The workshop in brief - PRO INNO Europe

Session 3: Innovation culture in regions and cities
This session moderated by David Robson (Scottish Enterprise) took a closer look at
policies and actions to foster an innovation culture at regional and local level. Main
questions included the key elements in attracting talent, creative companies and
nourishing lively innovation ecology in a region or city as well as the roles and modes
of collaboration between public and private operators. Successful examples and
benchmarks in future planning for regional policy makers were presented.
Ton van Lier (Brainport) presented the example of Brainport as a strong, open and
innovative eco-system. It is characterised by a high density of top-technology
companies and research institutes and a long tradition in co-operation. Brainport is
open minded and covers research, development as well as business with a high
willingness to cooperate. Five clusters have evolved in Brainport in the fields of
LifeTec, High Tech Systems, Design, Automotive and Food. With 8% of GDP and
36% of total Dutch business expenditure, R&D expenditure is very high; most part of
R&D expenditure is private.
The sustainable development was possible by developing on ‘installed base’, building
on regional strengths and opportunities, mastering complexity, creating more value
on intangibles and by offering experiences. Key success factor was to foster
creativity. The “Design Connection Brainport” is used to cross cut technology and
creativity in order to reinforce design as an independent economic sector. The
portfolio of more than 30 projects is a reflection of the design-oriented dynamics in
Brainport, including e.g. the Creative Conversion Factory, ADMIRE, Design
Incubator, Design Café, Designhuis, Materials Library.
Further success factors include trust amongst government, private sector and
academia, leadership, thriving enriching and self empowering communities where
people help and encourage each other. Responsible persons from government,
science and business join regularly and set the agenda for the future, combining the
right competences and bringing in the right partners, absorption capacity and the
scale of operation, i.e. the regional level.
To conclude, regions are very well equipped to combine strategy and implementation
with involvement of regional stakeholders. Successes can be achieved by using the
regional culture as a fulcrum for strategy development and execution. Considering
that a strategy is as good as the culture it fits in, it is more effective to adapt strategy
and actions to the predominant culture than to change culture itself.
06.10.2008 Page 18 of 34 INNO-Views WS 04 Output final