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Islands of Innovation 5
Foreword
Today Europe's challenge is to strive for effectiveness and efficiency in a globalised
economy without forgetting its fundamental European values of solidarity and welfare.
Innovation is a solution, since it is now well known that innovation is a central element
of economic performance. Its growing importance makes it a core feature of the
knowledge-based economy in addition to facilitating its development.
The Lisbon summit in 2000 set the critical strategic goal that "the EU should, by 2010,
become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world,
capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social
cohesion". However Member States have been slow to respond to the rapid
technological, economic and social change that we face as a society. As a result, the
European Commission launched on 2005 a new partnership for "Jobs and Growth" to
reinvigorate the Lisbon strategy.
Following the success of the regional policy experiment of the regional programmes
of innovative actions in the 2000-2006 programming period, the guiding principle of
innovation is to be transferred both in the relevant operating programmes of the current
and the forthcoming 2007-2013 programming period embedded in all three proposed
objectives.
This publication takes a closer look at the island communities' regional programmes
of innovative actions. Built on the preliminary experiences of their implementation, it
describes their programmes vis-a-vis their socio-economic environment.
Most of the people in the developed world are tourists in one way or another, either
for business or leisure. It is this fact that makes the tourist industry one of the world's
biggest, where Europe is the leading player. However, despite the big potential customer
base, the competition among service provider is constantly increasing. Developing new
types of holidays, new facilities and more efficient ways to manage them are some of
the many facets of innovation in this most service-oriented of industries. The tourism
industry is one of Europe's leading employers, and in particular for many island regions
that are highly dependent of tourists' spending, innovation could make the difference
between growth and stagnation.
Building on its unique physical resources and intangible assets, each island region
needs to promote its "exclusive myth". I believe that this publication will help policy
makers as well as regional innovation policy practitioners to find elements of knowledge
and best practices in constructing their myths.
Charalambos Kokkinos
General Secretary of the Region of South Aegean
6 Islands of Innovation
Table of Contents
Foreword 5
Editorial 9
Invited article on innovation in tourism
From theory to implementation 10
Chapter 1
the innovation laboratories
1.1 PRAI island regions per country 15
1.2 PRAI island regions structural handicaps 16
1.3 PRAI island regions during the 2000-2006 programming period 17
1.4 New Island Regions: From EU-15 to EU-25 17
1.5 Impact and Added-value of the Island PRAIs 18
Chapter 2
schematisation of the island PRAI island regions 19
2.1 PRAI island regions proposals per country 21
2.2 PRAI island regions proposals per strategic theme 23
2.3 PRAI island regions participation to the Innovative Actions networks 24
2.4 PRAI island regions participation to the Innovating Regions in Europe network 24
2.5 PRAI Island regions participation to the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe 25
2.6 PRAI island regions entries in the European Awards of Regional Innovation 25
2.7 Participation of Island Regions in past Regional Innovation actions 26
2.8 PRAI island regions statistics 27
Islands of Innovation 7
Annex 1
THE PRAI ISLAND REGIONS REGIONAL PROGRAMMES OF INNOVATIVE ACTIONS 30
Innovation in the Ionian Islands (31) 31
North Aegean Innovative Actions & Support (NAIAS) 32
Innovation for Sustainable Tourism and Services in the South Aegean (ISTOS) 33
Canari@sDigital-Innova (CD-I) 34
Crete Innovative region (CRINNO) 35
Innovation aimed at diversification and sustainability of the Islas Baleares (INNOBAL XXI) 36
comptoir de la nouvelle economie de guadeloupe 37
Investir dans l'homme Reunionnais 38
Innovazione-sicilia 39
Driving Innovative Exploits for Sardinian Information Society (DIESIS) 40
PRAI Acores 41
PRAI Madeira 42
Annex 2
THE SOCIO-ECONOMICM PORTRAIT OF THE ISLAND REGIONS 44
GR22 - Ionian Islands 45
GR41 - North Aegean 47
GR42 - South Aegean 49
GR43 - Crete 51
ES53 - Balearic Islands 54
ES70 - Canary Islands 56
FR83 - Corsica 58
FR91 - Guadeloupe 60
FR92 - Martinique 62
FR94 - Reunion 63
ITGi - Sicily 64
ITG2 - Sardinia 65
PT20 - Azores 67
PT30 - Madeira 69
FI20 - Aland Islands 72
Annex 3
GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 74
Annex 4
CONTACTS, BIBLIOGRAPHY AND WEB RESOURCES 77
Islands of Innovation 9
Editorial
'Regional policy is already making a substantial contribution to achieving the aims of the Lisbon
strategy, especially in the area of research and innovation. The Ell's structural funds finance
investments in research infrastructure and networks in regions where the potential for world-
class research is there to be developed, while strengthening innovative capacity and technology
transfer throughout the Union', stated Commissioner for Regional Policy, Danuta Hubner.
The geographic location of the islands regions and their functions as natural boundaries
between Europe and third countries makes them strategic territories for the EU. Islands
represent an area of around 110.000 km(^ and are home to about 14 million people. Their
structural handicaps, such as scarce resources and a small-scale market, makes their "periphery
economy" more fragile than the bigger and better connected "mainland economies".
Taking into account these problems, the Structural Funds encourage islands to adopt
innovative technologies suited to their particularities. Developing in a sustainable way and
integrating in the new information society economy without endangering their regional identity
is a way of taking advantage of the islands' potential.
In particular, the objectives of the Regional Programmes of Innovative Actions are to
strengthen the regional knowledge and skills base in selected areas and to speed up
exploitation of innovations. It is particularly important for the least-developed regions, such as,
among others, the islands, that they have the chance to experiment in fields outside the norm
of their structural funds programmes and develop greater co-operation and networking with
more developed regions.
The two features of these programmes that are particularly pleasing to the regions are: first
the fact that the entire region is considered eligible for co-funding, in contrast to the detailed
Objective 1 and Objective 2 zoning, and second the fact of giving a chance to the regions for
the first ever time deal directly with the European Commission, thus building local
administrative capacity. Both features helped the regions to better learn and grow sustainably
in the knowledge based economy.
This publication, entitled Islands of Innovation, highlights the regional programmes of
innovative actions of the "PRAI island regions". The experiences of these island regions provide
an example to others of how regions, remote and with less favourable conditions, could thrive.
In conclusion we should restate the goals of the Community regional policy which is to
protect the fragile nature of these ecosystems while at the same time empowering their
inhabitants to live a prosperous and productive life carrying out their activities in the most
effective way.
Christos Bezirtzoglou
io Islands of Innovation
Invited Article on Innovation in Tourism
From theory to implementation
Innovation can be defined in a multiplicity of ways. The leading theoretician of
innovation, Joseph Schumpeter (1883-1950), already had a broad vision of the concept,
encompassing products, new production processes, new markets, new raw materials
and new forms of organisation.
For Schumpeter, the common thread between all these changes is that they involve
"carrying out new combinations" which are qualitatively important and introduced by
dynamic business leaders, or "entrepreneurs".
Innovation and creativity are two very closely connected and "cooperating" terms.
Creativity refers to the production of new ideas, new approaches and inventions,
whereas innovation corresponds to the application of new and creative ideas and the
implementation of inventions. From this it follows that people and organisations may be
creators without being innovators.
The importance of innovation was long underestimated in service activities. In contrast
to the radical innovations vital to growth in manufacturing sectors, innovations in
services and tourism were secondary and capital-scarce, and for this reason they were
excluded from the scope of government interest and action.
However, innovation is at the heart of any successful company's agenda as well as any
economy as a whole, so it is very worthy of discussion on the role that innovation plays
in securing competitiveness.
Identifying the nature of innovation in tourism entails looking for features that are
either shared with or distinct from those of innovations in other service industries, but
it also entails comparisons with the more general models found in manufacturing.
The "public good" nature of tourism innovation prompts SMEs in the sector to adopt
a "free rider" attitude, particularly since much of the effort to make territories more
attractive (destination marketing) is borne by public bodies. Many people do not
understand the point of adopting co-operative types of behaviour, yet they are crucial
to the effectiveness of the tourism cluster.
Travel and tourism influence everyday lifestyles. They have left their mark on our
modern leisure society. The biggest innovations in tourism occur at the level of
applications. Basic innovations in the transport field opened up new horizons for
tourism. The inventions of the railway, of the automobile and of the plane revolutionised
the industry, rolling back distances and making travel affordable for many.
These innovations in transportation have made the creation of tourism growth poles
possible and have allowed the development of new markets. The same is true with New
Information Technologies (NIT) which have been extensively used by the tourism
industries at a relatively early stage; NIT have contributed to a badly needed increase
in productivity.
Islands of Innovation 11
Innovations in the supply chain management and in promotion mechanisms are very
important tools for tourism.
In the large tourism industry firms, innovations are a matter of routine. They are no
longer a question of a happy accident or a sudden stroke of genius. In general,
innovations are programmed by the enterprise. In modern enterprises, innovation is a
standard component of corporate decision-making at the level of resource allocation. To
make sure that they will not be caught off guard by unexpected innovations, today's
companies have made the innovation process part of everyday planning.
However, innovation also has a macroeconomic aspect. It is closely connected to the
economic welfare and competitiveness of economies, among which tourism
destinations.
In a rather competitive global environment destinations must find ways to produce
and promote their uniqueness. The purpose is twofold: On the one hand is the attraction
of tourism, with all the socioeconomic benefits that this may entail, while on the other
in the safeguard and protection of the destination and resources on which tourism is
based.
ISTOS, the "Innovation for Sustainable Tourism and Services Project" is a public -
private initiative inspired and implemented in South Aegean Region, one of the major
tourism destinations of Greece.
It constitutes a best practice collaboration between public and private entities for the
promotion of innovation and sustainability in the tourism, and generally the service
sector, providing tools and know-how for the effective planning and implementation of
tourism on a long term basis.
DlMITRIOS STAGOS
Business Architects Consultancy S.A.
President
14 Islands of Innovation
The offer of an ERDF Regional Programme of Innovative Actions (PRAI) 1 elicited a very
positive response from the regions: by February 2005, 144 of the 156 eligible regions
were participating including all regions of Austria, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Ireland,
Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom as well as Denmark and
Luxembourg.
The synergy between the three strategic themes (regional economies based on
knowledge and technological innovation, e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the
service of regional development & regional identity and sustainable development) has
been well exploited by most regions that have opted to include a number of actions
covering at least two of the three eligible themes.
The regional programmes of innovative actions have succeeded in acting as catalysts
giving the regions a chance to experiment with new actions to promote innovation. Most
programmes have taken a comprehensive approach to innovation, designing new
products, processes or services and in some cases, new forms of co-operation between
the public and the private sectors. This has helped the regions develop a coherent
approach to innovation and sustainable development in order to secure their long-term
competitiveness.
The programmes contain adventurous actions that otherwise might have been
postponed or been ignored in the mainstream Structural Funds programmes in spite of
their potentially strong impact on regional competitiveness. For the least-developed
regions it has been particularly important to have the opportunity to experiment in the
three strategic themes on offer which are traditionally under-funded by comparison with
other types of needs such as those concerned with infrastructure.
A further value of the innovative actions lies in the way these programmes have been
designed and implemented directly by regional stakeholders working together in
partnership. Successful regions understand how to link local and regional enterprises,
universities, research institutions, associations, and public administration to collect the
know-how and distribute it amongst individuals and business so that it can be
transformed into new products, processes and services.
Each region has been encouraged to find its own solutions, based on regional needs
and potential, to fully incorporate innovation in its regional development planning. The
regional programmes have been designed and managed directly by the regions without
any national implication in the decision-making process. Regional governments have
taken full responsibility for improving conditions crucial for their future competitiveness
in cooperation with their local stakeholders. This has been done in partnership with the
private sector which was involved in the drawing up and the implementation of the
programmes.
PROGRAMMES
SUBMITTED
PROGRAMMES
APPROVED
TOTAL ERDF
INTERVENTION
TOTAL AMOUNT FOR
APPROVED PROGRAMMES
TOTAL AMOUNT FROM
PRIVATE SECTOR
103
81
€206.000.000
€393.000.000
€59.000.000
51
45
€109.000.000
€204.000.000
€25.000.000
16
10
€31.000.000
€65.000.000
€7.000.000
16
9
€23.000.000
€41.000.000
€6.000.000
48
29
€55.000.000
€112.000.000
€19.000.000
'Other less-often used acronyms are: RPIA and IAP.
Islands of Innovation 15
1.1 PRAI island regions per country
Eligibility for the Regional Programmes of Innovative Actions as well as for the Objective
1 areas is principally defined with reference to NUTS level 2 regions. In particular for
the calculation for the 153 EU-15 eligible regions we have included the NUTS level 1
regions for Belgium, Denmark, Germany and UK, while the remaining countries are
calculated with their NUTS level 2 regions.
An island, according to the five objective criteria of Eurostat, must:
• have an area of at least one sq. km;
• be at least one kilometre from the continent;
• have a permanent resident population of at least 50 people;
• have no permanent link with the continent;
• not house an EU capital.
In alignment with the above definition of islands areas as well as the definition of
PRAI regions, only six out of the EU-15 Member States have "PRAI island regions" for a
grand total of 15 regions.
The PRAI island regions include six of the seven "outermost regions" 2 , notably the
three out of the four French Overseas Departments (Guadeloupe, Martinique and
Reunion), the Spanish Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the Portuguese
Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira.
Despite the aim of ensuring that regions of comparable size all appear at the same NUTS
level, each level still contains regions which differ greatly in terms of area, population,
economic strength or administrative powers. This heterogeneity at Community level is
often only the reflection of the situation existing at Member State level.
The current nomenclature [Regulation (EC) No 1888/2005] laying down the rules for the NUTS
EU-15 regional classification, including the PRAI Island regions, gives us the following table:
EU-15
NUTS LEVEL 1
NUTS LEVEL 2
NUTS LEVEL 3
PRAI ISLAND REGIONS
3
11
43
-
1
1
15
-
16
40
442
-
4
13
51
4
7
18
52
2
SPAIN
France
9
26
100
4
11
20
103
2
1
1
1
-
4
12
31
-
3
9
35
-
3
7
30
2
2
6
20
1
1
7
21
-
35
208
2 These regions are generally referred to by their French acronym 'RUPs' (Regions Ultra Peripheriques).
16 Islands of Innovation
In example, in terms of populations (2000 data) at NUTS 2 level, the Tie de France and
Lombardia have 11 and 9 million inhabitants respectively, whereas there are 13 regions
(most of them peripheral regions or islands) with fewer than 300.000: Aland,
Burgenland, Guyane, Ceuta, Melilla, Valle d'Aosta/Vallee d'Aoste, Belgian Luxembourg, La
Rioja, Corse, Azores, Madeira and two Greek regions (Ionia Nisia and Voreio Aigaio).
In administrative terms, the degree of autonomy of the PRAI island regions varies from
a great degree of autonomy (i.e. Aland Islands, Azores, Madeira, Canary islands) to the
other extreme of having no special administrative powers (i.e. Ionian Islands, North
Aegean, Crete).
1.2 PRAI island regions structural handicaps
In addition to the specific problems caused by their peripheral location, the fact that a
PRAI island region has more than one island - archipelago - and/or is often mountainous
constitutes a permanent structural handicap.
The usual structural deficiencies linked with PRAI island regions are:
• Small Island Size equals small local markets, inefficient local production capabilities,
seasonality problems for mono-sector industries and stagnating local economies
• Isolated Islands equals limited contacts with central governments, problematic access
to export markets and transportation problems.
• Scarce Human & Natural Resources equals limited access to human / social capital,
demographic and environmental problems
PRAI ISLAND REGION
Ionian Islands
OUTERMOST
REGION
ARCHIPELAGO
MOUNTAIN
AREAS
NUMBER
OF ISLANDS
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
Mediterranean sea
North Aegean
Mediterranean sea
South Aegean
42
Mediterranean sea
Crete
Canary Islands
Balearic Islands
Corsica
Mediterranean
Atlantic ocean
Mediterranean
Mediterranean
sea
SEA
Guadeloupe
Caribbean sea
Martinique
Caribbean sea
Reunion
Sardinia
Azores
Indian ocean
DITERRANEAN
Mediterranean
Atlantic ocean
sea
-
Madeira
Aland Islands
Atlantic ocean
Baltic sea
Islands of Innovation 17
1.3 PRAI island regions during the 2000-2006
programming period
During the current programming period thirteen out of the fifteen regions are classified
as Objective 1 areas, which show the vulnerabilities of the PRAI islands regions mostly
caused due to their geographical position in the periphery of Europe.
Kriti (Crete)
Ellada (Greece)
Objective 1
Ionia Nisia (Ionian Islands)
Objective 1
Voreio Aigaio (North Aegean)
Objective 1
Notio Aigaio (South Aegean)
Islas Canarias (Canary Islands)
Objective 1
Espana (Spain]
Objective 1
Islas Baleares (Balearic Islands)
Partially Objective 2
jUADELOUPE
Partially Phasing-out Objective 2 (till 31/12/2005)
France
Objective 1
Martinique
Objective 1
Reunion
Objective 1
Partially Phasing-out Objective 1 (till 31/12/2006)
Italia (Italy)
Objective 1
1.4 New Island Regions: From EU-15 to EU-25
Following the enlargement of May 2004, 10 new Member States have joined the
European Union including 2 island countries, Cyprus and Malta. However, according to
the guidelines, these regions cannot apply for a PRAI.
It is important to note that both island countries have invested in regional innovation:
• Cyprus in the period 2001-2004 with the RISC 3 (Regional Innovation Strategy in Cyprus)
programme
• Malta with the MARIS 4 (The MAlta Regional Innovation Strategy) project
3 For more information: www.talos-rtd.com/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=i49
4 For more information: www.maltaenterprise.com/page.asp?p=93o6&l=i
18 Islands of Innovation
1.5 Impact and Added-value of the PRAI Island regions
The PRAI Island regions represent a small amount of the bigger structural and cohesion
funds package to their respective countries, but several studies showed that some of
the cumulative GDP growth could be attributed to EU funds, including the PRAIs.
In addition to economic growth, PRAI Island regions have allowed the regional
governments to establish regional policy priorities taking into account the wider Member
State and EU strategic priorities. These include such high added value areas as
information society, R&D, business support services, environmental awareness, human
and social capital development.
Finally the PRAI Island regions helped the enhancement of a regional innovation
culture, the establishment of new partnerships inside and outside the regions as well as
providing spillover benefits for the regional public administrations for the introduction of
modern management and auditing methods.
Some of the projects financed within the programmes are indicated below:
• Technological Innovation clustering, incubators, spin-off, support to research and
technological projects, new technological services to business;
• Information Society support for e-Business (e-commerce, web services, knowledge
management tools), for e-Government (services and applications for local administration
and citizens) and for e-Learning solutions (broadband tele-working, distance training);
• Sustainable Development development of new applications for energy and waste
management, sustainable tourism and innovative technologies for enterprises in the
environmental sector.
Of particular interest for the island communities are actions linked to the tourism
sector. Tourism is a cross-cutting sector, involving a big diversity of services and
professions and has a profound impact on the social, cultural and economic life of all
Europeans. Almost everybody in the developed world is a tourist at one point or
another, yet the huge customer base in no way reduces the competition among service
providers for their custom. Developing new types of holidays, new facilities and more
efficient ways to manage them are some of the many facets of innovation in this most
service-oriented of industries.
The tourism industry is one of Europe's leading employers, and for many regions
highly dependent on tourists' spending, innovation is the difference between growth and
stagnation. Tourism generates approximately 9 million jobs in EU-25, while the European
tourism industry crates more than 4% of GDP with about 2 million enterprises employing
about 4% of the total labour force.
Finally it is interesting to note that only one PRAI island region is among the top 5
EU-25 regions for tourism, in terms of nights spent in hotels in 2003.
RANK
REGION
NIGHTS SPENT
SHARE IN % OF EU-25
ESTE (ES)
152,422
7.3
Nord Est (IT)
139,784
6.7
Canarias (ES)
83,764
4.0
Centro (IT)
79,702
3.8
5
Bayern (DE)
20 Islands of Innovation
COMMISSION EUROPEENNE
direction generale European Union
politique regionale ERDF: Regional Programmes of Innovative Actions 2001-2006
DGREGIO-SIG
EuroGeographics Association pour les limite
500
LEGEND (^ 6800 K€: (ERDF + region) total investment
I Regional economies based on knowledge and technological innovation
e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the service of regional development
I Regional identity and sustainable development
EU25, Regions = NUTS2 ; BE, DE, UK = NUTSi
Excluding accompanying measures and technical assistance, NUTS2 = Trentino-Alto Adige (Bolzano-Bozen [1 prg.] + Trento[i prg.])
& Ceuta y Melilla (Ceuta [1 prg.] + Melilla [1 prg.]) & Ceuta y Melilla (Ceuta [1 prg.] + Melilla [1 prg.])
Source : DG-Regio (31/05/2004)
Islands of Innovation 21
2.1 PRAI Island regions proposals per country
Following the publication of the COM (2001) 60-005 Communication from the Commission
to the Member States all PRAI Island regions managed to apply for at least one Regional
Programme of Innovative Actions.
YEAR
No OF EU-15 REGIONS
SUBMITTING A PRAI
No OF ISLAND REGIONS
SUBMITTING A PRAI
No OF EU-15 REGIONS
OBTAINING A PRAI
No OF PRAI ISLAND
REGIONS OBTAINING A PRAI
2001
2002
2003
2004
inns.
103
10
81
5
51
6
45
6
16
2
10
2
16 (10)
-
9(6)
-
48 (43)
4(3)
28 (23)
3(2)
It should be noted that during the last two periods (2004-2005), the regions who had
successfully finish their first programme could apply for a second time (data concerning
second applications are shown inside parenthesis).
A representation of the PRAI Island regions efforts, codified by country as of December
2005, is shown in the following diagrams:
2005 2001
Biodiversity resources for innovative
Business development (BIOBUS)
North Aegean
nnovative Actions
& Support
(NAIAS)
2002
Crete Innovative region
(CRINNO)
e accesible-health
I accepted
I rejected
I non eligible
22 Islands of Innovation
2001
Job-Net Creation
Driving innovative
Exploits for Sardinian
Information Society
(DIESIS)
Triggering the Economic
Resources of Regional Areas
in the new Scenario
of "glocal" identity
(TERRAS)
2001
Canari@sDigital-lnnova
(CD-I)
Innovation aimed
fri at diversification
and sustainability
of the Islas Baleares
(INNOBAL-XXI)
Sistema de Apoyo
a la Innovacion Turistica
en las llles Balears
(SAITUR)
| accepted
| rejected
| non eligible
Islands of Innovation 23
2002
Comptoirde la
nouvelle economie
de Guadeloupe
2001
2003
Comptoirde la
nouvelle economie
Programme Regional
d' Actions Innovatrices
de la Region Corse
COCOM
(SAMKOM)
2.2 PRAI Island regions proposals per strategic theme
PRAI ISLAND REGION
TECHNOLOGICAL
INNOVATION
INFORMATION
SOCIETY
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Ionian Islands
North Aegean
South Aegean
The above table includes all PRAI Island regions that have completed and/or are
currently implementing a PRAI by May 2005.
24 Islands of Innovation
2.3 PRAI Island regions participation
to the Innovative Actions networks
In addition to the regional programmes of innovative actions, three networks, one per
strategic theme, were launched to foster co-operation between regions and to share
experiences and good practices:
• ERIK (European Regions Knowledge-based Innovation Network) for technological
innovation, which is led by Toscana and Emilia-Romagna and includes 13 members and
23 associate members;
• ERIK+ (European Regions Knowledge-based Innovation Network-Plus) for technological
innovation, which is led by Toscana and Emilia-Romagna and includes 13 members and
27 associate members (ERIK successor);
• IANIS (Innovative Actions Network for the Information Society) for Information society
at the service of regional development, which is led by Sachsen and includes 28
regions;
• IANIS+ (Innovative Actions Network for the Information Society - Plus) for Information
society at the service of regional development, which is led by Sachsen and includes
39 regions (IANIS successor);
• Sustainable Regions for Regional Identity and Sustainable Development, which is led
by Wales and includes 11 regions.
The PRAI island regions, members of Innovative Actions networks, are:
JHErljc
2004-5
Ionian Islands, Crete, Balearic Islands
2006-7
Ionian Islands, Crete, Balearic Islands
9-
2004-5
Canary Islands, Reunion, Madeira
€»*
2006-7
Reunion, Sardinia, Madeira
i": \r^l * r ' T r '" : £3Efc
2004-5
*uu3rt*A T
2.4 PRAI Island regions participation to the
Innovating Regions in Europe network
The network of Innovating Regions in Europe 5 (IRE) is a joint platform for collaboration
and exchange of experiences in the development of regional innovation policies and
schemes.
The network aims to enable regions to access new tools and schemes for innovation
promotion and to create an inter-regional learning process. It also seeks to put
innovation at the top of the regional policy agenda. It is open to all European regions
that can demonstrate good practice in the promotion of innovation.
The PRAI island regions members of the IRE network are North Aegean & Crete
(Greece), Madeira (Portugal), Sicilia (Italy) and Balearic Islands & Canary Islands (Spain),
a total of 6 out of the 15 regions.
The two island countries of Cyprus and Malta are also members of IRE.
5 For more information: www.innovating-regions.org
Islands of Innovation 25
2.5 PRAI Island regions participation to the Conference of
Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe
The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) brings together 154 regions from
26 countries representing more than 170 million people.
Being located along Europe's shoreline brings both advantages and specific difficulties. ^
The CPMR is working to promote more balanced development across the whole of Europe
(territorial cohesion), and increased regional competitiveness through its action on policies
which have a significant territorial impact: Transport, R&D, employment and training,
competitiveness (balanced competitiveness). In parallel, it is striving to strengthen the
participation of the regions in the design and delivery of EU policies (governance).
More broadly, it is working to enhance Europe's maritime dimension (maritime issues)
and to promote sustainable development, giving particular attention to energy policies
on the one hand, and agricultural and rural policies on the other hand (sustainable
development). In the context of globalisation, the CPMR is helping to position the
peripheral maritime regions with regard to their neighbouring areas and on the
international stage (external cooperation and neighbourhood policy).
The Geographical Commissions aim to ensure that work is as decentralised and as
close to the reality of each sea basin as possible. There are six in all: Atlantic Arc, Balkan
and Black Sea, Islands, Intermediterranean, Baltic Sea and North Sea.
All 15 PRAI island regions as well as the two island countries of Cyprus and Malta are
members of CPMR.
2.6 PRAI Island regions entries in the European Awards
of Regional Innovation
During 2004, the Commission organised a competition 6 to identify the best, most
innovative projects. It invited the regional authorities to recommend projects which were
judged by a panel of high-level experts, presidented by Mr. Antonio Guterres (U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees and ex-prime minister of Portugal).
71 eligible entries were received from all EU-15 countries. 5 out of 15 PRAI Island regions
participated in that competition. Their respective entries were:
Canary Islands (Spain) in the Sustainable Development theme with the project entitled
Gomer@Digital www.parcan.es/iniciativa.py?numero=5L/PO/C-0384
Balearic Islands (Spain) in the Technological Innovation theme with the project entitled
AVANTHOTEL: Support for Innovation in the Hotel trade
www.ibit.org/home/proyectos/proyecto.php?id=i96
Guadeloupe (France) in the Information Society theme with the project entitled
Plateforme de commerce electronique www.planete-guadeloupe.com/
Reunion (France) in the Information Society theme with the project entitled PASARTIC:
Preparation for Access to Further Education and Professional Qualification in Visual Arts
and Information Technology http://tic.regionreunion.com/article.php37id_articles84
Azores (Portugal) in the Sustainable Development theme with the project entitled H2RE:
Bases for Research and Development in Renewable Hydrogen in Azores (ID-H2RE) and
Interactive Centre for Renewable Energy and Renewable Hydrogen Technologies in Azores
(Ptec-H2RE)
www.drepa.raa.pt/prai-acores/lamteci.html, www.drepa.raa.pt/prai-ac0res/lamtec2.html
6 For more information: http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/innovation/concours_en.htm
26 Islands of Innovation
The i st European Awards for Regional Innovation were handed at a ceremony during the
54 th plenary session of the Committee of the Regions, held in Brussels in April 2004. The
nine awarded regions (three per strategic theme) come from:
• Technological Innovation
1. Saarland (Germany)
2. Centro (Portugal)
3. Sachsen-Anhalt (Germany)
• Information Society
1. Extremadura (Spain)
2. Overijssel (The Netherlands)
3. Schleswig-Holstein (Germany)
• Sustainable Development
1. Eastern Styria (Austria)
2. Ostra-Mellansverige (Sweden)
3. Limousin (France)
2.7 Participation of PRAI Island regions in past Regional
Innovation actions
Some of the PRAI Island regions were pioneers in the early nineties when they start working
with regional innovation projects (such as the Article 10 family of projects from DG Regional
Policy or the RITTS project from DG Enterprise) as shown in the following table.
Country
Region
PROJECTS
DG Regional Policy: Art
10
DG
Enterprise
RTT
T
RTP
RIS RIS+
IRISI |
RISI 1
RISI 2
RISI+
RITTS
Greece
Voreio
Aigaio
Kriti
•
•
•
Total
2/13
1/2
0/1
0/4 0/4
0/1
0/1
1/4
2/4
Spain
Baleares
•
•
Canarias
•
.
•
Total
2/19
1/8
0/1
0/7 1/6
0/1
0/2
1/5
2/8
Italy
Sardegna
1 1
1
Sicilia
•
Total
2/21
0/3
0/5 0/3
O/l
1/2
1/4
Portugal
Madeira
•
Total
1/7
1/6
0/2 O/l
1/2
0/1
EU-15
Total
7/1393
3
| |
1
|
The second figure in the above table represent either the total number of regions in a
specific MS or the total number of regional innovation projects by project type.
Islands of Innovation 27
2.8 PRAI Island regions statistics
The principle socio-economic statistics for the PRAI Island regions as well as two of the
main innovation-related indicators of the new "Lisbon partnership for growth and jobs"
are available in the following table.
POPULATION
DENSITY
POPULATION
GROWTH
UNEMPLOYMENT
RATE
EMPLOYMENT
IN
AGRICULTURE
EMPLOYMENT
IN INDUSTRY
EMPLOYMENT
IN SERVICES
R&D EPO PATENT
EXPENDITURE APPLICATIONS
inn. /km 2
Average
annual %
change
% of active % of total % of total % of total
population employment employment employment
% of GDP
per million
inhabitants
Ellada
83,5
0,5
9,3
l6,4
22,2
61,3
0,7
7,4
Ionia Nisia
93,i
0,8
11,0
19,3
12,8
67,9
0,1
0,0
Nisia Aigaiou
63,2
0,7
8,0
24,2
17,5
58,2
0,6
6,3
Voreio Aigaio
53,3
0,1
7,4
17,7
18,2
64,1
0,2
0,0
Notio Aigaio
56,9
1,0
10,9
8,9
21,9
69,1
0,1
3,3
Kriti
7L7
0,7
6,8
33,3
15,3
51,5
1,0
9,9
Espafia
81,8
0,7
n,3
5,6
30,6
63,8
1,0
26,3
llles Balears
177,4
2,5
9,3
2,0
23,3
74,7
o,3
15,1
Canarias
248,7
2,1
11,4
4,6
20,4
74,9
0,6
8,7
France
109,4
0,4
9,3
4,3
25,0
70,7
2,3
142,8
Corse
30,6
0,4
12,1
5,8
8,5
85,8
o,3
9,2
Overseas
Departments
19,6
1,1
27,1
3,1
12,9
84,1
1,6
4,4
Guadeloupe
256,2
0,6
26,3
2,8
12,8
84,4
1,6
7,0
Martinique
345,3
0,1
21,0
5,7
12,5
81,9
1,6
5,9
Reunion
296,5
1,8
31,8
1,7
12,9
85,4
1,6
3,1
Italia
189,7
0,1
8,7
4,9
31,8
63,3
1,1
77,7
Sicilia
193,3
-0,1
20,1
8,3
20,9
70,7
o,9
14,1
Sardegna
67,8
-0,1
16,9
8,0
24,0
68,0
0,7
10,2
Portugal
112,8
0,5
6,3
12,5
32,3
55,2
o,9
4,9
Ago res
102,2
0,0
2,9
12,8
28,2
59,0
0,5
0,0
Madeira
309,2
-0,5
3,4
9,5
26,6
63,8
o,3
3,2
Suomi/Finland
17,1
0,3
9,0
5,1
26,3
68,6
3,5
343,6
119,8
ANNEXES
ANNEX 1
THE PRAI ISLAND REGIONS
REGIONAL PROGRAMMES OF INNOVATIVE ACTIONS
ANNEX 2
THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC PORTRAIT
OF THE PRAI ISLAND REGIONS
ANNEX 3
GLOSSARY OF TERMS & ABBREVIATIONS
ANNEX 4
CONTACTS, BIBLIOGRAPHY & WEB RESOURCES
It is in vain to expect our prayers to be heard,
if we do not strive as well as pray.
Aesop
620?BC-560BC
A semi-legendary author who wrote hundreds
of animal fables illustrating human follies and foibles.
30 Islands of Innovation
ANNEX 1
THE PRAI ISLAND REGIONS REGIONAL PROGRAMMES
OF INNOVATIVE ACTIONS
Following the enlargement of May 2004, 10 new Member States have joined the
European Union including 2 island countries/regions, Cyprus and Malta. However,
according to the guidelines, these regions cannot apply for a PRAI.
It is important to note that Cyprus has already invested in regional innovation in the
period 2001-4 via the RISC (Regional Innovation Strategy in Cyprus) programme.
The challenge for the PRAI Island regions is to capitalise on the emerging experiences
in order to stimulate innovation on a wider scale. It is also expected that the lessons
learned from the implementation of the regional programmes of innovative actions will
be incorporated into the future Structural Funds programmes. This will help regions to
view innovation as a crucial factor for regional development, and provide them with the
basis to become in the knowledge society.
The above table includes all PRAI Island regions that have completed and/or are
currently implementing a PRAI by December 2005.
ELLADA GREECE
&
ESPANA504//V
Islas Baleares (Balearic Islands)
http://innobalXXI.caib.es
Islas Canarias (Canary Islands)
www.canarias-digital.org
©
Ionia Nisia (Ionian Islands)
http://hermes.westgate.gr/3i
Voreio Aigaio (North Aegean)
www.naias.gr
Notio Aigaio (South Aegean)
www.istosweb.org
Kriti (Crete)
www.innocrete.gr/
ITALIA ITALY
Sicilia (Sicily)
www.innovazionesicilia.it/
Sardegna (Sardinia)
www.diesis-sardegna.it/progetto/
FRANCE
Guadeloupe
www.made-in-guadeloupe.fr/
■j
Reunion
tic.regionreunion.com/rubrique. php3?id_rubrique=21
It is expected that innovation will become a priority in the future generation of
Structural Funds post-2006 and best practices from the regional programmes of
innovative actions have been incorporated into the future objective of regional
competitiveness and employment for the period 2007-2013 7 .
7 For more information: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/debate/forum_en.htm
Islands of Innovation 31
Programme Name (Acronym)
Innovation in the Ionian Islands (31)
Programme Summary
For years the predominant sector of financial growth for the Ionian Islands has been the
tourism sector. The innovation aspect puts another view into these improvement efforts
by defining the methods for collectively defining new types of services, using technology
and promoting the new ideas into successful business ventures. The strategy imposed
by the 31 PRAI is interconnected to the regional needs to include Ionian Islands into the
new era of economy while protecting the traditional business practices and retain the
strong region's identity and distinctive cultural characteristics. This strong social need
drives the region into policies for inclusion of only "soft technologies" and the blending
of digital services into traditional services providing information and context for the
creation of innovative actions in the tourism sector.
Programme Themes
>> regional economies based on knowledge and technological innovation
>> e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the service of regional development
» regional identity and sustainable development
The main objectives and added-value of the 31 PRAI are:
• To blend digital services into traditional services providing information and context for
the creation of innovative actions in the tourism sector, deriving mechanisms that will
produce the incorporation of technological innovation promoting the information
capacity of the region. The digital platform will be the regional recourse that will be
used for the creation of innovative services in the tourism sector (i.e. weekend
traveling roadmap, hotel selection and booking, virtual cultural routes, senior citizen
off-season traveling, cultural event traveling)
• To improve the current state of business reality by improving the quality levels of all
traditional services. The devotion to sustainable development endorses the
competitive spirit of the tourism industry of the region, combining the development
of quality standards and the development of benchmarking in large tourist operations.
• To create new services and innovative start-ups capitalizing on the local resources of
tourism, culture, local agricultural products and artefacts blending them with
technology features, where appropriate. New forms of tourism such as cultural,
archaeological, religious, athletic must be produced accelerating the impact of this
sector in the regional economies. The action deals with environment issues related to
protecting rural areas from illegal construction which is often the case in tourist areas
and to provide on-line feedback on water conditions in the areas that receive a "blue
flag" to ascertain that water in certified swimming areas is not polluted.
• To exercise foresight in order to raise awareness within regional actors, entrepreneurs,
decision makers, researchers and opinion leaders.
• To provide regional support in the innovation cycle by assisting business planning and
promoting the financing of innovative ideas from third party financing.
• To provide information about regional innovative status and to transfer best practices
from relevant regions.
32 Islands of Innovation
NAIAS
Programme Name (Acronym)
NORTH AEGEAN INNOVATIVE ACTIONS & SUPPORT (NAIAS)
Programme Summary
The NAIAS programme aimed at contributing to the transformation of an insular, boarder,
and poor region to a dynamic, innovative region in the new knowledge based economy.
The pilot actions proposed address the needs for innovative culture, competitiveness, e-
business, green products, new, traditional products, and better environment. These are
a) the use of innovation management techniques, b) the use of modern services on
business planning, and internationalization, c) the use of portal e-commerce system, d)
the provision of local eco-label, using integrated product schemes, e) the production of
new products, from traditional resources, f) the use of an innovative olive oil waste water
treatment system. These actions are part of the innovation action plan, already developed
through a RITTS program. The adaptation of these actions into the mainstream 3 rd CSF,
requires prior pilot, small scale testing in order to access the effectiveness, the added
value, and the best method for implementation.
Programme Themes
regional economies based on knowledge and technological innovation
e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the service of regional development
» regional identity and sustainable development
The NAIAS program aimed at contributing to the development of a new, innovative,
regional identity in the region of North Aegean, and enhancing the usage of new
technologies, methods, know how, by the professionals. Following the regional
technology transfer plan of North Aegean, it was proposed the implementation of six
pilot applications in the fields of innovative culture, competitiveness, e-business, green
products, innovative, traditional products, and environment. The application of the
proposed projects will contribute to the preparation of the North Aegean region for the
transition to a knowledge-based economy, as well as the enhancement of the process
of structural reformation for competitiveness and innovation.
The programme's objectives were placed within the overall objectives of the regional
operational plan. More specifically, the aim of the program was to develop pilot
applications to cover the needs of significant economic sectors for the region of North
Aegean, improve the quality of life, experiment with innovative use of new technologies,
and finally monitor the benefits of their application and identify how the results can be
improved in order to provide high-quality applications for the whole activities of the
region, following the end of the program.
Islands of Innovation 33
Programme Name (Acronym)
INNOVATION FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND SERVICES
IN THE SOUTH AEGEAN (ISTOS)
Programme Summary
The strategic objective of the ISTOS programme is to build the necessary environment
for sustainable development through regional innovation in the South Aegean region. The
programme is based on the planning of an integrated public-private-partnership among
the stakeholders in the region. The region's stakeholders have agreed on a strategy based
on the needs of the tourism and services sector that dominates the economic and social
activity in the region. Thus sustainable tourism development identified as the main
component of sustainability on the South Aegean region. The PRAI is based on a strategy
that has three interconnected layers. The first layer concerns the innovation in services, the
second the sustainability and the third the information and communication technologies.
Programme Themes
>> regional economies based on knowledge and technological innovation
>> e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the service of regional development
>> regional identity and sustainable development
The ISTOS programme specific objectives are:
• To promote the regions competitiveness and its ability to adopt regional development
strategies to meet the needs of the social, environmental and business stakeholders.
• To push an innovative and sustainable approach into the regional development
strategies of the local authorities and SMEs participating in the programme.
• To make the best use of all available, regional, national and European resources in
the region in platforms for development of innovative and sustainable structures both
in the private and the public sector.
• To develop public-private- partnerships in order to facilitate innovative projects in the
service and tourism sector.
• To blend digital services into traditional services providing information and context for the
creation of innovative actions, deriving mechanisms that will produce the incorporation
of technological innovation and thus promoting the information capacity of the region.
The above objectives are being succeeded through the following actions:
Action 1: Innovation, Sustainability and Local Agenda 21
The action regards the creation and the development of the necessary environment for the application of
Local Agenda 21 in the South Aegean region. The action's components include the measurement of the
sustainable performance of the region, the estimation of its social, economic and environmental footprint, as
well as the promotion of regional and local innovative governance for the successful application of Local
Agenda 21. It should be noted that it is the first time that governance is being studied for an insular area.
Action 2: Regional framework for sustainable tourism
The aim of the action is the development and pilot application of a comprehensive regional framework for
sustainable tourism. Specifically, the action involves the development and pilot application of a standard for
sustainable tourism, the monitoring of the quality level of the regional tourism product through enterprise
benchmarking in the tourism sector, as well as the creation of two Centers of Innovation (one in the
Dodecanese and one in the Cyclades Prefecture) for the provision of consultancy and technical assistance to
the local SMEs on sustainable development and innovation issues.
Action 3: Drawers of Innovation
The action involves the provision of support to 30 drawing-firms (or to 3-7 clusters of firms) from Dodecanese
and Cyclades, for projects based on innovation in the production, organisation, operation and marketing
functions in the tourism sector.
34 Islands of Innovation
Action 4: Digital Aegean Island (DI.AG.I)
The overall objective of the action is to implement and demonstrate innovative telematic services to the
tourism industry through the utilization of the most advanced telecommunication technologies and computer
network applications developed in the Internet. The aim of this action is to produce the drives and
mechanisms that will develop the incorporation of technological innovation promoting the information
capacity of the region.
Action 5: Wireless Island Area Network
The action refers to the establishment and operation of a wireless local network in the island of Paros. The
services will be geared to the tourism and visitor market as well as to other local enterprises. The network
will facilitate direct access to Internet and the exploitation of the practical telematics applications.
Action 6: Networking with other regions
The action aims at the development of cooperation between the Region of South Aegean and other European
Regions sharing common characteristics and development prospects. This cooperation will be primarily
focused on the exchange of experience, knowledge and best practices in view of undertaking common action
in fields of common interest.
Apart from project reporting and evaluation the action regards the planning and implementation of the
publicity campaign of the programme as well as actions orientated towards the dissemination of its results.
a
•*
Programme Name (Acronym)
Canari@sDigital-Innova (CD-I)
Programme Summary
The final goal of the programme of innovative actions Canarias Digital-Innova is
closely linked to the central objective of the "Canarias* Information Society Strategy":
"This strategy aims to fully integrate Canarias into the Information Society both in
economic and social terms and to improve employment, competitiveness and territorial
and social cohesion levels in the archipelago".
Building upon the existing Regional Development Innovation and Information Society
Strategy Plans, Canarias Digital-Innova will feed and optimise the Canarias'
Operational Programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund through a
closer co-ordination of strategic planning and management bodies.
Programme Themes
regional economies based on knowledge and technological innovation
» e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the service of regional development
» regional identity and sustainable development
»
The CD-I programme specific objectives are:
Establishment of an integrated platform for co-operation and knowledge management.
Experimentation with the most innovative technologies for broadband access to
networks and services and establishment of a network of public access points to
networks and resources.
Stimulating public-private partnership, for further generalisation throughout the
archipelago.
Use of information, communication and technology to contribute to a sustainable
development of the islands transport system.
Creation of small and medium-sized enterprises and citizens-oriented content, in
particular aimed at exploiting the potential of local resources and e-tourism (i.e. broad
band rural homes and service-related centres).
Islands of Innovation 35
Programme Name (Acronym)
CRETE INNOVATIVE REGION (CRINNO)
Programme Summary
The strategic objectives of the CRINNO programme are:
• To create an environment accelerating introduction of private and public sectors to first
class University and Research Institutes technological developments and know-how. It
encourages the establishment of partnerships, which facilitate the development of
innovative enterprises and innovative products in both high-tech and traditional sectors.
• To promote the regional cohesion and sustainability through an integrated approach to
manage high risks that threatens the existence of insular and historical characteristics,
which constitute high value components of the region's development capacity.
Innovative methodologies and partnerships are adopted in order to provide scientific
know-how and to establish the platform to promote innovative solutions.
Programme Themes
>> regional economies based on knowledge and technological innovation
e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the service of regional development
>> regional identity and sustainable development
The prime objectives of the CRINNO programme are to achieve a significant cultural
change towards innovation and sustainability throughout the region and progressively
develop an interactive regional innovation system capable to support the competitiveness
of Cretan economy. Crucially, and to ensure that the regional innovative actions are much
more than a research or academic exercise, the programme will give much emphasis to
strengthen the partnerships which consolidate the social consensus and sustainability.
The programme will also seek to mainstream the results and general approach of the
programme to structural funds and other strategic programmes in Crete, identifying the
means for transferring and sustaining the innovative approaches and knowledge
generated to all relevant sectors. In order to ensure that the learning process is not
insular, the PRAI will network with other regions in Europe, to ensure that current best
practice is adopted by the pilot actions and that further best practice, developed by the
programme is widely disseminated throughout the region and to other EU areas.
IN THE CONTEXT OF THE OVERALL CRINNO PROGRAMME THE KEY OBJECTIVES ARE THE FOLLOWING:
• Develop and strengthen the permanent regional structures and networks which:
> Support regional authorities in defining, monitoring and evaluating regional
development policy based on innovation and sustainability
> Transfer of technology, knowledge and information from Universities and Research
Institutes to firms, rural communities and public sector
> Motivate and support innovative entrepreneurship and product innovation
• Adoption of innovative practices and methodologies in managing rationally natural
resources which are considered as vital elements for the island sustainable
development in a rationale manner ensuring sustainability
• Make effective use of innovative methodologies and practices to manage unique
cultural, environmental and traditional assets that define regional identity, which are
in danger because of the increased demand, physical, social and human pressure with
negative sustainability consequences.
36 Islands of Innovation
Programme Name (Acronym)
INNOVATION AIMED AT DIVERSIFICATION AND SUSTAIN ABILITY
OF THE ISLAS BALEARES (INNOBAL XXI)
Programme Summary
The INNOBAL XXI programme of innovative actions focuses on promoting economic
sustainability in a small region suffering from the impact of mass tourism.
Developing the regional economy through knowledge and technological innovation is
the priority in the programme.
Programme Themes
>> regional economies based on knowledge and technological innovation
e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the service of regional development
regional identity and sustainable development
The INNOBAL XXI programme specific objectives are:
• Adaptation of the programme to the regional situation
Creation of three innovation centres (one on each of the three largest islands).
• Improvement of the technological level and innovation process in enterprises and in
the whole region
Creation of 15 e-enterprises and providing specialist support and technical
assistance to 40 regional enterprises, which will implement 15 Innovation Plans.
• Economic diversification by making use of new knowledge-based activities
Introduction of information and communication technologies in at least 40 hotel
enterprises as well as creation of a tourist and hotel innovation cluster involving
more than 30 regional businesses.
• Best practices transfer of the innovative actions to the whole region
Definition of a set of new measures within the framework of the existing Regional
Innovation Strategy (Pla BIT).
Islands of Innovation 37
Programme Name (Acronym)
COMPTOIR DE LA NOUVELLE ECONOMIE DE GUADELOUPE
Programme Summary
One of the priorities of the programme is the implementation of strategies for
technological innovation and information society, in order to allow the economic and
cultural revalorisation of the territory.
The programme aims at making the region capable of entering the information society
era, to equip her with the necessary instruments for its economic development, to
enable her to reduce its insulation with respect to the remainder of European Union, to
create a centre for the development of activities of company, and to create employment
in the Caribbean area.
The regional strategic programme is built in two planned stages over the period 2003-
2006. First a starting phase of 2-year duration (2003-2004), which is the object of this
programme; and a second deployment phase with a 2-year duration (2005-2006).
Programme Themes
>> regional economies based on knowledge and technological innovation
>> e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the service of regional development
regional identity and sustainable development
The Comptoir de la nouvelle economie programme is built on a principal base: an
electronic trading platform. It has as an aim to give the inhabitants a regional market
place and local trade gallery, as well as a number of accompaniment services necessary
for the awareness-raising, mobilisation of the companies and for their progressive entry
in the new economy. These accompaniment services will be externalised during the 2nd
phase of the programme.
Islands of Innovation
Programme Name (Acronym)
INVESTIR DANS L'HOMME REUNIONNAIS
Programme Summary
The regional programme of innovative actions aims to give Reunion a coherent regional
strategy and an action plan likely to help develop better its assets, while controlling the
specific weaknesses and the constraints arising from its geographical environment.
The programme covers the topic of "the regional information society" by allowing:
• the qualification and adaptation of the competences of the population at the offer of
the companies of the Information and Communication Technologies sector;
• the encouragement and the competitiveness of the local economy, by creating
activities and jobs via the Information and Communication Technologies.
Programme Themes
regional economies based on knowledge and technological innovation
>> e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the service of regional development
regional identity and sustainable development
The Investir dans l'homme Reunionnais programme specific objectives are:
• Pilot projects for training of the population to the Information and Communication
Technologies
• Access to the world wide web of the upper secondary education schools
• Distribution of know-how by the organisation of a seminar for the ultra peripheral
European regions, as well as for the other less-favoured regions of Europe and the
ACP (Africa-Carribbean-Pacific) area.
Islands of Innovation 39
Programme Name (Acronym)
INNOVAZIONE-SICILIA
Programme Summary
The objective of the Programme is the implementation of diffusion processes for the
distribution of innovation in the regional economy, through the creation of cooperation
networks among companies, centres of research, universities, centres in the services of
the companies, local authorities, financial organisations, training agencies and other
similar structures to the service of companies.
These networks aim to assemble the technological and scientific know-how, of
research and management of the interested areas with the aim of working out processes
of diffusion of economic innovation realizable elsewhere, which could be applied within
the framework of regional programming with/without the support of the Community
funds.
Programme Themes
>> regional economies based on knowledge and technological innovation
e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the service of regional development
regional identity and sustainable development
The Innovazione-Sicilia programme foresees: a) the creation of three networks of
cooperation in the sectors of the agriculture, particularly for the biological crops, of the
agri-foodstuffs industry and of the craft industry; b) the implementation of a regional fund
for innovation; c) experience sharing between regions in the field of economic innovation;
and d) technical assistance for the implementation and the evaluation of the programme
and for communication and information activities.
The Innovazione-Sicilia programme specific objectives are:
• The programme aims to create innovative processes which could help the companies to
activate in the selected sectors the continuing training and permanent innovation.
• The innovation that one intends to stimulate includes all the production processes and
management of the companies: management innovation as such, product innovation,
processes (technological), market, finance; the innovation applied to products and the
traditional companies as well as to products and to high technology companies.
• At short term, the cooperation networks connecting the companies to the centres of
research, to the universities, to the official authorities and to the specialised experts
represent instruments to acquire and exchange the knowledge which does not help only
the companies, but also the other participants in the networks, to know better their
needs and to make changes their working methods. Work in network raises the average
level of the professional capacities of those involved and helps them to give relevant
answers to the innovation requests.
• In the long run, the objective is to defer the techniques of innovation to other production
sectors of the whole region to recycle gradually all the production system and that of
services to companies.
40 Islands of Innovation
Programme Name (Acronym)
DRIVING INNOVATIVE EXPLOITS FOR SARDINIAN INFORMATION SOCIETY
mi sis
Programme Summary
The main objectives of DIESIS are promoting discussion, a positive attitude towards
innovation and intensive actions among the regional administration and the different
stakeholders. On this basis, to prepare a mid-term financial plan with appropriate guidelines
in order to exploit all available financial resources supporting innovation at regional,
national and European level.
Programme Themes
REGIONAL ECONOMIES BASED ON KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
>> E-EUROPEREGIO: THE INFORMATION SOCIETY AT THE SERVICE OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
>> REGIONAL IDENTITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The DIESIS programme specific objectives are:
• dissemination and fine tuning of the regional strategy, including consensus among the
main stakeholders.
• preparation of mainstream projects in five key areas for sustainable development that
will also contribute to improving the position of the region in the global market. These
key areas regard e-tourism, e-government, e-learning, e-commerce and knowledge
management (as a horizontal area crossing the other four).
• promotion of financial strategies and the diversification of the financial sources to
duplicate the investment in infrastructure and Information Society products or services
in the next two years.
Islands of Innovation 41
Programme Name (Acronym
PRAI A£ORES
Programme Summary
The regional programme of innovative actions of the autonomous Region of the Azores,
outlines the regional strategic priorities for the sustainable development. It is structured
on four actions, which contain fields of intervention like renewable energy, the information
society and culture. On the preparation and the development of this programme, several
public and private entities took part, in the spirit of an active partnership. The actions
proposed, moreover to correspond to a strategy of development of innovation in the
Azorean company, also aim to complement and improve the quality of the intervention of
the current operational Community Support Framework programme.
Programme Themes
» regional economies based on knowledge and technological innovation
e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the service of regional development
>> regional identity and sustainable development
The PRAI Azores is positioned as one of the strategic priorities for regional
development, particularly increasing competitiveness, within the framework of a
horizontal policy of sustainable development, by developing and strengthening the role
of the public and private partnerships.
The PRAI Azores specific objectives are:
• Backing of renewable energies for the supply of the electric power
• Diffuse, even in the more isolated communities of the region, new information
technologies
• Stimulate the use of Information and Communication Technologies in the Azores both by
the companies and the private individuals
• Promote the disclosure of Azorean culture, in conjugation with the new Information
Society technologies
42 Islands of Innovation
)n'f:
Programme Name (Acronym)
PRAI MADEIRA
Programme Summary
The programme aims to equip the Madeira region with a coherent regional strategy and
with a programme of actions likely to develop better the assets and the opportunities
of its regional reality while taking into consideration specific weaknesses and constraints
of its geographical environment.
The programme aims at carrying out the following actions:
• The definition of a regional strategy in the fields of the RTD & Innovation and of local
& sustainable development (RDTI-SD);
• The definition of an integrated development programme articulated around emerging
and pilot projects in the fields of the RDTI-SD);
• The development of know-how in territorial management with a view to perpetuating
development dynamics generated by the implementation of the PRAI.
Programme Themes
>> regional economies based on knowledge and technological innovation
e-EuropeRegio: the information society at the service of regional development
>> regional identity and sustainable development
The PRAI Madeira specific objectives are:
Strengthening of the strategic capacity of the Region in the field of the RTD-lnnovation
and Sustainable Development and promotion of an action plan and measures
according to an integrated approach:
> Development of a regional Innovation and sustainable Development strategy (RDTI-
SD) for the autonomous Region of Madeira;
> Development of an action plan and measures in RDTI-SD in the region which would
give a coherent orientation to the policy of development of pilot projects in these
strategic sectors of the region.
> Integration of the action plan in RDTI-SD in the operational programme and in the
economic and social development plan of the region.
Islands of Innovation 43
Emerging project identification in conformity with the strategy and the action plan as
well as project design which can influence the regional actions positively:
> Proposal for pilot projects for each of the two subjects of the innovative regional
actions: knowledge and technological innovation and sustainable development;
> Feasibility analysis of pilot projects.
Strengthening of the public-private regional partnership and stimulation of experience
sharing and of the creation of networks and partnerships:
> Creation of a regional institutional system which, in a permanent way, would define
and support the adoption of the regional strategy in RDTI-SD;
> Encourage stakeholders partnership in RDTI-SD of the proposed pilot projects.
Development of administrative capacity for territorial management ensuring the
strengthening of RDTI-SD projects:
> Improvement of methodologies and of the tools for programme management and
the administrative capacity for project design;
> Creation of a system of promotion and evaluation of the RDTI-SD in the region;
> Staff training in the management aiming to improve cooperation between the actors
and operators and to strengthen the efficiency of the interventions in the in the
ROPs.
44 Islands of Innovation
Annex 2
The socio-economic portrait
of the PRAI Island regions
The five islands groupings of Sicily, Sardinia, the Balearic Islands, Crete and Corsica
account for over 80% of the PRAI islands regions population.
PRAI Islands regions are almost radically different from their countries. National and
global trends are not felt the same way in these regions. As a result, the disparities
between PRAI Islands regions and the other regions are far greater than the differences
between the respective Member States. Success will go to those PRAI Islands regions
which are swift to adapt and open to change.
NUTS
COUNTRY- REGION
GDP*
ELIGIBILITY SIMULATION 2007-2013
ellada (Greece)
GR22
Ionia Nisia (Ionian Islands)
65,53
Below 75% threshold
GR41
Voreio Aigaio (North Aegean)
74,30
Below 75% threshold
GR42
Notio Aigaio (South Aegean)
87,74
Phasing-in
GR43
Kriti (Crete)
72,27
Below 75% threshold
Espana (Spain)
ES53
Islas Baleares (Balearic Islands)
116
ES70
Islas Canarias (Canary Islands)
87,79
Phasing-in
France
FR83
Corse (Corsica)
86,80
FR91
Guadeloupe
67,32
Below 75% threshold
FR92
Martinique
74,88
Below 75% threshold
FR94
Reunion
60,63
Below 75% threshold
Italia (Italy)
ITG1
Sicilia (Sicily)
71,98
Below 75% threshold
ITG2
Sardegna (Sardinia)
82,65
Phasing-in
Portugal
PT20
Acores (Azores)
61,61
Below 75% threshold
PT30
Madeira
87,84
Phasing-in
SUOMl/FlNLAND
FI20
Aland Islands
156
By June 2005 there were no PRAI Islands regions classified as "Statistical effect" regions.
8 GDP/head index data : average of years 2000-2002 (EU-25=ioo)
Islands of Innovation 45
GR22 - Ionian Islands
The region of Ionian Islands includes several
islands, of common historical and cultural
history. The Islands have common social
and financial characteristics, coming from
the structure of the insular area in which
they belong. The Region appoints also a
very remarkable physical environment with
many excellent landscapes, which presents
the special characteristics of the insular
area. The totally area of the region is 2.318
km 2 , it covers the 1,8% of the totally area of
the country. The region consists of
Perfectures of Corfu, Lefkada, Kefalonia,
Ithaka, and Zante and of 33 municipalities
and 6 communities. The headquarters of the
region is located in the city of Corfu.
Generally the Region of the Ionian Islands,
because of its important development of
the tourism sector, gives the impression
that they deal with a developed region. But
in the reality the region have to do with a
insular marchland with in-regional
differences at the level of the social and
financial development and with important
problems at the connection between the
islands and the rest of the country.
The population of the region is up to
202.000 people (1998) and it is correlated
to 2% of the total population of the
country. The civil population is up to 26%
of the totally population (1991) and since
then it is increasing in connection to 1981,
the agricultural population is up to 63% of
the totally population and it shows a small
increasing, the residential population is
decreasing and it is 11% of the total
population of the country.
The region produces the 1.74% of the
total Production (GNP) of the country. The
17% of the regional GNP is produced by the
primary section, the 14% in the secondary
section and the 69% in the tertiary section.
The corresponding numbers for all the
country are (1994) 15% for the primary
section, 25% for the secondary section and
60 for the tertiary. Diachronically there is a
turn in regionally finance of the Ionian
Islands to the tertiary section, the tertiary
section has increased its participation to
IRKYRAIl
*
© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries
I Objective 1
the total of the regionally GNP, but in the
other side the participation of the primary
and secondary section has been decreased.
The GNP of the region (for every single
person) is up to 90% to the average of the
GNP of the country in the year 1994. If we
compare the EU data with the
correspondent data, we will find out that
the regional GNP is 62 % of the European
average GNP. The region is ranked in the
twenty two place of the 25 poorest regions
of the EU (in 1986 the rank was 15).
According with newest statistical data, with
GNP at 3.97 million drachmas for the year
2001, 98% of the total average of the
country, it takes the 5th rank in all the
region, the rank is for almost 10 years
stabilized. The region had the lowest
percentage of unemployment in the country
for the year 2000 9% to 11,1% of the
country unemployment.
The productivity of the region is low,
corresponding to the country and the
European committee. The productivity in
the year 1996 was 63% of the EU average,
(the corresponding percent of the country
was 72%). However it showed a little
improvement corresponding to the year
1993 in which the percent was 62%.
The region accumulates 2% of the
population and produces 1,9 % of the GNP
of the country. Between 1991 and 2001 the
46 Islands of Innovation
population has been increased 11%, which
was the 3rd biggest increase in the
country after South Aegean and Creta.
The productivity of the region is up to
3% of all the agriculture production 0,5%
of the manufacture productivity and 2% of
services. According to Eurostat the working
force of the region is going to get
increased at 7,9% in the years 2000-2010,
almost a double increase for Greece as
total (4.3%).
The 3/4 of the products comes from the
services, and at first from tourism, 12%
(1999) the hosted tourists, it has also the
2nd highest hosted tourists.
In the 5 years 1995-1999 the region had
86 new licenses for industries, 2% of the
total. The proportion of the industries who
are in the area is only 0,3% of the
manufacture and construction units of the
country and 1,1% of the commercial .
After a research carried out on 2000 in
relation of Information Technology and
Internet diffusion in the Region of Ionian
Islands private sector, the following results
have produced:
• 20% of citizens have access on a
Personal Computer. This amount was
very lower before 1998.
• Among civilians not having access on a
Personal Computer, only 10% has the
intention to do so.
• Internet penetration is 14%. The majority
of citizens not using Internet, believes
that it is not useful, very difficult to learn
and expensive.
• The most ordinary use of Internet is for
Information Search and Retrieval, and
for Entertainment.
• Only 2,5% off the people having Internet
access, uses it for Electronic Commerce
(to buy products). However 50% of
them, are willing to do so (mostly to buy
books, songs and e-games).
The basic outcome of this research is
that Informatics and Internet penetration
in the Region of Ionian Islands is very
small. However there was a definite
incremental tender.
From another research targeted only in
SMEs, the basic conclusion was that very
few companies in Ionian Islands own up-
to-date technological equipment in the
area of Info ration technology (Personal
Computers, Servers, Software etc). The
majority of the ones having such equipment,
continuously notify themselves concerning
new tenders and they are willing to buy new
useful products. As a result, among SMEs
having Personal Computer, there is 50%
Internet Penetration. However is lack of use
of the Web for business purposes (web sites
for promotion, Electronic Commerce etc).
Companies are willing to do so but they
don't know how to do it. This happens either
because they don't have the specialized
personnel or they can't pay to have it.
Additionally there is lack of companies
producing and supporting such application in
the Region of Ionian Islands.
Islands of Innovation 47
GR41 - North Aegean
The region of North Aegean is located in
the northern part of the Aegean Sea. It
comprises three administrative levels: the
regional administration, which is part of
central government; prefectural authorities
and local authorities. There are three
prefectural authorities: Samos, Chios, and
Lesvos, which contain the islands of the
same name and many smaller ones. The
ensemble that is composed by these is
characterized by the absence of geographical
and economical cohesion.
The population of the region numbers
182.990 (1999) inhabitants. The small
positive growth of the 1981 - 1991 decade
(2,1%) was reversed in the 1991-1999 where
a reduction of 8,8% of the population
occurred.
The regional transportation infrastructures
are of average condition, fact that may be
largely explained by its insular and border
area characteristic. The same situation
prevails in what regards the technical and
social infrastructures, while it appears to be
a shortage in industrial infrustrures. The
existence of the University of Aegean
represents a great advantage.
I Objective 1
For what regards the regional GDP, in
1998 it represented 1,6% of the total
country's GDP. The major contribution to
the regional GDP is made by the
prefecture of Lesbos (55%), while the
prefecture of Chios participates at a level
of 22%, and the prefecture of Samos 23%.
During the 1981-1991 period the average
annula growth of the regional GDP was
1,4% while in the period 1991-1994 period
it was of 1,6%. The primary sector
produces 20%, the secondary sector 17%,
and the tertiary sector 63% of the regional
Gross Domestic Product (1994). In the
primary sector the olive oil contributes
15% of the national product, and the
chesse 4%. The regional economy is
mainly based on the tertiary sector
(Tourism, Public Administration, and
Services), while the two other sector are
on the declining course. In 1999, the
regional GDP per head represented 52% of
the average European Union's GDP per
head, and North Aegean was one of the
poorest regions of the Union. It ranks one
of the poorest region of the EU, and of
Greece (10 th out of the 13 Greek regions).
Islands of Innovation
The labor force is characterized by a
continuous shrinkage. Its reduction rhythm
was 3,8% during the 1981-1991 decade
while for the 1991-1996 period it was even
higher, reaching 5,9%. The same happens
with employment, which reduces
continuously. The greatest losses in
employment positions appear in the
secondary sector. In the primary sector the
losses are smaller, while in the tertiary
sector a growth in available positions is
observed. The employment reduction during
the 1991-1999 period was the main reason
for the growth of unemployment during the
same period. While in the 1992-1995 period
a reduction was observed, in the period of
1995-2000, unemployment showed ups and
downs, to finalize itself at a higher level in
2000, compared to 1993 (11% compared
with 7,5%).
Between the region's prefectures a
significant diversity in the structural
production fabric exists, since each
prefecture presents a different production
physiognomy.
The main advantages of the region are:
• The scenic environments and beauties
• The possible use of renewable sources
• The operation of the Aegean University
• The traditional regional products
The main disadvantages are:
• The insular and boarder area character
• The unfavorable demographic conditions
• The low level of GDP
• The absence of dynamic and modern
productions
• The lack of infrastructures
• The difficult linkages of the region's
islands
The main opportunities are:
• The size of public investment
• The traditional products (mastic, oil, wine)
• The linkage between research and
production
• The traditional and cultural heritage
• The unexplored areas of natural beauty
• The development of major infrastructures
The main threats are:
• The adjustment of the locals to innovation
• The difficulties to create scale economies
• The insecure syndrome due to the border
character
• The adjustment into the globalization
The social and economic analysis clearly
indicates that the secondary sector is the
weakest part of the economy.
Islands of Innovation 49
GR42 - South Aegean
The South Aegean Region consist of the
Prefectures of Cyclades and Dodecanese
and extends in the Aegean Archipelagos
from the coasts of Attica and Evia, where
there is Makronisos and Andros, to the
South coast of Turkey, where there is
Kastelorizo or Megisti. The region consists
of 80 islands from which only the 47 are
inhabited. The total area of the region is
5.286 km 2 and covers the 4% of the area of
the country. The relief of most of the islands
is mountainous and rocky, the mineral
resources are poor, apart from some rare
exceptions, and there is severe scarcity
regarding conventional energy resources.
On the other hand, the rich natural and
cultural resources represent the comparative
advantage of the South Aegean Region.
The population of the region has
increased in the late decades (1961-1991)
and up to 1997. The increasing rate is
about 24,17% placing the region of South
Aegean first (concerning rates of
population growth) between the thirteen
regions of the country. The population of
the region from 207.354 ' n a 96i became
268.643 in 1997. Analogically the growth
is the same between the islands. The
urban population has the major growth in
the region, following the semi-urban
population, except the agricultural
population, which after the decreasing in
1981 is up to the same level of 1961. The
general growth is not succeeded only from
the increasing rate of births but also from
internal and external emigration.
>
1 M ■* "^ ~. t "
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rative boundaries
H Objective 1
The GNP of the region is higher than the
average GNP of the country. In particular
arises up to 122% of the average GNP of
the country, which is, also arises in 74% of
the average GNP of the European Union.
Statistically the region of the islands of
South Aegean appears as prospering but it
is known that this is ought to the financial
development of specific islands, particularly
Rhodes, Kos, Santorini, Mykonos, and
Paros. Respectively the productivity of the
region lies in a higher level from the
country but in a lower lever from the
average of the European Union. The growth
is ought to the islands of Rhodes, Kos,
Santorini, Mykonos and Syros. Assuming
that these five islands are excluded from
the statistics the South Aegean Region
would drop dramatically to the last places
of the country in terms of wealth. The
geographical morphology of the South
Aegean is keeping down the diffusion of
the income and the known how, and
creates different levels of development and
serious internal inequalities.
50 Islands of Innovation
The decrease of employment together
with the decrease of productivity are the
main facts that characterising the primary
sector. The manufacturing sector also is
facing dramatically decrease of employment.
Manufacturing includes in the majority
SMEs except the dockyard of Syros, which
is considered as a big firm, but it is still an
SME according to the EU classification. In
the contrary, the sector of services and
mainly tourism is continually rising, the
employment in the sector accounts for up
to 65%. Services and particularly tourism
account also for almost 75% of the GNP of
the region. The research activity is very low
just the 1% of the total research industry
and rank the region in the last of the 13
regions of the country.
According to the latest research concerning
the Technology and Internet diffusion in
the South Aegean Region, the following
results have been reported:
• In 2001, only the 11% of the population
have access on Personal Computer and
Internet.
• In 2002 the percentage of citizens having
access on Personal Computer and
Internet rises to 14,9%.
Despite the increasing percentage
through the years, the basic outcome of
this specific research is that Informatics
and Internet penetration in the region of
South Aegean Islands is very small.
The majority of the enterprises in the
region of the South Aegean islands are
grouped in SMEs category and their
master activity are in Services and
especially in Tourism. A research that has
been undertaken during 2001 by
Eurobarometer shows that the rate of use
of personal computers and internet is
related to the size of the firms. Small firms
(up to 10 people) are using less PCs and
the internet than larger firms (more than
11 people).
The South Aegean region is endued with
natural beauty and local culture and
tradition. These are the reasons that make
the specific area to have a strong
advantage in the tourism development. A
major percentage of the wholesale and
retail commerce concerns the tourism
activities and especially the business
sectors of Hotels and Restaurants.
Islands of Innovation 51
GR43 ■ Crete
The region of Crete is the southernmost
region of European Union. The largest of the
Greek islands covers an area of 8.335.880m 2
(6,3% of the country's overall extent).
According to the 2001 census, Crete counts
601.000 inhabitants (5,9% of the country's
total). Heraklio and Chania, the two biggest
cities are the basic gateways of the island.
The excellent climate of the island, the
sun and the sea, the historic monuments,
the beautiful landscape and modern
tourist resorts, attract more than
2.000.000 visitors every year. Crete is
known worldwide for the quality of its
agricultural products, which constitutes
the basis of the Cretan diet.
The economy of Crete is being
characterized by its intense dependence
on the primary sector (38% of the labour
force) and tourism (50% of the labour
force), while the contribution of the
combined primary and tertiary sector in
the Gross Regional Product is approximately
87% (primary 31% and tertiary 56%). Crete
is considered one of the most dynamic
regions of Europe in terms of economic
development yearly rates. The per capita
Gross Regional Product corresponds
approximately to 100% of the respective
Greece average and 75% of the EU
average. Unemployment remains at low
level (4,6% of the total labour force the
year 1997), significantly lower of the Greek
average 10,3%.
New technologies are represented in Crete
by a range of educational and research
institutes. Crete boasts two dynamic
universities, a college of technology, a major
research foundation (FORTH), an institute of
marine biology and three agricultural
research institutes. These facilities, combined
with high quality personnel, are transforming
the island into a scientific centre in areas
such as computing, biotechnology, lasers,
polymers and marine technology.
I Objective 1
52 Islands of Innovation
The main advantages of the region are:
• Economic Issues
• The local economy dynamism is equally
depended on two important activities
(tourism and agriculture)
• In the tourism sector, economies of
agglomeration have been achieved
along with top quality
• Good quality and wide variety of local
products
• Availability of internationally known
educational and research Institutes with
high quality human and entrepreneurial
capacity, which can ensure the wide
spread of innovative actions
• Social Issues
• The natural increase rate of the
population is higher compared to the
country's average
• Low unemployment rate. (Half price of
the country's average)
• Population homogeneity
• Well defined and internationally known
living and gastronomy standards
• Spatial Issues
• Availability of areas with natural beauty
and biodiversity
• Existence and spatial spreading of areas
with important elements of historical
cultural interest
• The characteristics and optimum size of
the island can serve as a very good
background for applying methods of
integrated development and spatial
development strategies
The main disadvantages are:
Economic Issues
Highly dependent economy on massive
tourism
Agricultural sector characterized by
unexploited capacity of innovation and
inefficient trade and marketing networks
Low level of productivity and human
resources specialization
Low level of intersectoral links within
Cretan economy, basically between
tourism and agriculture
Social Issues
High indexes of old, non-active population
compared to the country's average
The Educational level of the work force
is lower than the country's average
Underdeveloped and not efficient
network of social infrastructures
Limited participation of women in the
workforce and a high trend of
concentration of the female activities in
the primary sector
Spatial Issues
Difficulties in the development of
interregional cooperation due to the island
constraints
Environmental pressures due to the
highly populated and tourism developed
north side of the island
Increased demand for the environmental
and cultural protection
Increased demand in basic infrastructure
projects because of the population
spread in numerous small residential
areas
Islands of Innovation 53
The main opportunities are:
Economic Issues
Innovation, quality stability, standardization
and efficient marketing policy of selected
local products
Enrichment and differentiation of the
tourist product
Entrepreneurship reinforcement and
organization of the production units in
such a way that can facilitate innovation
and technology upgrade
Development of strong links between
research-technology and local economy
actors
Social Issues
Completion of the social infrastructure
network especially for the children
protection-guarding
Fighting of social isolation
Strengthening of cultural institutions
Protection and valorization of traditional
society assets
Spatial Issues
Strengthening spatial specialization
Strengthening the links between the
urban centers and the harbors and ports
of the island
Promotion of local into vest urban
centers and secure of their business
links with rural zones
Integrated management interventions
for the natural and cultural heritage
valorization and protection
The main threats are:
Economic Issues
Limited private funds in R&D activities
Bureaucracy
Lack of skills prevents the public sector
from supporting the development of a
regional innovation system
Social Issues
Authentic and traditional society
characteristics are progressively
transformed to folklore, commercial
products vulnerable to negative influences
Spatial Issues
Significant pressure to Nature 2000 eco-
systems and bio-diversity. The necessary
partnerships for their successful
management and protection by local
societies are not easily accepted
Water resources management models are
not easily adopted by decision makers,
on regional level
54 Islands of Innovation
ES53 - Balearic Islands
PALMA DE MALLORCA
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I Objective 2
Phasing-out Obj. 2
In 2003, the population of the Balearic
Islands was 916.968, representing 2,2% of
the Spanish population. The density of
population is one of the highest with
183,69 inhab/km 2 , with a tendency to
expanding, this is especially influenced by
migratory variations. The population is
very badly distributed, with almost 40% of
the population living in Palma de
Mallorca, the capital, making it the 10th
most populated city in Spain. From i960,
demographical growth has been
spectacular, especially in the last five
years where migratory influx has been
extremely high. Both factors threaten
insular sustainability.
Main economic activities are tourism,
services and industry. More than 85% of
the Balearic Gross Value Added (GVA)
comes from the service sector with the
highest contribution derived from the
tourist sector. The industrial sector has
minor contribution and is fragmented (lots
of sectors, small companies and a low
level of technology), representing only
7,11% of the Balearic GVA.
Islands of Innovation 5 5
It is possible to summarize the islands'
main features from a social-economic
perspective by carrying-out a SWOT
analysis:
The main advantages of the region are:
• The inhabitants have a culture of
entrepreneurship and initiative.
• Historical tradition of exporting and
trading
• Historical capacity to creatively adapt
and to learn from new circumstances.
• "Quality" image associated with the
Balearic Islands' businesses.
• Existence of a natural tourist cluster
with a lot of potential for encouraging
innovation.
• Favourable outside conditions susceptible
of encouraging the information society.
• Progressive social awareness in matters
of sustainable development.
• Presence of technological centers and
laboratories, basis for the development
of the business structure.
The main disadvantages are:
• Limited resources and growing
demographic pressure.
• Minimal cooperation among the different
agents of the regional innovation system.
• Insufficient presence of advanced
services in companies.
• Non-existence of a clear and explicit
business demand when considering
technological services.
• Lack of methodological and practical
references for the definition of an R+D+l
policy focused on tourism and related
sectors.
The main opportunities are:
• Stable growth of the tourist sector at
international level.
• Existence of basic infrastructures and
high public awareness.
• Global tendencies to insert ICT and
innovation into the tourist sector.
• Political and social desire to focus the
Balearic Islands' economic growth on
technology and innovation as a way to
insure sustainability.
• The possibility to sell appropriate
services and technologies for tourist
activities in emerging areas of the
European and Worldwide economy.
The main threats are:
• The tendency to globalize and disperse
production is a threat to traditional
sectors (including tourism) unless we
greatly entrust to innovation.
• The seasonal nature of our main
regional economic activity (tourism).
• Geographical limitations (pressure that
it can handle, particularly the coastline)
to maintain the growth of tourist activity
if the extensive model of sun and sand
tourism is maintained.
• Cultural difficulties to take on the need
of a systematic approach of the
innovative process in a population used
to tourism with pragmatic and short-
term management.
56 Islands of Innovation
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BpLAS PALMAS DE^K CANARIA
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© EuroGeographic
s Association for the administrative boundaries
H Objective 1
ES70 - Canary Islands
The Canaries Archipelago comprises 7
islands located 1.000 km away from the
European mainland and has a population
of 1,6 million inhabitants.
Due to its location it is included in the
group of "outermost peripheral regions",
well recognised in the legal EU framework.
Due to its difficult geographic conditions,
the Canary Islands have special needs of
ICT in order to achieve a greater economic,
social and territorial cohesion and ensure a
sustainable development.
The main disadvantages are:
• Small and fragmented markets, due to
the insular fact, with low dynamism and
lack of equilibrium.
• Low ICT equipment both in the
productive and social sectors.
• Lack of a culture of ICT, in economic and
social sectors, but also in the territorial
administration.
• Low diversification of the economic
structure, mainly based on Tourism and
agriculture.
• Scarce weight of the industrial and
technological sectors in the territorial
economy.
• Very small service enterprises (micro
SMEs).
• Enterprises of small value added, more
based on manpower than on intellectual
capital.
• Low structured RDT system, with lack of
orientation towards innovation.
• Low potentiality of University-Enterprise
collaboration.
• Low level of technological culture and
use of technology in private enterprises.
• Low coordination among ICT territorial
players.
Islands of Innovation 57
The main threats are:
• Danger of loss of competitiveness due
to the disappearance of key local
sectors, in particular those which are in
a mature situation and economic wealth,
but do not appreciate the need for
innovation and the potential benefits of
ICT.
• High cost of social services (lack of
budgetary viability).
• Increasing differences between the
islands in relation with their geo-strategic
framework.
• Environmental impact of technologies.
• Loss of social cohesion and of cultural
identity.
• Apparition of multi-sector monopolies.
The main advantages of the region are:
• REF (Canary Islands Economic and fiscal
regime), allowing for the availability of
local capital in the development of new
economic sectors in the islands.
• ZEC (the Canaries Special Area), which
can constitute an operational base for
Canaries' firms, as well as for the
localisation of foreign enterprises.
• Environmental and landscape conditions
that can attract the localisation of new
enterprises and the development of the
visual industry.
• Potentiality of the tourism industry to
attract the localisation of new enterprises.
• Availability of ICT agents within the
territorial administration (persons and
organisations)
• ICT agents in the University with
experience in developing commercial
projects.
• Existence of ICT experiences (telemedicine,
attention to disabled persons, tele-training,
etc.)
• Industrial ICT poles and enterprise
incubators.
The main opportunities are:
• Innovation in traditional productive sectors
(new selling channels and new ways of
selling).
• Diversification of the Canaries' economy.
• Maintain, improve and reduce social
services costs.
• Plan national: Info XXI (guidance and
funding).
• eEurope Initiative (guidance and funding
guideline).
• PDCAN (many of its guidelines and actions
relate directly to ICT).
• Careful environmental and landscape
management.
• Lowering distance between the islands
and with Europe and America.
• Reducing transport needs professional
for but administrative motivations, etc.
58 Islands of Innovation
FR83 ■ Corsica
© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries
I Phasing-out Obj. 1 (till 31/12/2006)
With its 260.000 inhabitants on surface of
8.700 km 2 , Corsica posts the lowest
density of metropolitan France.
The disabilities of the region are
connected with the constraint of insularity
and on its mountainous and partitioned
relief, inducing difficulties of connection
and of important equipment.
The local economy is strongly
unbalanced and is crossed by numerous
cleavages: the tertiary sector accounts for
78% of the jobs, almost non-existent
industry, agriculture in change, a lack of
project engineering.
This official report, such as the figures of
the gross domestic product per capita and
of the average income, testify to the
development delay of the region.
It is to rectify this situation that the
European Union committed itself, within
the framework of the Structural Funds and
within the framework of the other
Community policies, to creating the
conditions of harmonious development of
the island, in order for it to make better
use of the wealth which it has.
The diagnosis which of it is made
present the Corsica Region as being at the
same time carrying fragilities to dam up
and source of potential to be optimised.
The development of the local potential
represents an important development
potential insofar as they constitute a
strong attractiveness factor. This wealth
layer has to serve as a levier to develop a
sustainable development strategy for the
island.
The local Authority of Corsica decided to
encourage the development of innovative
technologies and the use of new
information and communication technology
as tools which can be put at the service of
the promotion of its identity, of its culture,
of its environment and of its local
productions.
Islands of Innovation 59
The main advantages of the region are:
• A location in the Mediterranean arc that
places Corsica in the middle of the trade
and passage network
• An exceptional environmental potential,
of rich ecosystems, a preserved way of
life, a renewable energy potential, an
abundant and quality water resource
• A high and diversified tourist potential:
a coast which kept its authenticity, sites
registered by UNESCO as common
inheritance of humanity
• Successes targeted in the sector of high
quality agri-foodstuff productions
The main disadvantages are:
• The constraint of insularity, with its
chain effects (discontinuity, increase in
the price of the transport costs of life,
partitioning of the markets)
• The weakness of the inland and urban
transports which accentuates the
partitioning of the island in about
twenty micro-regions
• A too low demographic level, often
underneath the critical point and
marked by a strong opposition between
the disillusionment of the rural and
mountain areas and the attractiveness
of the cities of the coast, and between
the resident and "holiday period"
people
• A development delay pointed by numerous
symptoms:
> a GDP households income underneath
7% of the national average
> unbalanced economy (fragility of the
SMEs, lack of project engineering,
marked seasonal variation, tourism to
be professionalised, almost non-
existent industry, high weight of the
public and semi-public sectors)
> high unemployment rate compared
with the national average
The main opportunities & threats are:
Build an open relation of exchange and
synergy with the continental regions of
the Mediterranean arc vis-a-vis markets,
companies and education institutions:
Build up the development potential that
the natural and cultural heritage of
Corsica constitutes
Encourage the development of the new
technologies as a response to insularity
in identity and exchange search
Improve the employment situation
Importance of tourism
economic activity
in the insular
6o Islands of Innovation
FR91 - Guadeloupe
© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries
I Objective 1
The region of Guadeloupe is a territory
marked by a number of characteristics
which constitute difficulties in its
development.
It is an "archipelago" made up of eight
islands. The island of Guadeloupe constitutes
"continental Guadeloupe" and play the role of
metropolis. Guadeloupe's bipolarity is
between Pointe-a-Pitre (industrial with 50%
of the jobs), and Basse-Terre (administrative
with 15% of the jobs).
There are between 40.000 and 45.000
companies, of which 90% are very small
enterprises.
Marked by the remoteness of the
metropolis, the region is subject to vigorous
commercial competition from the Caribbean
islands under American influence, assembled
within the CARICOM (Carribean Community).
The Guadeloupe economy is based on 2
main activities: tourism (380 MEuros) and
agriculture (153 MEuros), which by
themselves, will not be able to give a
potential activity and employment to the
working population, even if each one of
them has development margins. In
particular, the sector of cruising tourism is
a sector with high potential, despite the
hard competition from the other islands,
subject to projects around nature and
quality of service. For pleasure sailing in
particular, the development of new
services "from beginning to end" has to
make it possible to propose to the
customers' one-stop solution for all the
professionals of the technico-economic
chain: hiring, maintenance and maintenance
(cold channels, composite materials,
motorisation), fuelling, accommodation,
restoration. There is a number of SMEs in
the tourist sector, which should be able to
emerge, structure themselfs, to coordinate
and intervene in the shipping supply-chain
with added-value activities. For its part,
the agricultural activity should be able to
benefit from alignment of the markets
permitted by the ICT, to revitalise or
diversify sectors, insufficiently attractive or
Islands of Innovation 61
powerful, or to control the exchanges
between firms in the region.
The land transport sector in Guadeloupe
has a real need for structuring. It is a
sector proposing a big but insufficiently
organised offer (more than 500 craftsmen
on this sector). There still, ICT are at the
same time a factor making it possible to
organise the market and to build new
solutions based on minimum rationalisation
by cooperation.
Similarly the harbour facilities are
potentially carrying spaces of consolidation
and of development of activities, on which
ICT will have acceleration effects: in
particular, the development of the Basse-
Terre port constitutes a strategic issue for
the region; similarly, the project of setting
in place of the EDI (Electronic Data
Interchange) that ADEMAR in Pointe-a-Pitre
wants to contribute to the consolidation of
the activities of grouping and distribution
of assets and goods in the region.
The projects carried out in the
programme of "numerical levelling" of the
territory which concern the sector of
teaching and of research have also to
benefit from the acceleration effects of the
ICT proposed in the current programme. In
particular new competences will be
developed by the companies which will
enter the new economy. Training will
accompany the movement started by the
regional Comptoir de la Nouvelle Economie.
Similarly the current competences, in the
service sectors, of tourism and trade, will
have to be enlarged to practices of ICTs.
Solutions of the type "Unite mixte" or
"ecole doctorale" will make it possible to
carry out operational aspects, falling
under the cycle of deployment of the
regional project.
Generally, all the spheres of activities are
sponsor development projects in which ICT
represent a facilitation or acceleration factor:
networking of cultural establishments,
diversification of the tourism offer
(integrated tourism, fisheries, thematic
stays), inter-municipality and inter-regional
cooperation, strengthening of the capacities
for new companies (Dothemare area for
example, intended to become the excellence
pole gathering the best activities of the
region).
ICT constitute an important development
levier with which the region intends to be
endowed to improve its action for regional
integration, of the activity and of
employment and to cause and accompany
pilot operations.
62 Islands of Innovation
FR92 - Martinique
FORT-DE-FRANCE
© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries
I Objective 1
The economy of Martinique is characterised
by its very fragmented nature:
• Largely encouraged by preferential
agreements dedicated to the primary
products, the various agricultural
specialisations which followed each
other (sugar, pineapples, banana),
developed without their processing
being envisaged on the spot.
• Consequently, the embryonic industrial
development that Martinique knows was
done mainly from capital goods and from
imported manufactured goods. The
remoteness of the supply and a market
cumulated in low internal demand resulted
in the juxtaposition of small enterprises
benefiting little from the effects of
convergence and of relocation that
integration in a single economic market
involves.
• Similarly, even if tourism constitutes the
privileged development axis of Martinique,
it undergoes an economic crisis due in
particular to the deterioration of the
transport facilities, to the roughness of
the competition from neighbouring
countries and to the absence of
articulation with the other sectors of the
economy.
This situation results in the existence of a
multiplicity of very small little structured
enterprises, this characteristic coupling
itself with the economic insulation of the
territory. The remote character constitutes
indeed a limiting factor to its insertion in
the major Community networks (i.e.
research, transport). The development of
the capacity of technological innovation,
recommended in the Lisbon strategy, is
reduced despite a reasonable infrastructure
and qualification level.
The result is an employment situation
which, even if clearly improuved in recent
years (with an unemployment rate passing
from 29% in 1998 to 22% in 2004),
remains more deteriorated than in the
other French regions. This context is an
increasing source of marginalisation of
certain population fringes.
The economic structure of Martinique
also reflects the very heterogeneous
spatial territory occupation, characterised
by a high demographic and economic
concentration around the capital, to the
detriment of the rural areas of the
territory.
In such a context, the development of the
Information Society and the rational use of
the ICT, constitute an opportunity for
Martinique:
• owing to the capacity of reduction of
space and of the distances, to break the
insulation of the major international
networks. The comparative advantage
certain in terms of technological
development in relation to the
neighbours of the Caribbean constitutes
an asset within the framework of this
expansion strategy
• as an essential factor of adaptability of
the manpower, like a powerful means to
reduce the economic and social fracture
of Martinique
• like an economic and spatial territory
tool, thus mitigating the enclavement of
numerous areas.
Islands of Innovation 63
FR94 - Reunion
Reunion is a mountainous island located
in the Indian Ocean, the most populated
territory of the four overseas French
regions with a surface of 2.500 km 2 and a
population of around 710.000 inhabitants.
The main characteristic of the Reunion is
its strong demographic growth who is 6,5
times higher than that of EU-15. The less
than 19 years old account for almost 40%
of the total population, thus the genuine
challenge of the island is the future of its
youth.
Despite an important economic
dynamism and a constant rate of net job
creation, the unemployment rate is high at
37,7% in 1998. The local productive
economy remains insufficient and only the
sectors of tourism and agri-foodstuff have
a significant place in it.
The main strengths of the island lie in
the youth of its population, in the
existence of modern infrastructures, in an
economy with strong growth and rich in
employment as well as in the existence of
family solidarity.
Under the main weaknesses, we can note
the high demographic pressure on a
reduced territory, the additional costs
connected with its insulation and
remoteness, the weight and the structure of
unemployment and finally the development
of precariousness.
The social disparities between women
and men, young people and adults,
unemployed and employed, leads to a
very fragile social cohesion.
© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries
I Objective 1
64 Islands of Innovation
ITG1 - Sicily
S EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries
I Objective 1
Among the most developed economic
sectors of the region is agriculture, the
agri-foodstuff, the craft industry. The
region has in addition human resources
with high cultural level, rather flexible
manpower and at low prices, several
university/research structures present
throughout the region and a regional
Science park, and training structures in
specialised sectors connected with
industry.
However the Sicilian economy is
characterised by structural deficiencies
and an inveterate weakness of its
scholastic, scientific and training system.
Indeed, even if excellent examples exist in
the sectors mentioned, they are not
incorporated enough into the productive
structure of the region.
According to the regional strategic
Framework for the Development of the
Information Society (2002), the
Information Society developed in Sicily in
an incoherent and fragmentary way
through individual initiatives without a
coordinated plan. The same phenomenon
occurred in the field of companies
development. With the exemption of some
large-sized regional companies, the
majority of them are not concerned with
innovation and have no contact either
with the experts or with the sources of
innovation. In the same way, the
organisations in the service of the
companies in the field of research and
technology transfer have only few contacts
with the world of production, especially
with small and very small enterprises.
Other weaknesses are the insufficient
financial and human resources, the
procedural obstacles, the insufficient
computerisation level of the public offices.
Almost non-existent are the contacts
between the companies and the world of
training and also between companies. The
activity of the local public offices is not
coordinated with that of the research
structures and the entrepreneurs of the
region are very defying with regard to the
public offices.
Among the weaknesses of the
companies, there is their insufficient
tendency to horizontal cooperation, their
predominant orientation towards the local
market, their weak competitiveness, the
structural incapacity of SMEs to develop a
product able to penetrate the international
markets, the limited systems of quality
certifications. Any expansionary measure
of the economy should also consider the
insufficiency of the structures and of the
networks and services for agriculture and
the other productive sectors of the region.
The current technological training
centres in Sicily are isolated and do not
have connections with the companies.
Islands of Innovation 65
ITG2 - Sardinia
Located in the middle of the Mediterranean
sea, Sardinia is an island with an area of
24.090 km 2 and a population of about
1.600.000 inhabitants.
Nowadays, tourism has become the
most important economic development
factor for the region, above all because of
the wonderful white sand beaches and
transparent sea water, integrated with its
historical and cultural sites, which attract
a great amount of tourists, especially
during the summer.
Sardinia has many remains from ancient
civilizations; in particular, the megalithic
truncated-conic towers called "nuraghi"
which were built in the 1.800 BC, and that
are unique of Sardinia. There are also
ancient Phoenician settlements (the best
known are nora and Tharros) and many
other interesting archeological and
historical attractions as a result of the
many dominations that the island has
encountered through centuries (among
others: the Punic, the roman, and the
Spanish).
The distinctive features of the inland
landscape vary from the mountains, with
the typical Mediterranean flora (the
"macchia mediterranea") and the wild
fauna (there are also deer and boars), to
the cultivated hills and plains (in particular
there are vineyards, olive groves, fields of
wheat, citrus orchards, cork-oakcork
groves, etc.).
However, the most traditional activity of
Sardinian people remains sheep-breeding.
Some typical products are increasingly
exported all over the world, like a few
selected wines and the "pecorino" (sheep
milk cheese).
M
© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries
I Objective 1
After the second World War,
industrialization absorbed a considerable
amount of people that was engaged in the
traditional rural activities, causing an
impoverishment of the country and of
villages with a small population, while the
bigger towns became overcrowded. The
industrial crisis experienced in the last
decades, has contributed to worsen the
economical situation.
At present, regional policies try to
improve the infrastructure and services
related to traditional activities. The
objective is to stop people's migration to
larger cities or to the continent and, when
possible, to bring them back.
Another important policy aspect is the
aim to make the inland part more
attractive for tourism, in order to create
new entrepreneurship and extend the
tourism period beyond the summer
months.
Insularity is a strong limitation to local
economy development, as well as to a
better exploitation of the historical,
geographic and demographic peculiarities
that the Region has.
66 Islands of Innovation
The main advantages of the region are:
• Natural resources
> The beauty of
uncontaminated
> Protected areas
marine)
the scenery, often
(both terrestial and
• Human resources
> Increase of the educational level in new
generations (much more women then in
the past)
• Cultural resources
> Exploitation of cultural heritage
(above all, of the important historical-
archeological sites)
• Production system
> Tourism and biological agricultural
productions
• Cities and organisation of the territory
> Better distribution of services in the
territory (more new services in the
mid-size cities than in the biggest
ones)
• Telecommunications
> Several entrepreneurial initiatives
> Services development based on Digital
Terrestial Television technologies
• Cities and organisation of the territory
> Loss of population in rural and inland
areas
> Lack of information centers in small
cities
• Telecommunications
> Inadequate tele-
communication infrastructures
The main opportunities are:
• Natural resources
> Tourism enhancement & differentiation
of tourist's target
• Human resources
> Reorganization of the centers for
public employment and a new political
approach to development
• Cultural resources
> Improvement of cultural services based
on ICT solutions
• Production system
> The natural environment and biological
productions could represent an
attraction for foreign investment
• Telecommunications
> New regional policy for ICT development
The main disadvantages are:
• Human resources
> High level of unemployment (above all
of women)
> Difficulty in the implementation of a
successful policy for new jobs
• Cultural resources
> Poor cultural services
• Production system
> The production system is based on
small companies with endemic problems
of organization, capitalization and
marketing
> Tourism is "summer and coastal areas
concentrated"
The main threats are:
• Natural resources
> Resources' impoverishment because of
non sustainable utilisation
• Human resources
> Social isolation of weak categories
• Production system
> Competition with other attractive
areas in the Mediterranean
• Cities and organisation of the territory
> Population decrease of the inland areas
Islands of Innovation 67
PT20 ■ Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores, made up by
nine populated islands, is located in the
Atlantic Ocean and expands between 36
55' and 39 43' of northern latitude and 24
46' and 31 16 1 of Oest longitude. The
distance from the coasts of the European
continent is approximately 1.500 km, 3.900
km of the subcontinent north-american and
approximately 3.500 km from Brussels. The
total surface of the territory is 2.333 km 2 ,
which corresponds to 2,5% of the total
Portuguese national territory. The exclusive
economic area of the Azores is of
approximately 938.000 km 2 .
The Azores constitute an autonomous
Region of the Portuguese Republic, having
a policy-administrative statute with clean
organisations of government, such as the
legislative Parliament and the regional
Government.
The resident population in the Azores
does not exceed the 242.000 inhabitants.
The gross domestic product per capita
accounts for approximately 53% of the
European average (EU-i5=ioo). The specific
disabilities result mainly from its
geographical insulation.
W*
A
PONTA DELGADA
© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries
I Objective 1
The main advantages of the region are:
• Geographical location / Territorial
configuration
> Geostrategic position in the northern
Atlantic
> Characteristic of the landscape
> Strong presence of the sea - great
extension of the EEZ and potential of
non-exploited resources
• Human resources
> Young population
> Increasing participation of women in
the labour market
• Economy
> Earth and climate conditions favourable
for agriculture
> Natural conditions for the development
of the fisheries sector
> Potential for differentiated leisure
activities
> Good origin image of the products
(natural and ecological production)
Structuring of the Territory
> Harbour and airport infrastructures
throughout the islands
> Insertion (immediate future) in an
intercontinental communication network
through the underwater optical fiber
cable
Inheritance
> Wealth and variety of local historical
and cultural assets
> Population desire for cultural expression
and festivity manifestations (music,
theatre, folklore)
Islands of Innovation
The main disadvantages are:
• Geographical location / Territorial
configuration
> Insulation - Additional cost in the
supply and export functions
> Vulnerability to natural forces, such as
atmospheric or seismic
> Territorial discontinuity
> Broken orography
> Reduced capacity of scientific
accompaniment and economic use of
maritime resources
• Human resources
> Weak qualifications of active population
> Reduced demographic potential
> Low education rate
• Economy
> High external dependence level
> High specialisation of the economic
basis
> Exiguity, fragmentation and remoteness
of the regional market (9 micro
markets dispersed and moved away
from the major producing and
consuming centres)
> Debility of the foundation of
entrepreneuriat
• Structuring of the Territory
> Insular and most remote condition
prevents access to the main European
and world networks which ensure
internationalization
> Need for multiplication of basic
infrastructures and equipment
(effectiveness thresholds, capital
expenditure and high handling / use
costs)
> Difficulties and additional cost on the
mobility of persons 1 and their assets
• Inheritance
> Difficulties on the consolidation and
diffusion of initiatives and cultural
events
> Some introduction of dissonant
architectonic elements
The main opportunities are:
• Affirmation of the archipelago of the
Azores as the Atlantic border of Europe
• Sea deposits a wide range of resources
• Possibility of insertion of the Azores to
the science and technology networks,
especially volcanology, oceanography,
meteorology, inter alia
• Increasing tendency for the quality
assurance and differentiation of products
mainly those in which the natural and
ecological component can be felt, such as
touristic foodstuffs
The main threats are:
• Operation of the world economy as a
network saving, which devalues the
geographical position of the Region and
gives priority to access to world
networks
• Interregional inequality in terms of
capacity of innovation, since the
concentration of the centres of excellence
are in the centre of Europe
• Concentration of the intercontinental
connections on a small number of
airport nodes, in the centre of Europe
and in some more efficient ports, while
marginalizing infrastructures and
equipment in the peripheral regions
• Disappearance of the companies of the
traditional sectors because of increasing
difficulties of survival of the small
agriculture
Islands of Innovation 69
PT30 ■ Madeira
The main advantages of the region are:
• Existence of a nature and landscape of
major value, diversified and protected
inheritance.
• Importance of Madeira as an
international tourist pole integrated into
networks of large tourist operators.
• Existence of weather favourable to the
practice of the horticultural crops,
including floriculture, and fruit-bearing,
moderate crops as well as subtropical.
• Specific regional product development
(wine, embroideries, osier, subtropical
fruit, flowers).
• Renewed and re-measured fisheries fleet
according to the known fishery
resources and existence of human
resources with better qualifications.
• Important pole of reception and of
scientific and technological information
and technological transfer dissemination
from the Madeira and Madeira Tecnopolo
University.
• Demographic structure with a rate of
youth higher than the average, both
national and Community.
• Capacities of vocational training (in
particular in the sectors of tourism and
of agriculture) from training structures
and the vocational schools, with
progressive improvement of the
intermediate qualifications and of the
level of the workers' education.
© EuroGeographics Association for the administrative boundaries
I Objective 1
• Progress recent at the level of the main
roads, structuring of the territory.
• Airport infrastructures of quality.
• Strategic management of hydrous
resources on the Madeira (contrasting
with the scarcity of these resources in
Oporto Santo).
• Privileged connections with the ex-
emigrants' Communities (South Africa
and the Americas).
• Self government which allows a better
adequacy of the policies to regional and
local realities.
70 Islands of Innovation
The main disadvantages are:
• Insular situation, location moved away
from the central regions and exiguity of
the national market.
• Major dependence with respect to the
Continent with regard to the connections
with the European Union and the rest of
the World and increased transport costs.
• High structural constraints of a permanent
nature arising from characteristics of the
physical structure of the territory.
• Major sensitivity and vulnerability at the
environmental level.
• Small size of the territory making
difficult obtaining effectiveness levels of
certain equipment and services.
• Little diversified, weak productive very
vulnerable and specialisation structure
development of the value chain in a
context of major opening on the outside
but fields of the weak distribution
chains.
• Agricultural structure of very small
dimension.
• Inadequacy between demand and
qualification supply and persistence of a
major weakness of the qualitative
manpower structure.
• Insufficiency of infrastructures and of
training equipment, at the various
levels, in particular in technological and
professional teaching.
• Defective conditions of intra-regional
accessibility, in particular at local level
and between the islands.
• Insufficiency at the level of the harbour
and of support infrastructures for the
activities connected with the sea.
• Insufficiency of the infrastructures and of
the services in the fields connected with
production technologies, on quality and
on certification.
• Settlement model very differentiated in
the regional and, in parallel, standard
space of very dispersed and split up
settlement and excessive concentration
on the southern coast and, in a more
accentuated way, in the region of
Funchal.
• Defective structuring of the urban
network, with the existence of
deteriorated urban areas and
weaknesses in the urban-rural report.
• Activity of the fisheries centered on a
number reduces of species and
vulnerabilities vis-a-vis the fluctuations
of the migratory species captures (in
particular the tuna).
• Environmental cleansing infrastructure
lack and costs increased for the respect
of environmental quality standards (i.e.
for solid waste).
Islands of Innovation 71
The main opportunities are:
Development of the privileged position
in Atlantic space and conditions for a
participation in knowledge, exploration
and the use of the oceans.
The commercial opportunities facilitated
by the opening of new ways for the
traditional products and certified within
a given geographical framework and by
the existence of a request segment
which develops healthy food.
Potential of the reform of the CAP
(strengthening of the importance of the
agro-environmental measures) for a
development of the role of agriculture in
maintenance and the conservation of
the characteristic human landscape of
the Region and in ecological and social
balance.
Renewal of the competitive advantages
of the tourism facility, by diversifying
the offered tourist product (congresses
and trips offered by the companies,
sporting tourism, golf and water sports,
active tourism, ecotourism, cruising and
group tourism having scientific interests
connected with the environment).
Strengthening of the tourist request
following the extension of the track of
the Funchal airport.
Improvement of the value chains in the
economic activities: rationalisation of
the distribution chains, production and
advanced service integration.
Comparative advantages, in relation to
the continental regions, in the field of
the use of renewable energy resources
(in particular of hydrous, solar, wind
origin and of the biomass) and of the
rational use of energy by means of
systems of management and of more
effective equipment.
• Strengthening of the scientific and
technological structures, created recently
(Madeira and "Madeira University
Tecnopolo"), of the interface with the
economic activities and of the participation
in Research and Development networks.
• Development of the channel of the
building (housing segment, improvement
of the urban inheritance and conservation/
restoration of infrastructures, in particular
road).
• Privileged conditions (recognised by
international organisations) for knowledge,
the conservation and the development
of the biodiversity.
The main threats are:
• Increase in the points of dissonance
landscape owing to situations of
intervention without rules and of
pressures on the fragile natural
environment.
• Loss of characterisation of the landscape
and increase in the risks connected with
factors of geological nature and with
phenomena of erosion, by the difficulty
of the maintenance of the agricultural
activity vis-a-vis liberalisation and to the
globalisation of trade.
• Deterioration of the conditions of
feeding of the water tables.
• Loss of the competitiveness of the
tourist product and of the destination if
the traditional image of quality is not
maintained.
• Loss of competitive advantages (vis-a-
vis the changes which take place on the
international scene) which could
compromise the foreign investment
collecting strategy and of development
of international services.
• Risk of disappearance of companies,
linked in particular to the traditional
activities.
72 Islands of Innovation
FI20 - Aland Islands
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H Objective 2
Aland is an autonomous region under the
sovereignty of Finland since 1921.
Aland is well known for its traditional
shipping industry and is a popular area for
tourism.
Aland joined the Nordic council in 1972
and the European Union with the
accession of Finland as a Member State in
1995.
Situated between Finland and Sweden,
with 6.500 islands and islets rising from
the Baltic Sea, three quarters of the total
area of 7.000 km 2 is water.
A population of nearly 26.500 live either
in the one town of Mariehamn, which has
approximately 10.500 inhabitants, or in one
of the 15 other municipalities, with about
65 of the islands being inhabited. The
population density is very low compared to
the rest of Europe, about 16 inhabitants per
km 2 .
The Treaty of accession for Finland to
the EU included a special protocol relating
to Aland. The protocol excludes Aland
from the tax union and the obligation to
harmonise indirect taxes with the aim
preserving the local economy. It also
allows tax-free sales in the transportation
of passengers by air and sea to and from
the Aland Islands. This has been of great
importance for the shipping industry and
for tourism in Aland.
Taxes in the Aland Islands are levied by
the Finnish State, except for taxation in
the municipalities and some special
regional taxes. The 1991 Act of Autonomy
expanded the public economy of Aland,
which now receives 0,45 percent of the
State revenue as a lump sum. In addition,
tax express train exceeding 0,50 bore
redistributed are. Income from the lump
sum covers about 70 percent of total
income in the budget government (2002).
Islands of Innovation 73
The public sector covers almost 20
percent of the Gross Regional Product
(GRP). Service public cuts a high share of
employment (40 bore) and are expanding.
This is also a measure of high living
standards and a modern welfare sector in
Aland. Health services and education up
to university level are of a high quality.
The GRP per capita is one of the highest
in the Nordic region.
Traditionally, the Aland economy has
been based on agriculture, fishing and
forestry. These are still importing for
regional settlements and ace has other for
basis industries, even though employment
in this area has reduced since accession
to the EU.
As an island, trade has always been
important for Aland and the international
High Sea shipping has its roots in the late
19 th century. The shipping industry is still
an important employer both in the islands
and in other regions in Finland. The total
production value of shipping generated by
Aland companies is over 30 percent of the
total value generated in the Aland
economy.
The number of people employed in the
manufacturing industry is fairly small and
individual companies are small aces well.
Even if the business in Aland is low -
rather than high-technology recent
expansion in the technology sector is a
promising trend for new employment, at a
time when others sectors are in decline.
Tourism is strongly seasonal but recent
efforts to expand sports, health-care, and
cultural activities will hopefully serve to
increase tourism in the low season.
Related to trade, shipping and tourism,
banking, insurance and financial services
play an important role in the economy of
the Aland Islands.
All islands have as a common element
the sea as their natural border and
consequently a common problem of
transport and communication. Most
islands are also vulnerable to changes in
the environment as they depend on
maritime resources.
Still the Aland economy has good
prospects for the future due to a stable
labour market, a skilled work strength,
with high standard and living-room of
have single entrepreneurial spirit.
Cohesion policy is of great importance.
On the one hand Aland has a fairly small
natural resource base related to fishing,
forestry, agriculture and tourism. On the
other hand the welfare system, the social-
economic and regional balance has
constituted a platform for the development
of social and human capital both in
culture and business.
The main advantages of the region are
welfare, autonomy and entrepreneurship
The main disadvantages are
small economic base, high prices, lack of
internal competition
The main opportunities are
diversification, cooperation, learning in
the knowledge society
The main threats are
weakening external links and
social and regional cohesion
lack of
74 Islands of Innovation
Annex 3
Glossary of Terms
& Abbreviations
Eu-15 / Eu-25
Euro-jargon acronyms referring respectively to
the 15 and 25 European Union (EU) Member
States (MS) before and after 01/05/2004. The
EU-15 MS were: Belgium, France, Germany,
Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark,
Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece, Spain,
Portugal, Austria, Finland and Sweden.
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
The ERDF is intended to help reduce imbalances
between regions of the EU. The Fund was set up
in 1975 and grants financial assistance for
development projects in the poorer regions. In
terms of financial resources, the ERDF is by far
the largest of the Structural Funds.
Objectives 1 and 2
Structural funds focus assistance available under
the Community's regional policy on crucial
development problems under priority objectives.
Objective 1 promotes the catching-up of the
economies of regions whose development is
lagging behind. It is "regionalised" in that it
applies to statistically demarcated regions.
Only those whose per capita Gross National
Product (GDP) is less than 75% of the
Community average are eligible. The seven
"outermost" regions, the areas in Sweden and
Finland with very low population density and
Northern Ireland also receive assistance. In all,
Objective 1 covers sixty or so regions in
thirteen Member States. Transitional support is
also available over a seven-year period for the
regions previously eligible between 1994 and
1999 and a performance reserve for the most
virtuous regions has been set up. Objective 1
receives 70% of the structural funds' budget
(i.e. €137 billion over seven years), which is
broken down between the four funds (ERDF,
ESF, EAGGF Guidance Section and FIFG). Basic
infrastructures, the development of human
resources, investment in research and
innovation, and the information society are the
four main priority areas.
Objective 2 contributes to the economic and
social conversion of regions in structural
difficulties. It too is regionalised: the demarcation
of eligible areas depends both on national and
European population ceilings (18% of the
Union's population) and on specific socio-
economic criteria. Four categories of eligible
area are defined: areas undergoing economic
change in industry and the service sector,
declining rural areas, urban areas in difficulty
and depressed areas dependent on fisheries.
Since all their territory is eligible under
Objective 1, Greece, Ireland and Portugal do not
qualify for assistance under Objective 2.
Transitional support is also available for the
regions previously eligible under Objectives 2
and 5(b) during the period 1994-1999. The
Objective 2 budget amounts to €22,5 billion
over seven years (11,5% of the total budget)
and is financed by the ERDF and the ESF.
Structural Funds (SF)
The EU's Structural Funds are administered by
the Commission to finance Community structural
aid. They comprise the Guidance Section of the
EAGGF for agriculture, the Regional Fund for
structural aid under the regional policy (ERDF),
the Social Fund for social policy measures (ESF),
and the Financial Instrument for Fisheries (FIFG).
Financial support from the Structural Funds
mainly goes to the poorer regions to strengthen
the Union's economic and social cohesion so
that the challenges of the single market can be
met right across the EU.
Operational Programme (OP)
It means the document approved by the
Commission to implement a Community support
framework and comprising a consistent set of
priorities comprising multiannual measures and
which may be implemented through recourse to
one or more Funds, to one or more of the other
existing financial instruments and to the EIB. An
integrated operational programme means an
operational programme financed by more than
one Fund.
Community Support Frameworks (CSFs)
The Community Support Frameworks coordinate
European Union regional activities, occasionally
Islands of Innovation 75
involving the four Structural Funds (ERDF, ESF,
EAGGF, FIFG) and the European Investment Bank
(EIB). In each case, however, the projects must
be incorporated into plans already developed by
national authorities, regional authorities and
their economic partners.
Sustainable development
The concept of sustainable development refers
to a form of economic growth which satisfies
society's needs in terms of well-being in the
short, medium and - above all - long terms. It is
founded on the assumption that development
must meet today's needs without jeopardising
the prospects of future generations. In practical
terms, it means creating the conditions for long-
term economic development with due respect
for the environment. The Copenhagen world
summit for sustainable development (March
1995) stressed the need to combat social
exclusion and protect public health. Sustainable
Development was explicitly referred for the first
time to a recital in the Treaty of Amsterdam.
Managing Body (of a PRAI)
An organisation assigned to carry out the
management and administration of a Regional
Programme of Innovative Actions.
Managing Authority (of the ROP)
A decentralised national structure assigned to
carry out the management and administration
of a Regional Operating Programme.
Paying Body (of a PRAI)
An organisation assigned to carry out payments
for a Regional Programme of Innovative Actions.
Paying Authority (of the ROP)
It is one or more national, regional or local
authorities or bodies designated by the Member
State for the purposes of drawing up and
submitting payments applications and receiving
payments from the Commission. The Member
State shall determine all the modalities of its
relationship with the paying authority and of the
latter's relationship with the Commission.
NUTS classification
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for
Statistics (NUTS) was created by the European
Office for Statistics in order to create a single
and coherent structure of territorial distribution.
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME)
An SME is defined by the European Union as an
independent company with fewer than 250
employees and either an annual turnover not
exceeding €40 million or a balance sheet not
exceeding €27 million.
SWOT analysis
The SWOT analysis is a technique that compares
internal Strengths and Weaknesses against
external Opportunities and Threats.
European Commission (EC)
The European Commission (also known as the
"Commission") is a politically independent
collegial institution which embodies and
defends the general interests of the European
Union. Its virtually exclusive right of initiative in
the field of legislation makes it the driving force
of European integration. It prepares and then
implements the legislative instruments adopted
by the Council and the European Parliament in
connection with Community policies.
The Commission also has powers of
implementation, management and control. It is
responsible for planning and implementing
common policies, executing the budget and
managing Community programmes. As
"guardian of the Treaties", it also ensures that
European law is applied.
The Commission is appointed for a five-year term
by the Council acting by qualified majority in
agreement with the Member States. It is subject
to a vote of appointment by the European
Parliament, to which it is answerable. The
Commissioners are assisted by an administration
made up of Directorates-General and specialised
departments whose staff are divided mainly
between Brussels and Luxembourg.
j6 Islands of Innovation
Outermost regions (RUP)
There are seven "outermost regions": Guadeloupe,
French Guyane, Martinique and Reunion (the four
French overseas departments), the Canaries
(Spain), and the Azores and Madeira (Portugal).
Those regions are distinguished by their low
population density and considerable distance
from mainland Europe. Their specific location
makes them European bridgeheads for fostering
trade relations with their non-EU neighbours,
most of whom are less-developed countries.
Above all, on account of those regions, the
maritime territory of the European Union is the
world's largest with an economic zone covering
25 million km 2 .
The outermost regions are the subject of a
Declaration annexed to the EC Treaty and may
benefit from specific measures on the basis of
Article 299 of that Treaty. This Declaration
acknowledges their considerable structural
backwardness. In addition, all the outermost
regions are eligible for regional and social
policy support measures under Objective 1 for
the period from 2000 to 2006. The Declaration
provides for the possibility of adopting specific
measures to assist them as long as there is an
objective need to promote their economic and
social development. In addition, Article 299 of
the Treaty authorises the Council to adopt
specific measures laying down conditions for
applying the Treaty and common policies to the
outermost regions.
Directorate-General (DG)
The Commission's staff is organised into
departments, known as "Directorates-General"
(DGs) and "services" (such as the Legal Service).
Each DG is responsible for a particular policy
area and is headed by a Director-General who is
answerable to one of the commissioners.
Euro-Drachma exchange rate
1 Euro = 340,750 Greek Drachmas
Islands of Innovation yy
Annex 4
Contacts, Bibliography
& Web resources
For more information on Regional Programmes
of Innovative Actions at the EU level contact
should be made with:
European Commission
Directorate General Regional Policy
Directorate Thematic development, impact,
evaluation and innovative actions
Unit Innovative Actions
B-1049 Brussels, Belgium
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/
in nova tio n/in dex_ en. htm
E-mail: regio-innovative-actions@ceceu.int
Fax: +32 (2) 2962473
INNOVATIVE ACTIONS
Guidelines for the Regional Programmes of
Innovative Actions of the European Regional
Development Fund 2000-06
http://ec. europa. eu/regional_policy/sources/doco
ffic/official/guidelines/innovac_en.htm
Map of the Regional Programmes of Innovative
Actions
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/
innovation/cartes/iamap_prog.pdf
Map of the Networks of the Regional
Programmes of Innovative Actions
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/
innovation /cartes Ziamap_net.pdf
Library of Innovative Actions 1994-99
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/
innovation/innovating/guide. htm
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
Regional Innovation Strategies under the ERDF,
Innovative actions 2000-2002, 30 projects RIS
and RIS+ analysed and lessons drawn from 8
years of experience
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/
innovation /pdf/guide_ris_final.pdf
Creating smart systems, Guide to Cluster
strategies in less favoured regions
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/
innovation /pdf/guide_rosenf eld_final.pdf
Related websites:
• www.eriknetvvork.net/
• www.rinno.com
• www.innovating-regions.org
• www.cordis.lu/innovation
• www.oecd.org
INFORMATION SOCIETY
Concise guide to the regional initiatives for the
information society
http://ec. europa. eu/regional_po[\cy /innovation /pdf/
libraryZstrategy_sustdev_en.pdf
Final Report for the Thematic Evaluation of the
Information Society
http://ec. europa. eu/regional_policy/sources/docg
enet /evaluation /doc/information_society.pdf
Ex-post evaluation of the RIS, RTTs and RISI -
innovative actions for the period 1994-99
http://ec. europa. eu/regional_policy/sourcesdocg
ener /evaluation Zrado_en.htm
Related websites:
•www.ianis.net/
•www. cordis, lu/ist/
• www. europa. eu. in t/information_society/index_
en. htm
REGIONAL IDENTITY AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Communication from the Commission: A sustainable
Europe for a better World: A European Union
Strategy for Sustainable Development (May 2001)
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/
innovation /pdj library Zstrategy_sustdev_en.pdf
Communication from the Commission: Towards a
global partnership for sustainable development
(February 2002)
http://ec. europa. eu/regional_poWcy innovation /pdf /I
ibrary/globalpartnet _sustaindev_en.pdf
Related websites:
•www.sustainable-euregions.net/
•www. un. org /esa/sustdev findex.html
78 Islands of Innovation
Islands of Innovation
Innovation is not just based on research and development. Innovation depends also on
organisational structures, social capital, economic theories, communication techniques
and human knowledge. It is now widely accepted that the nature of innovation is
changing in the knowledge-based era.
This ubiquitous nature of innovation policy is one of the obstacles to effective
innovation policy. Public administrations are arguably too conservative in developing
innovation policy, because they tend to stick too rigidly to orthodox definitions of
departmental "territory". Dealing with innovation as a policy without a well-defined
"territory" or an administrative home is a major challenge to policy makers in the
Member States and at the Commission.
We cannot assume that established policies for encouraging innovation are adequate
to the new conditions. Nor can we assume that the ways in which other policy areas
have taken innovation into account are still adequate. Lessons can be drawn from
experiences in different countries and different policy areas. There may well be synergies
between and across policy areas, too, so that coordinated reforms could have more of
an impact than one-off instances.
In parallel, we know that in terms of turnover, tourism is the biggest economic sector
in the world. In the European Union, the industry employs directly around 10 million
people and account for up to 6% of the Community GDP. The tourism industry is of
particular interest for all islands communities.
Having the above in mind the region of South Aegean prepared an ambitious Regional
Programme of Innovative Actions, entitled ISTOS: Innovation for Sustainable Tourism and
Services. The philosophy of the programme is to create the right environment for
sustainable development by embedding innovation in the local business culture.
Elias Kotiadis
President of the Chamber of Commerce of Dodecanese
Islands of Innovation 79
Nota Bene
Every care has been taken in the preparation of the Islands of Innovation publication and the
information is provided in good faith. Neither the European Commission and/or the Region of
South Aegean nor any person acting on their behalf is responsible for the use which might be
made of the information contained in this publication. Any information given does not necessarily
reflect the official position of the European Commission and/or the Region of South Aegean. In
this regard, it should be noted that the information provided is considered to be of a preliminary
nature and users should contact the competent authorities and other public or private
organisations for more detailed information or for advice on particular courses of action.
To improve the content of this document, programme managers and project coordinators are
requested to inform Dimitra Tsarouxi (dt@baconsult.gr) of any update or modification of the
information presented herein.
Acknowledgements
Our special gratitude goes towards the Region of South Aegean for accepting to produce this
publication.
We would like to thank all Regional Programmes of Innovative Actions managers for their continuous
submission of updated information concerning their respective projects.
Many thanks are also due to Colibri Ltd for the creative advice provided during the conception of
this publication as well as the subsequent professional typesetting.
Finally least but not last, we could like to show our appreciation to everybody who has contribute
to this endeavour.
Islands of Innovation
A publication of
ISTOS
Regional Programme of Innovative Actions
Region of South Aegean
Printed in Greece - July 2006
ISBN: 960-89353-0-X
For additional copies, please email: dt@baconsult.gr
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