At the European Week of Regions and Cities, the European Commission, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and JPI Urban Europe will organize a session with focus on Urban and regional transitions in Widening countries and lagging regions and the best way they can be supported through smart specialisation and transnational cooperation.
JPI Urban Europe has the aim to establish long-term policy relations and support urban transitions in and with Widening Countries and Europe’s Outermost Regions by engaging (urban) actors, practitioners, decision makers in its activities.Something which is in foucs in our EXPAND II project that aims at mobilising national communities of urban actors of Widening Countries and to be the platform to create, combine, discuss and make available knowledge and robust evidence for urban transition. With cases from the Azores, Cyprus, Romania and more Widening countries and regions, we hope for a fruitful discussion and sharing of knowledge!
AGENDA
16:30 Welcome and setting the scene
Speaker: Magda DE CARLI, Head of Unit, European Research Area and Country Intelligence, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission, Karel Haegeman, Joint Research Centre, Sevilla (ES)
A selection of four territorial case studies from Widening Countries and Lagging Regions will focus on reflections on the key requirements for urban transitions: the particular conditions, the difficulties, which support activities would be beneficial (R&I support, networks, funding, etc.) More concretely, the session will focus on the following questions:
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- How to mobilise cities and urban actors for urban transitions? How to connect them to other regions/cities? Which benefits, conditions and requirements of stakeholder engagement do exist in Widening Countries?
- How to mobilise national R&I programmes to engage transnationally? What are barriers and opportunities? What are the benefits, conditions and requirements of funding bodies to join transnational programmes and partnerships?
- What are the benefits, conditions and requirements of policy support measures? How can RIS3 implementation at regional and city level be supported through transregional cooperation, transnational ideation (entrepreneurial discovery) and project development (in development labs)?
To this end, cases from 4 different territories will be presented:
16:40 Targeted support to RIS3 implementation in the city of Bucharest and Ilfov region (JRC STRIVE in collaboration with the European Parliament and DG REGIO)
Speaker: Catalina Udrea, Regional Development Agency, Bucharest – Ilfov, Planning Department
16:50 JPI Urban Europe’s approach to Widening Countries and build capacities for urban transitions in science and policy (EXPAND II project)
Speaker: Natalia SA. Silva, Regional Fund for Science and Technology of the Azores
17:00 Support to ideation and project development of innovative ideas in an international context for Centro region (PT) (JRC STRIVE in collaboration with the European Parliament and DG REGIO)
Speaker: Ana Abrunhosa, President of CDRC – Centro Region
17:10 RISE.eu (H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TEAMING PHASE 2)
Speaker: Professor Giorgos Chrysanthou University of Cyprus (UCY), Research Director of RISE
17:20 Discussion: How to get engaged and use ongoing networking and support options for Widening Countries and Lagging Regions. Panel discussion with DG RTD (RISE), JRC (STRIVE) and JPI Urban Europe (EXPAND II)
17:50 Closing words Magda De Carli