BSR-INNOnet
The BSR-INNOnetproject intends to create links between innovation policy makers, implementing agencies and analysts in the Baltic Sea Region.
The aim is to help make the Baltic Sea Region a front runner in creating environments for policy makers and practitioners to establish joint activities, build strong industrial clusters and innovation poles to link national innovation systems and innovation programmes, and to develop methods to measure and evaluate cluster performance and policy success.
Rationale and objectives:
Although the BSR-INNOnetproject only lasts for three years, it intends to create links between innovation policy makers, implementing agencies and analysts that last for much longer. It will take advantage of geographical proximity and policy learning synergies to develop a joint conceptual framework as well as to create a critical mass for joint innovation frameworks and programmes in the Baltic Sea Region.
This will help to make the Baltic Sea Region a front runner in creating environments for policy makers and practitioners to establish joint activities, build strong industrial clusters and innovation poles to link national innovation systems and innovation programmes, and to develop methods to measure and evaluate cluster performance and policy success.
The project has three broad strategic objectives:
- To establish a joint conceptual framework for cluster policy formation, evaluation and operational activities across national borders in the Baltic Sea Region.
- To establish one or more joint innovation programmes for cluster development involving partner countries in the Baltic Sea Region.
- To serve as one of Europe's best positive examples for the trans-national development of innovation, thereby helping to meet the targets of the renewed Lisbon Agenda.
The BSR INNOnet is structured in three (main) work packages, as shown in the figure below:
Two of the most important activities of the project are to create a joint conceptual framework for cluster development and to initiate one or more operational innovative cluster development programmes in the Baltic Sea Region. Furthermore, the BSR-INNOnet will participate in and contribute to the PRO INNO Europe Cluster Alliance and the Cluster Memorandum.
The project's key events are summarised in the time line below.
The BSR-InnoNet project will have a number of results affecting concrete activities as well as the process of formulating an innovation policy that supports cluster development. By producing cluster analyses and benchmarks, the project will attempt to influence the way clusters are understood. Furthermore, its structured policy learning approach, which involves sharing examples of good practice, can inspire and inform innovation policy makers as well as practitioners.
The development of joint strategies and goals for priority policy areas will help to direct the collaborative work of innovation agencies in developing joint programmes. At the same time, the implementation of joint innovation activities and programmes in support of cluster development will lead to concrete regional cooperation in the area of innovation policy.
There will also be a pattern of cooperation with other actors, including INNOnets, the PRO INNO Learning Platform and actors involved in the PRO INNO Europe Cluster Alliance, which will not only affect actors involved in the project, but also those located outside the BSR region.
Finally, by linking the three networks (analysts, practitioners and policymakers), the BSR-INNOnet helps each of these three groups to better understand the roles of the other two. It is hoped that this will improve the competencies of all groups to generate more efficient and effective results. This will, in turn, help the Baltic Sea Region as a whole to maintain its international strength and its innovative capacity.
European Cluster Alliance
This project is a founding member of the European Cluster Alliance that brings together the four INNO-Net projects dealing with cluster policy development. The European Cluster Alliance will act as the main driver for the further preparation of a strategic agenda on clusters and will be open to other cluster initiatives willing to join the Alliance, share their experiences and develop common actions with other partners.
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