Author's e-books - Bezirtzoglou. Page - 1
The Regional Innovation Excellence in Greece publication takes a closer look at the first generation of the Greek regional programmes of innovative actions. Built on the preliminary experiences of the thirteen programmes, it describes briefly and statistically analyses the Greek vis-à-vis the other European programmes as well as describing the historical steps in regional innovation strategies making.
Europe is more than a bloc of nations. It is also a collection of regions. Most regions radically differ from their respective countries. National and global trends are not felt the same way in all regions. While some regions lead, some others lag behind these trends, i.e. some regions maintain low unemployment rates despite a global downturn. As a result, the disparities between regions are far greater than the differences between countries. The ability of regional economies to withstand competition and to manage change is related to their capacity to innovate.
The Regional Programmes of Innovative Actions were the European Union’s and probably the world’s first ever capacity building exercise for regions. The regions were given the chance to develop a holistic regional innovation strategy, to directly manage their allocated budget and engage for the first ever time in direct contact with the EU. Furthermore, regions were encouraged to better learn and comprehend the value of sustainable growth in the knowledge economy era.
The Showcasing Innovative Greece publication, presents both first and second generation programmes with particular emphasis to their categorisation according to four different typologies (i.a. regional economic activity, overall innovation performance, trade globalisation regional innovation index, sectoral specialization of regions). They aimed to become an innovative energy boost for Greek regional economies. Their accumulated experience could serve as a beacon and example for other remote regions with less favourable circumstances.
Today Europe’s challenge is striving for effectiveness and efficiency in a globalised economy without forgetting its fundamental European values of solidarity and welfare. Innovation is a solution, since it is now well known that innovation is a central element of economic performance.
The geographic location of the islands regions and their functions as natural boundaries between Europe and third countries makes them strategic territories for the EU. Islands represent an area of around 110.000 km² and are home to about 14 million people. Their structural handicaps, such as scarce resources and a small-scale market, makes their “periphery economy” more fragile than the bigger and better connected “mainland economies”.
Taking into account these problems, the European Structural Funds encourage islands to adopt innovative technologies suited to their particularities. Developing in a sustainable way and integrating in the new information society economy without endangering their regional identity is a way of taking advantage of the islands’ potential.
In particular, the objectives of the Regional Programmes of Innovative Actions are to strengthen the regional knowledge and skills base in selected areas and to speed up exploitation of innovations. It is particularly important for the least-developed regions, such as, among others, the islands, that they have the chance to experiment in fields outside the norm of their structural funds programmes and develop greater co-operation and networking with more developed regions.
The "Islands of Innovation” presents the regional programmes of innovative actions of the “island regions”. The experiences of these regions provide an example to others of how regions, remote and with less favourable conditions, could thrive by promoting their “exclusive myth”.
The Regional Innovation Excellence in Greece publication takes a closer look at the first generation of the Greek regional programmes of innovative actions. Built on the preliminary experiences of the thirteen programmes, it describes briefly and statistically analyses the Greek vis-à-vis the other European programmes as well as describing the historical steps in regional innovation strategies making.
Europe is more than a bloc of nations. It is also a collection of regions. Most regions radically differ from their respective countries. National and global trends are not felt the same way in all regions. While some regions lead, some others lag behind these trends, i.e. some regions maintain low unemployment rates despite a global downturn. As a result, the disparities between regions are far greater than the differences between countries. The ability of regional economies to withstand competition and to manage change is related to their capacity to innovate.
The Regional Programmes of Innovative Actions were the European Union’s and probably the world’s first ever capacity building exercise for regions. The regions were given the chance to develop a holistic regional innovation strategy, to directly manage their allocated budget and engage for the first ever time in direct contact with the EU. Furthermore, regions were encouraged to better learn and comprehend the value of sustainable growth in the knowledge economy era.
The Showcasing Innovative Greece publication, presents both first and second generation programmes with particular emphasis to their categorisation according to four different typologies (i.a. regional economic activity, overall innovation performance, trade globalisation regional innovation index, sectoral specialization of regions). They aimed to become an innovative energy boost for Greek regional economies. Their accumulated experience could serve as a beacon and example for other remote regions with less favourable circumstances.
Today Europe’s challenge is striving for effectiveness and efficiency in a globalised economy without forgetting its fundamental European values of solidarity and welfare. Innovation is a solution, since it is now well known that innovation is a central element of economic performance.
The geographic location of the islands regions and their functions as natural boundaries between Europe and third countries makes them strategic territories for the EU. Islands represent an area of around 110.000 km² and are home to about 14 million people. Their structural handicaps, such as scarce resources and a small-scale market, makes their “periphery economy” more fragile than the bigger and better connected “mainland economies”.
Taking into account these problems, the European Structural Funds encourage islands to adopt innovative technologies suited to their particularities. Developing in a sustainable way and integrating in the new information society economy without endangering their regional identity is a way of taking advantage of the islands’ potential.
In particular, the objectives of the Regional Programmes of Innovative Actions are to strengthen the regional knowledge and skills base in selected areas and to speed up exploitation of innovations. It is particularly important for the least-developed regions, such as, among others, the islands, that they have the chance to experiment in fields outside the norm of their structural funds programmes and develop greater co-operation and networking with more developed regions.
The "Islands of Innovation” presents the regional programmes of innovative actions of the “island regions”. The experiences of these regions provide an example to others of how regions, remote and with less favourable conditions, could thrive by promoting their “exclusive myth”.