, der har fokus på tre hovedtemaer:forskning, teknologisk udvikling og innovation
tilpasning til eller begrænsning af klimaforandringerne
audiovisuelt indslag eller program, der fremhæver
samhørighedspolitikkens bidrag.Eksempler på
eksisterende netværk af regioner og byer 
Der er siden 2006 blevet oprettet en række netværk af regioner med
støtte fra Europa-Kommissionen under initiativet Regioner for
Økonomisk Forandring, bl.a.:
B3 REGIONS, som er et netværk,
der forvaltes af Piemonte-regionen (Italien), og som har fokus på et aspekt
med stor betydning for udviklingen af vidensøkonomien, nemlig
gennemførelsen af forbindelser i afsidesliggende eller ugunstigt
stillede regioner.
RAPIDE, som koordineres af South
West England Regional Development Agency (UK), og som har fokus på den
offentlige sektors rolle med hensyn til at stimulere innovationen i de
forskellige regioner, særlig ved at hjælpe små og mellemstore
virksomheder med at bringe innovative produkter i omsætning så hurtigt
som muligt. Dette netværk omfatter 12 europæiske regioner.
HerO, som koordineres af Regensburg
(Tyskland), og som er et netværk af 10 byer, der har til formål at
fremme bæredygtige forvaltningsstrategier for historiske
bymiljøer.
Redaktionel note
Konferencen organiseres af Europa-Kommissionen i samarbejde med
Regionsudvalget. Formålet med initiativet Regioner for Økonomisk
Forandring er at gøre det muligt i videst muligt omfang at udveksle
erfaringer og god praksis i Europas regioner og til fulde at udnytte denne viden
til at fremme konkurrenceevne, vækst og beskæftigelse. 
Der vil i perioden 2007-2013 blive stillet 375 mio. EUR til rådighed
inden for rammerne af samhørighedspolitikken for networking og uddannelse
under indsatsområdet for "interregionalt samarbejde". 
For yderligere oplysninger om initiativet Regioner for Økonomisk
Forandring og RegioStars-priserne henvises til: 
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/interregional/ecochange/index_en.cfmDette websted indeholder ligeledes interessante casestudies og eksempler
på den bedste anvendelse af EU-investeringer til modernisering af
regioner.
Finalists for REGIOSTARS 2009- The Awards for regional innovative
projects
The finalists are listed here (in no particular order): 
Category1: Research, Technological Development and
Innovation
ROADEX – Interreg project, Lead partner Västerbotten,
Sweden
This project involves trans-national collaboration, networking and research
on a wide range of aspects affecting rural roads which maximises their potential
and contributes to the sustainability of local communities. (EU contribution:
€488 333)
Lahti Cleantech Cluster, Päijät-Häme, Finland
The aim of this project was to strengthen the development work between
companies and development organisations specialising in recycling, materials and
energy efficiency, water management and soil decontamination. (EU contribution:
€1.5 million)
Berlin Adlershof – City of Science, Technology and Media, Berlin,
Germany
This project was the development of a campus (Adlershof) into a leading
Science Park improving the links between science, research and technology with
innovative business and efficient services. (EU contribution: €87.6
million)
Proof of Concept, North East of England, UK
The Proof of Concept Fund, an early-stage technology investment fund, is at
the heart of science and technology SME development investing at the very
earliest stages of business creation and growth. (EU contribution: €5.6
million)
Science Park Potsdam – Golm, Brandenburg,Germany
As a result of a regional strategy scientific and academic institutions have
settled at the Science Centre in Golm, this in turn has become one of the most
significant engines of innovation in the region. (EU contribution: €74.3
million)
LOFAR, Northern Components, The Northern Netherlands Provinces, The
Netherlands
The LOFAR project is aimed at developing and constructing a sensor network
for the collection and processing of real-time streaming data in support of a
very sensitive radio telescope for an array of geophysical sensors and in the
field of precision agriculture. (EU contribution: €10.8 million)
DIPLE Printing Technologies, Wales, UK
The main aim of DIPLE was to perform case study projects with partner
companies, develop best practice methodologies and innovative uses of printing
to create high quality value added products. These could then be used as the
basis for knowledge transfer. (EU contribution: £1.13 million or
€1.26 million)
Cenaero Recherches, Hainaut, Belgium
This project aimed to start up new a centre of excellence in aeronautical
research dedicated to advanced simulation and modelling for multi-physics
applications, virtual manufacturing, multi-scale material and structure
modelling, multidisciplinary optimization, and high performance computing. (EU
contribution: €4.12 million)
ISFOC, Castilla la Mancha, Spain
Focussing on field tests, standardization and know-how in a developing
market, the Institute for Concentration Photovoltaic Systems aims to assist,
through collaborative projects, companies and universities to adapt their supply
to the technological demand in the field of Concentration Photovoltaic. (EU
contribution: €5.6 million)
West Midlands Technology Network, West Midlands, UK 
The aim of WMTN was to make university expertise more accessible to companies
and to use that expertise in a practical way to make a strategic difference to
the region's productivity by increasing the competitiveness of regional
companies. (EU contribution: £9.9 million or €11 million)
REGENERGY, Interreg project, Lead partners Berlin and Brandenburg
Germany
This is a Europe-wide network of pioneering communities and regions working
on innovative organisational, regulatory, policy and financing solutions in the
area of heating and cooling. (EU contribution: €831 000)
SpaceInnovation SAAR, Saarland, Germany
This initiative organises the innovation process between the European space
community and non-space, high-tech, sectors in Saarland, providing a spin-in
approach that generates new and high quality collaborations. (EU contribution:
€79 826)
Lasers for Micromachining and Diagnostics, Lithuania
This project brought together four Lithuanian laser technology and photonic
enterprises for the purpose of developing top quality industrial lasers intended
for particularly subtle micromachining. (EU contribution: €1.09
million)
Centre of Excellence "Nanoscience and Nanotechnology", Central
Slovenia
This R&D project on nano-electronic devices for nanotechnology has
combined research facilities at public research units with those in the business
sector, providing closer cooperation and better utilisation of research results
for economic development. (EU contribution: €829 369)
Ashfield Skills Centre, East Midlands, UK
This project delivered five discrete, but philosophically linked, learning
environments over the course of four years, delivering high quality vocation
courses to meet the skills shortages identified by local employers. (EU
contribution: £2.25 million or €2.5 million)
Corallia – The Hellenic Technology Clusters Initiative, Attica,
Greece
This project facilitates the advancement of industry-driven innovation
clusters in knowledge-intensive and exports-oriented technology segments where
there is capacity to build a worldwide competitive advantage and a sustainable
innovation ecosystem. Corallia has supported the emergence of the first cluster
in Greece in the area of Microelectronics and Embedded Systems. (EU
contribution: €3.29 million)
ESTIIC: Fostering competitiveness through Innovation and Information Society,
Interreg Project, lead partner Asturias, Spain
The aim of this interregional project has not only been to improve regional
cooperation in specific technological areas but to harness the knowledge
obtained through collaborative projects for use in the future. (EU contribution:
€3.1 million)
Category 2: Adaptation to or mitigation of climate
change
Photovoltaic Electricity Production – Ile de la Réunion,
France
This project involves photovoltaic electricity production from panels located
on three industrial buildings connected to one transformer, thereby increasing
the autonomy of the island's electricity production, adapting techniques in a
tropical environment and creating local employment. (EU contribution: €623
691)
The Northern Maritime Corridor, Interreg project, lead partner Rogaland,
Norway
The overall aim and vision of this interregional project is that the Northern
Maritime Corridor should be a means of efficient, safe and sustainable
transportation, connecting costal areas and enhancing regional development in
the North Sea Region and the Northern Periphery Region. (EU contribution:
€5.3 million)
EnergyAgency.NRW, North Rhine-Westphalia,Germany
This service provider acts as a strategic platform with wide-ranging
competence in the energy domain, from funding of research, technical
development, demonstration and market launch to energy consultancy and
continuous vocational training. (EU contribution: €6.3 million)
Category 3: Radio or television spot or programme that
highlights the contribution of Cohesion Policy
"The EU Funds (The Dog)" from the Czech Republic
"Do you know about ... ESPA?" and "Now, you know about ...ESPA" from
Greece
"It's good to be proud" from Hungary
"The European Union and the Province Zuid-Holland" from The
Netherlands
"National Cohesion Strategy Image Campaign" from Poland
For more information:
http://ec.europa.eu/inforegio/innovation/regiostars_en.htm