IP/09/259
Brüssel, 13. veebruar 2009Piirkonnad peavad looma võrgustiku, et
edukalt tõkestada finantskriisi, pidurdada kliimamuutusi ja hoida ära
energiakriisi, ütleb Danuta HübnerRegionaalpoliitika volinik Danuta Hübner avab
esmaspäeval, 16. veebruaril komisjoni poolt 2006. aastal ellukutsutud
algatuse „Piirkonnad majandusmuutustes" aastakonverentsi.
Kahepäevasel üritusel antakse rohkem kui 800 esindajale Euroopa eri
piirkondadest võimalus jagada ideid ja esitleda oma panust
konkurentsivõime, majanduskasvu ja töökohtade loomisel.
Ürituse üks tipphetki on esmaspäeva õhtul, kui kuulutatakse
välja RegioStarsi 2009. aasta auhindade võitjad, kelleks on kõige
inspireerivamate ja uuenduslikumate ELi ühtekuuluvuspoliitika raames
rahastatavate projektide eestvedajad.
„2009. aasta konverentsi teemat „Koostöö edu
nimel” saaks vaevalt et paremini sõnastada ajal, mil paljud Euroopa
piirkonnad seisavad silmitsi mitmesuguste ülemaailmsete väljakutsetega
– finantskriisi, kliimamuutuse ja energiavarustuse probleemidega, kui
nimetada neist vaid mõnda. Ühtekuuluvuspoliitika võrgustike kaudu
saame me edendada ja ühtlustada häid tavu ja kogemusi piirkonniti ning
see on kasulik kõigile,” ütles volinik Hübner.
Piirkonnad esitlevad näiteid headest tavadest üheksas
töörühmas, mille teemad on järgmised: veevarude majandamine,
internetiühenduse kättesaadavus, linnastumine, loovus ja innovatsioon,
tööstuse ümberkorraldus, kliimamuutuse mõju piirkonna
tasandil, nn uuenduste kiirendamise võrgustikud, satelliitidelt saadavat
teavet kasutavad teenused ja Lissaboni eesmärkide seire, mille raames
hinnatakse ELi majanduskasvu ja tööhõive strateegiat.
Konverentsil esinevad ka Tšehhi Vabariigi regionaalarengu minister Cyril
Svoboda, kes esindab Tšehhi Vabariiki kui Euroopa Liidu eesistujariiki,
Regioonide Komitee president Luc Van den Brande ning hariduse, koolituse ja
kultuuri volinik Ján Figel'. 
16. veebruari õhtusel üritusel annavad volinik Hübner ja
žürii esimees, Amsterdami linnapea Job Cohen edukate ja innovatiivsete
regionaalpoliitika projektide eestvedajatele üle RegioStarsi 2009. aasta
auhinnad. Selle aasta auhindadele kandideeris 52 projekti 18 riigist. Need
projektid jaotusid järgmistesse kategooriatesse:teadusuuringud, tehnoloogiaarendus ja innovatsioon;
kliimamuutusega kohanemine või selle mõjude vähendamine;
audiovisuaalsed klipid või programmid, milles rõhutatakse
ühtekuuluvuspoliitika panust.Piirkondade ja linnade
olemasolevate võrgustike näited  
Alates 2006. aastast on loodud Euroopa Komisjoni algatuse „Piirkonnad
majandusmuutustes” raames mitmeid piirkondlikke võrgustikke,
näiteks:  
B3 REGIONS võrgustik, mida juhib
Piemonte piirkond (Itaalia). Võrgustik tegeleb teadmistepõhise
majanduse arendamise peamise probleemiga: kuidas ühendada
äärealasid või mahajäänud piirkondi.
RAPIDE võrgustik, mida
koordineerib Edela-Inglismaa piirkondliku arengu amet ja mis tegeleb riikliku
sektori panusega piirkondade innovatsiooni edendamisel, eelkõige sellega,
kuidas aidata väikeettevõtetel uuenduslikke tooteid kiiremini
turule viia. See võrgustik ühendab 12 Euroopa piirkonda.
HerO võrgustik, mida juhib
Regensburg (Saksamaa). See on kümnest linnast koosnev võrgustik, mille
eesmärk on edendada ajalooliste linnamaastike jätkusuutliku arengu
strateegiaid.
Märkus toimetajatele
Konverentsi organiseerib Euroopa Komisjon koostöös Regioonide
Komiteega. Algatuse „Piirkonnad majandusmuutustes” eesmärk on
toetada Euroopa piirkondade omavahelist kogemuste ja heade tavade vahetamist
võimalikult suures ulatuses, et tõhusalt edendada konkurentsi,
majanduskasvu ja töökohtade loomist. 
2007–2013 eraldatakse ühtekuuluvuspoliitika vahenditest 375
miljonit eurot võrgustike loomiseks ja õpitegevuse edendamiseks
piirkondadevahelise koostöö raames. 
Täiendav teave algatuse „Piirkonnad majandusmuutustes" ja
RegioStarsi auhindade kohta: 
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/interregional/ecochange/index_en.cfmVeebisaidil on avaldatud ka põnevamad üksikjuhtumid ja näited
ELi investeeringute kasutamisest piirkondade moderniseerimisel.
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