S&T Country Report - Albania - WBC-INCO Net

There is no universal model or structure for the ideal RDA, each country has its own
concept. RDAs can be funded in different ways, but are usually established and
supported significantly by national governments and /or municipalities.
The more common activities RDAs engage in include:
• Regional Strategic Planning;
• SME Development;
• Training;
• Regional Marketing and Promotion;
• Development of Business Parks, Enterprise Zones, Business Incubators;
Innovation Centres and Technology Parks;
• Rural development and Tourism;
• Attracting Direct Foreign Investment; and
• Participating in EU funded programmes and pilot projects.
RDAs are one of the key players in initiating and co-ordinating regional development
strategies, which is normally a requirement before EU funds are dispersed within a
region. By harnessing all economic forces and assets, RDAs are central to promoting
dynamic regional development and securing positive change, through new
development projects, that impact directly on the overall social and economic fabric
of a region.
In 2003, there was a network of 5 Regional Development Agencies (RDAs)
established under the framework of Regional Development Project supported by EC,
covering the whole territory of BiH:
• North East BiH (NERDA);
• Herzegovina (HERDA);
• Sarajevo (SERDA);
• Central BiH (REZ-RDA); and
• North-West BiH (ARDA).
page 28/BIH