Ilka Meisel - Association of European Border Regions

INTERREG IV C Mini-Programme
Mini Programme
“Brain Brain Flow” Flow
Brain Flow and Knowledge Transfer fostering Innovation in
Border Regions
AEBR Annual Conference, 9 th of November, Berlin (DE)

INTERREG IV C
INTERREG IV C is implemented within objective 3 “European Territorial
Cooperation” (2007-2013) and is financed by the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF)
INTERREG IV C is geared towards regional and local public policy actors
from the 27 member states as well as Norway and Switzerland
Main aim is to improve the effectiveness of regional policies and instruments.
Projects build on the exchange of experience in two thematic fields:
1) Innovation and the knowledge economy
2) Environment and risk prevention
AEBR Annual Conference in Berlin, 9 th of November 2012

“Brain Flow” – Facts & Figures
• Approved in the INTERREG IVC Programme’s 2 nd call
(2009)
• Priority 1: Innovation and the knowledge economy
• Sub-theme: Employment, human capital and education
• Duration: 01 February 2010 – 31 January 2014
• Total budget:
3.520.000,00 EUR
ERDF
2.270.000,00 EUR
EU-Partner co-financing 730.000,00
EUR
Norwegian fund
400.000,00 EUR
Swiss contribution 120.000,00
EUR
AEBR Annual Conference in Berlin, 9 th of November 2012

The Partnership
Eight border regions from seven
European countries
Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy,
Building, Housing and Transport of
the State of North Rhine-Westphalia,
DE
(Lead Partner)
Province of Gelderland, NL
Province of Overijssel, NL
County Administrative Board of
Värmland, SE
Nemunas Euroregion Marijampole
Bureau, LT
Regio Basiliensis Northwest
Switzerland, CH
Hedmark County Council, NO
Region of Navarre, ES
AEBR Annual Conference in Berlin, 9 th of November 2012
© Poplar
Geographical coverage of the partnership

What is “Brain Flow” about?
• The Mini-Programme deals with the increasing loss of highly
skilled human capital through the movement to more
favourable economic environments, the so-called “brain-drain /
brain-gain” phenomenon.
• Due to their geographical and socio-economic
characteristics, border regions are particularly touched by
the lack of qualified workforce
border regions need to find new policies and instruments to
handle these changes
AEBR Annual Conference in Berlin, 9 th of November 2012

The main aim…
…of the Mini-Programme is
“to enable regional authorities and other regional and local actors
to develop and improve their policies and instruments to counter
the outflow of highly educated and qualified people (brain-drain)
and to attract and retain human capital (brain-gain) in their regions
in support of their innovation capacity and competitiveness”
AEBR Annual Conference in Berlin, 9 th of November 2012

The Approach (1/2)
The interregional exchange will take place on 2 levels:
1) The overall (strategic) Mini-Programme level
2) The individual (practical) sub-project level
Both levels address three interrelated priorities:
1) Increasing regional attractiveness
2) Supporting key economic sectors
3) Improving the higher education system
Through the implementation of interregional sub-projects, a more
intense discussion on specific (inter)regional policy strategies,
instruments as well as “good practices” will be achieved and
experiences will be exchanged across Europe.
AEBR Annual Conference in Berlin, 9 th of November 2012

The Approach (2/2)
Exchange of experience and knowledge transfer of existing
strategies, policies und instruments to attract and bind
human capital to the region
Building of a common knowledge base
Development of new approaches and instruments
Implementation of the results in the regions in order to
initiate modernised regional policies
AEBR Annual Conference in Berlin, 9 th of November 2012

Main Activities
• Annual Conferences to disseminate the Brain Flow
achievements and experiences gained among the partner
regions to a wider public
• Thematic Exchange of Experience Meetings to fuel the
cooperation on strategic level
• Implementation of Sub-Projects to design new
partnerships, to exchange “good practices” and to
develop new approaches on the operational level
AEBR Annual Conference in Berlin, 9 th of November 2012

8 “Brain Flow” Sub-Projects …
… with different thematic focus:
• BUTTON: regional attraction and retention strategies gathered in a best
practice toolkit
• BRAND: retention and re-attraction of highly skilled by making use of
alumni networks
• BPCM: the human capital dimension of cluster strategies
• Quality of Life: understanding the concept of life quality for talents and
using it for enhanced regional strategies
• STEP forward: students, teachers, entrepreneurs & policy makers network
development to address, bind and re-attract the higher educated
• LaGoTa: action groups of policy makers using synergies by making explicit
policies
• TASS: public support services for non-EU highly skilled workers
• BordInfo
Total of 49 partners involved in our 8 sub-projects
AEBR Annual Conference in Berlin, 9 th of November 2012

Want to know more?
Visit us on:
www.brain-flow.eu
“Brain Flow“ Coordination Unit
Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Industry of the State
of North Rhine-Westphalia
Haroldstraße 4
DE - 40231 Düsseldorf
phone: +49 (0) 211 / 837 - 2347
Email: brain-flow@mweimh.nrw.de
AEBR Annual Conference in Berlin, 9 th of November 2012