IP/09/259
Brussell, 13 ta' Frar 2009Ir-reġjuni jridu 'jibnu netwerks li
jagħtu riżultati' biex jindirizzaw il-kriżi finanzjarja, il-bidla
fil-klima u l-biżgħat dwar l-enerġija, qalet Danuta
HübnerNhar it-Tnejn 16 ta' Frar, il-Kummissarju
tal-Politika Reġjonali Danuta Hübner se tiftaħ
il-konferenza annwali "Reġjuni għall-Bidla Ekonomika", li tnediet
mill-Kummissjoni fl-2006. L-okkażjoni maqsuma fuq jumejn se tagħti
opportunità lil aktar minn 800 rappreżentant mir-reġjuni
tal-Ewropa biex jaqsmu flimkien l-ideat u jippreżentaw pubblikament
il-kontribut tagħhom għall-kompetittività, it-tkabbir ekonomiku u
l-impjiegi. Wieħed mill-punti ewlenin tal-okkażjoni se jseħħ
it-Tnejn filgħaxija meta jitħabbru r-rebbieħa tal-Premjijiet
'RegioStars' 2009, li jonoraw il-proġetti li ispiraw l-aktar u dawk
l-aktar innovattivi ffinanzjati mill-Politika ta' Koeżjoni
tal-UE.
"It-tema tal-konferenza ta' din is-sena 'Nibnu netwerks li jagħtu
riżultati' ma tantx tista' tkun iżjed f'waqtha f'mument bħal dan
meta r-reġjuni Ewropej qed jiffaċċjaw sfidi globali varji -
il-kriżi finanzjarja, il-bidla fil-klima u l-provvista tal-enerġija
biex insemmu wħud minnhom. Permezz tan-netwerks tal-Politika ta'
Koeżjoni, nistgħu nippromwovu u nintegraw il-prassi t-tajba u
l-esperjenza fir-reġjuni biex ikun jista' jgawdi minnha kulħadd,"
qalet il-Kummissarju Hübner.
Ir-reġjuni se jippreżentaw eżempji ta' prassi tajba f'disa'
seminars li jkopru l-oqsma tematiċi li ġejjin: il-ġestjoni
tal-ilma, l-aċċess għall-broadband, l-immigrazzjoni fl-ibliet,
il-kreattività u l-innovazzjoni, ir-riorganizzazzjoni industrijali,
l-impatt tal-bidla fil-klima fil-livell reġjonali, ir-rotot ta' ħeffa
għan-netwerks ta' innovazzjoni, is-servizzi ta' tagħrif permezz
tas-satellita u l-Pjattaforma ta' Liżbona ta' Monitoraġġ, li
tivvaluta l-istrateġija tal-UE għat-tkabbir ekonomiku u
l-impjiegi.
Kelliema oħra waqt il-konferenza se jkunu Cyril Svoboda, il-Ministru
għall-Iżvilupp Reġjonali, li jirrappreżenta l-Presidenza
Ċeka tal-Unjoni Ewropea, Luc Van den Brande il-President tal-Kumitat
tar-Reġjuni, u Ján Figel', il-Kummissarju għall-Edukazzjoni,
it-Taħriġ u l-Kultura.
F'okkażjoni ta' filgħaxija fis-16 ta' Frar,
il-Kummissarju Hübner u l-President tal-Ġurija, Job Cohen, is-Sindku
ta' Amsterdam, għandhom jippreżentaw il-premjijiet
'RegioStars' 2009 lill-proġetti ta' politika reġjonali li ispiraw
l-aktar u dawk l-aktar innovattivi. Ħadu sehem madwar 52 proġett
minn 18-il pajjiż għall-premjijiet ta' din is-sena, li jiffukaw fuq
tliet kategoriji ewlenin:Ir-riċerka, l-iżvilupp teknoloġiku u l-innovazzjoni;
L-adattament għal bidla fil-klima jew it-taffija tagħha;
Riklam jew programm awdjoviżiv li jenfasizza l-kontribut tal-Politika
ta' Koeżjoni.Eżempji ta' netwerks eżistenti ta'
reġjuni u bliet
Mill-2006 'l hawn, żviluppaw bosta netwerks ta' reġjuni,
appoġġjati mill-Kummissjoni Ewropea taħt il-kappa tal-inizjattiva
Reġjuni għall-Bidla Ekonomika, inklużi:
B3 REGIONS, netwerk immexxi
mir-Reġjun tal-Piemonte (l-Italja). Huwa jindirizza l-kwistjoni ta' qofol
għall-iżvilupp tal-ekonomija tal-għarfien: l-implimentazzjoni
ta' konnessjonijiet f'żoni remoti jew żvantaġġati.
RAPIDE, ikkoordinat mill-Aġenzija
tal-Iżvilupp Reġjonali tal-Lbiċ tal-Ingilterra (ir-Renju Unit),
jindirizza r-rwol tas-settur pubbliku biex jistimula l-innovazzjoni
fir-reġjuni, b'mod partikolari jgħin lin-negozji
ż-żgħar biex iwasslu prodotti innovattivi fis-suq b'mod aktar
mgħaġġel. Dan in-netwerk ilaqqa' 12-il reġjun
Ewropew.
HerO, immexxi minn Regensburg
(il-Ġermanja), huwa netwerk ta' għaxart ibliet li jimmira li
jipproduċi strateġiji sostenibbli ta' ġestjoni għal
pajsaġġi storiċi urbani.
Nota lill-edituri
Il-konferenza hija organizzata mill-Kummissjoni Ewropea bi sħab
mal-Kumitat tar-Reġjuni. L-iskop tal-inizjattiva tar-Reġjuni
għall-Bidla Ekonomika huwa li din tippermetti li l-esperjenza u l-prassi
t-tajba fir-reġjuni tal-Ewropa jiġu kondiviżi b'mod mifrux kemm
jista' jkun, u li tiġi sfruttata bis-sħiħ biex tippromwovi
l-kompetittività, it-tkabbir ekonomiku u l-impjiegi.
Matul il-perjodu 2007-2013, hemm disponibbli finanzjament ta'
EUR 375 miljun permezz tal-Politika tal-Koeżjoni għall-bini
tan-netwerks u għall-attivitajiet ta' tagħlim li taqa' taħt
il-kappa ta' "Kooperazzjoni interreġjonali". 
Għal
aktar tagħrif dwar "Reġjuni għall-Bidla Ekonomika" u l-premjijiet
'RegioStars': 
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/interregional/ecochange/index_en.cfmDin il-websajt toffri wkoll każistika u eżempji interessanti
tal-aqwa użu tal-investiment Ewropew għall-modernizzazzjoni
tar-reġjuni.
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