Moderator: Maria Varinia Michalun, Head of Governance and Strategic Planning Unit, Regional Development and Multi-level Governance Division, OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE)
14:30-15:00 CET: Welcome coffee
15:00-15:20 CET / 09:00-09:20 CDT / 10:00-10:20 EDT: Introduction and tour de table
In this session, each participating region was invited to share one thing that they would like to learn from this seminar after the opening remarks.
Speakers:
- Stefan Appel, Head of Unit, European Semester and Economic Analysis, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), European Commission (online)
- Dorothée Allain-Dupré, Head of Multi-level Governance and Regional Development Policy Division, OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE)
- Participating regions
15:20-15:35 CET / 09:20-09:35 CDT / 10:20-10:35 EDT: Keynote presentation: Strategic Governance for Industrial Transition
This session presented key academic and practitioner insights on strategic governance for industrial transition at the regional level, featuring a dedicated issues paper. It examined approaches to long-term planning anchored in shared vision, coordinated action across sectors and levels of government and evidence-based policymaking.
Presenter:
- Tamara Krawchenko, Associate Professor, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria (online)
15:35-16:15 CET / 09:35-10:15 CDT / 10:20-11:15 EDT: Roundtable A: The Strategic Middle – Regions at the Heart of Multi-level Governance Supporting Industrial Transition
Regions do more than translate (inter)national objectives into action; they set strategic direction and shape transition pathways that reflect both overarching policy goals and the specific realities of their territories. Positioned between national priorities and local needs, regions are pivotal agents in designing and driving industrial transition in ways that are place-based, coordinated, and forward-looking. Successful industrial transition requires not only well-developed multi-level governance arrangements, but also arrangements that are responsive to the territorial and demographic characteristics that shape each region’s possibilities.
In this session, participating regions shared examples of practical tools and lessons learned in enhancing governance for industrial transition. All regions reflected on key questions and discussed how regions can actively navigate and use multi-level governance arrangements to align policies and deliver inclusive and effective transition strategies.
Presenter:
- Patrick Beauchesne, CEO, Société du Plan Nord, Québec, Canada (video)
Panellists:
Amanda Wouters, Director, Regional Economic Development Branch, Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Canada (online)
Kathrin Bischoff, Ministry of Economic Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
- Maja Čepič Žnidar, Professional Associate, Zasavje Regional Development Agency, Slovenia
Sara Smeets, Business Liaison Manager Europe & USA, POM Limburg, Belgium
Followed by an open discussion with all participants.
16:15-16:25 CET / 10:15-10:25 CDT / 11:15-11:25 EDT: Coffee break
16:25-17:05 CET / 10:25-11:05 CDT / 11:25-12:05 EDT: Roundtable B: Policy Experimentation for Evidence-Based Industrial Transition
Policy experimentation helps regions test, learn, and scale what works – reducing risk while generating the evidence needed to steer industrial transition. To succeed, experiments require an enabling context: clear objectives and metrics, legal and procurement flexibilities, dedicated funding, data access, strong delivery capacity, and political cover across governance levels.
This roundtable presented practical examples and discussed how they were designed, evaluated and – when successful – scaled into policy. Participants exchanged lessons on creating the right conditions for experimentation and on the transferability of approaches across different regional contexts.
Presenter:
- Alexis Durand, Policy Analyst, Governance and Strategic Planning Unit, Regional Development and Multi-level Governance Division, CFE, OECD
- Simone Jung, Coordinator for European Affairs and Partnerships, Stuttgart Region Association, Germany
Panellists:
- Dale Medearis, Senior Regional Planner, Northern Virginia Regional Commission, United States (online)
Benjamin Lefebvre, Innovation Zones Advisor, Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Québec, Canada (online)
Jonathan Longwill, District Director for Indiana County for State Senator Joe Pittman, Pennsylvania, United States (online)
Laura Goldberg, Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Center for Houston's Future, Houston, Texas, United States (online)
Followed by an open discussion with all participants.
17:05-17:45 CET / 11:05-11:45 CDT / 12:05-12:45 EDT: Roundtable C: Shaping Collaboration – Stakeholder Engagement and Political Leadership in Industrial Transition
Industrial transition is not only a technical challenge – it is also a collaborative process. Building momentum for change requires engaging a wide range of stakeholders, from businesses and workers to civil society and citizens, while also navigating the political dynamics that shape decision-making.
This session explored how regions can cultivate political will, align transition goals with political priorities, and work effectively with elected officials, cabinets, and policy advisors. It also highlighted strategies for broad-based stakeholder participation that enhance legitimacy, trust, and co-ownership of transition efforts. Case examples showed how collaborative governance and political leadership can accelerate and sustain industrial transformation.
Presenters:
- Tanja Joona, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Finland
Panellists:
- Paolo Rosso, Senior Expert, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy
- Cristina Oyón, Deputy Director General, SPRI Group, Basque Country, Spain
- Tobias Lehberg, Mayor of the Community of Saerbeck, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
- Sabine Engel, University of Minnesota, United States
Followed by an open discussion with all participants.
17:45-18:00 CET / 11:45-12:00 CDT / 12:45-13:00 EDT: Takeaways from participating regions and closing
In this session, all participating regions shared one insight they had gained from this seminar.
Speakers:
- All participating regions
18:00-19:15 Cocktail – Networking event
