This opportunity is offered by the conclusion of the “NOVAregio” European project (www.novaregio.net) which has been promoting a large debate on the best regional policies and practices to support innovation and RTD investment since January 2005, carrying out studies, publishing materials and performing actions agreed by different European regions. The idea of a new European project stands out against the many results produced by NOVAregio. “STARNETregio - STARring a trans-national NETwork of regional research-driven marine clusters” will be launched in January 2008 and will entail an operational involvement of some NOVAregio partners.

Gabriele Gatti, Head of Institutional Relations and Networks of AREA Science Park stated that ‘The project known as “NOVAregio-InNOVAtive network for coordinated actions on RTD policies at regional level” has provided the opportunity to perform an accurate analysis and benchmarking process in seven European regions, leading to selecting and sharing eleven regional innovation policies and practices, which have been experimented and have produced excellent results in terms of competitive growth in the involved territories and in their economic and productive systems’. Gatti also stated that ‘the “STARNETregio project” is a great opportunity for applying the NOVAregio results in an effective way at a trans-regional level. They would become innovation and international promotion tools in the shipbuilding and yachting sectors, which are of an extraordinary strategic interest for the Friuli Venezia Giulia region and for the European regions overlooking the sea’.

The programme of the “Promoting innovation in Europe in the sector of sea economy” event includes a welcome speech by Giorgio Perini, Head of the Regional Authority’s Liaison Office in Brussels and works focusing on how to promote research and innovation activities in the sector through the establishment of specific technology clusters.
Particularly, Gabriele Gatti will explain the “STARNETregio” project objectives. The project will contribute to reinforcing and improving the connections among multi-sector clusters of companies and research centres – mainly located in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, in Slovenia and in the County of Rijeka – to favour the development of innovation and competitiveness in the industry and services sections of shipbuilding, yachting, marine appliances and related logistics.

Later, Roberto Cosolini, Regional Councillor for Work, Training, University and Research, will present Friuli Venezia Giulia’s DITENAVE (Distretto Tecnologico Navale-Nautico – Shipping-Yachting Technology Cluster), a coordination body as well as a connection between the public and the private sectors in the fields of research, innovation and training. The cluster aims at promoting and supporting the competitive growth of the industry in the shipbuilding and yachting line. This sector has an extraordinary potential for the future of Friuli Venezia Giulia and may become extremely relevant also for the European regions united under the aegis of “STARNETregio”.

Furthermore, the European strategies to develop Europe’s sea economy will be described, as they are presented in the “Blue Book-An Integrated Maritime Policy for EU”, published by the EC last 10 October. The opportunities to be offered in this sector in 2008 by the EC within the 7th Framework Programme known as “Regions of Knowledge” will be dealt with afterwards.

A presentation of some projects and experiences will follow. They will be useful to activate hypotheses of cooperation among regions, particularly within the “ERRIN-European Regions Research and Innovative Networks”.

The final part of the event will consist in the opening of the exhibition “The Courses for Trieste”, organized by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region as part of the “FVG Invita” initiative.

Please note that the registration form should be sent until Nov 15, 2007 to uff.bruxelles@regione.fvg.it.

Location:
Regional Authority’s Liaison Office in Brussels
Rue du Commerce 49
from 09.30 a.m. to 01.00 p.m.

For further information:
Ing. Marcello Guaiana
Marketing & Relazioni Internazionali
AREA Science Park
ph +390040 3755267
fax +3904 040 375 5187