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The OECD conference on "Innovation and Regional Development: Transition to a Knowledge-based Economy" took place 25-26 November 2004 in Florence, Italy. The conference, co-sponsored by the Toscana Region, the ERIK Network (30 regions involved in international policy) and OECD, assessed the growing importance of innovation policies for growth in regions, including the following key themes:
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The impact of national innovation policies at regional level
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Experiences with region-led innovation policy in Europe
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The links between policies for clusters and business networks and regional innovation
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Science industry partnerships and services
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Support to start-ups and spin-offs as a means of generating innovation.
RESHAPING REGIONAL POLICY
On the one hand, the reshaping of regional policy in many countries has led to a more sophisticated awareness of innovation. On the other hand, science and technology policymakers are taking increasing account of the importance of region-specific factors – in particular the role of proximity -- in the innovation process. The coming together of these two policy areas has been associated with important changes in governance, with stronger roles for regional government and other key non-government actors being brought into the policy process.
DYNAMIC, NEW POLICY OPTIONS
The Florence conference will analyse these new challenges by examining what has been learned from government policy experiences and through sharing best practices. It will examine promising new policy options to improve links between knowledge and business communities and assist in turning technology into market opportunities. A particular focus will be put on policy initiatives to stimulate inter-firm co-operation through business networks, science/industry partnerships, and evaluation and benchmarking methods. The issue of start-ups and spin-offs, a main source of innovation dynamics, will also be reviewed. At the heart of this new focus is the trend towards more globalised markets and strengthened links between research, knowledge and technology.
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
This conference will gather senior innovation policy officials and leading analysts at the EU national and regional level, as well as from America and Asia. It provides a major opportunity to learn from policy experiences across three continents and includes ample scope for open discussion of key themes for the future, both during the conference sessions and at less formal events.
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