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