Oulu Smart City SeminarIntelligent Community Development &

Smart Market Creation

Oulu, 6th May 2015

Added Value of Cross-BorderEcosystems for Innovation

Association of European Border Regions

CBC in Europe is a story ofMulti-Level Governance and

assymetries• 50 years of “formal” CBC in the EU; centuries

of “informal” and “abnormal” CBC• Laboratories for European Integration• Central Europe (Rhine basin), Northern

Europe, Mediterranean regions, EasternEurope up to the Caucasus, …

• Global CBC for Global Challenges: LatinAmerica, Africa and Asia

CooperationObjective

CBC 2014-2020EligibleRegions

Regiones yestructurasde CTF en

2011

• Insertar mapa

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CBC, EU and Globalisation:Globalisation has placed everyone inits right place: Economy vs. Politics

• Long institutional, intelectual history, etc., but very few

row materials, energy sources, … (we are a huge

thematic park)

• Only strengthening integration we can save the current

situation (upwards and downwards): Territorial

Cohesion

• Knowledge Triangle: EDUC, RESEARCH, INNOV

• Triple (quadruple) Helix: UNI-IND-GOB (-SOC)

• Bet for TALENT, “give a bonus to risk”

European experienceshows:

• Supranational integration processes doesnot guarantee cohesion in very diverseterritories. Their own dynamics strengthenmore developed areas (territorialdumping).

• There is a need of a “positivediscrimination”: territorial cooperationprogrammes and projects (Interreg) toenhance economic, social and territorialcohesion.

Diversityfrom being an obstacle to createopportunities

Various:• Cultures and social systems• Administrative structures and powers• Fiscal and social legislations• Many other political activities

… meet at the borders• Citizens have grown up in very different

environments• They will not sacrifice aspects of everyday lives

for the European ideal• No State will alter its tried and trusted structures

Objective: Critical Mass

• CB regions cover half of their potential areas ofinfluence

• CBC makes easier to achieve a critical mass:synergies, efficiency, joint planning andmanaging

• Creation of CB influence areas• Creation of alliances for joint sustainable

benefits

Socio-economic addedvalue of CBC

• Mobilisation of endogenous potential, strengthening regional and locallevel as partners and initiators of CBC

• Participation of economic and social actors (chambers, associations,companies, trade unions, cultural and social institutions, environmental orgsand tourism agencies)

• Opening up of labour markets and harmonisation of professionalqualifications

• Additional developments: infrastructures, transport, tourism,environment, education, research & cooperation between SMEs, and thecreation of employment

• Lasting improvements in Spatial Development and regional policy(including environment)

• Improvement of cross-border transport infrastructure

AEBR Annual Conference 2014Rzeszów, Carpathian Euroregion

Innovation and Research – CB Regional Developmentthrough Public-Private Partnership

Ø Eminent position of Innovation in EU2020 StrategyØ Innovation not only as high-tech solutions, but also new approach of

“traditional” fields (tourism or agro-food industry)Ø In CB regions it offers: a larger market, new sources of employment,

attraction of enterprises, spin-off effects, etc.Ø It also needs good international contacts (universities, research institutions,

enterprises, etc.).Ø CB regions should develop a joint strategy, with concrete proposals for

sustainable implementation and further development.Ø They can profit from Smart Specialization in both sides.Ø Territorial Cooperation programmes, Horizon 2020, Erasmus +, LIFE, ENI

and IPA, etc. Possibility of multi-fund approach.Ø EU funding used in the start-up phase to initiate cooperation and open new

opportunities. It is however necessary to reduce progressively EU support,so that cooperation process works after the end of external funding.

Ø An integral model of CB Innovation and Research should be based in aquadruple helix.

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Recommendations

n The following steps and frame conditions are needed:– Political will of affected countries– Bottom-up approach, where local/regional players have the

main role in collaboration with national governments (externalpartnerships, avoiding conflicts of competence)

– Involvement of politicians at all levels in both sides of theborder, to build up a lobby in favour of CBC

– Participation of all players in both sides of the border(public/private and equivalents, NGOs, etc.) to create a solidbasement for CBC using existing knowledge in both sides

– Conscience of socio-cultural cooperation: so important aseconomic cooperation (and often a pre-condition for successfulCBC)

n First phase: informal cooperation based in private lawn Afterwards: creation of permanent CB structures based in

public law

Association of European Border RegionsEnscheder Strasse, 362 Anna-Mackenroth-Weg 49D-48599 Gronau (Alemania) D-12205 Berlín

Phone: +49-2562-70219 – Fax: +49-2562-70259

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION

info@aebr.eu m.guillermo@aebr.euwww.aebr.eu