Defris Partners: ÖSTSAM – Regional Development ... - WebNews

Introduction
The following report is an attempt to summarise a two-year long co-operation of First
Division regions i.e. medium-sized regions, striving to encourage their competitiveness
against stronger national “partners”, through adopting an appropriate strategy of
development. The report is an element of a larger work of interregional character
(Common Report) dealing with the execution of strategic development projects within
the territory of Defris partner states. The form of a Partner report has been engaged
in order to facilitate a proper depiction of final results of analytic and planning efforts,
made within selected fields of interest, on a more detailed i.e. regional and local level.
The report is inevitably fed with the information obtained during the execution of
previous work packages. Both WP1 and WP2 reports provided the participants of the
project with vital information on characteristics of particular regions dissecting their
socio-economic background which conditions their further development. The
information gathered in this way proved invaluable in the process of selecting future
key projects.
The Regional Authority of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodship put forward three strategic
projects of development during the implementation process of WP3 (the total number
of projects by Defris partners amounts to 15). The function of these projects within
Defris is of dual character; they have the role of, so called, voivodship development
zones (the growth poles), as well as, a supporting one e.g. activating the neighbouring
or peripheral areas with a significant socio-economic potential.
The selected projects are:
1. Bydgoszcz-Toruń Metroplitan Area as the development zone
2. The conception of the economic development of the Noteć River Valley
3. Shaping the function of Włocławek as a regional centre
The conclusions concerning the execution of strategic projects that are suggested in
the report present in great detail the planning process, the adopted methodology and
analyses of selected development aspects including, among others, the areas of
transport, communications, services, entrepreneurship, tourism and social issues.
Furthermore, in drive to achieve an improved international co-operation resulting in
measurable effects, the subject areas were narrowed down to merely project
activities. Thus, each one of the above-mentioned projects reflects one or two (in case
of BTMA – Bydgoszcz Toruń Metropolitan Area) activities, raised also by those partners
from other regions who remain interested in these issues. For more information on
this subject refer to chapter “Transnationality”.
The lay-out of the Partner report reflects the requirements imposed on all partners in
the project. Its contents is supplemented with elaborations in the form of graphic
attachments and information formulas which are the original form of information about
the implemented strategic development projects.
4