ARC Fund has coordinated the development of a Regional Innovation Strategy and Action Plan for the South Central Region of Bulgaria. The two documents are the major outputs of a 32-month project funded by the European Commission’s DG Enterprise.
Based on a SWOT analysis, the strategy recommends a series of measures to improve the operation of the innovation system and encourage the development of innovation in the region. It identifies three strategic priorities for the region: Enhancing SMEs’ competitiveness through innovation; Improving the innovation awareness and innovation culture in the region, and Strengthening the existing regional innovation system.
The Action Plan, which is an integral part of the strategy, recommends feasible measures for the strategy’s implementation. It outlines specific pilot projects and the respective financing programs, and organizations to be involved in their implementation. A few examples of pilot initiatives which are expected to have a positive impact on the entire region include the creation of a laboratory on quality certification for Agriculture and Food and Beverages industry; the establishment of two regional trade marks – “Made in the Rhodopes” and “Tourism in the Rhodopes”; and creation of a tourism cluster in the area of Smolyan.
The process of the strategy’s formation has evolved as an open consultation with practically all relevant stakeholders representing the innovation system of the region, including district and local authorities, representatives of central government ministries, NGOs and business support organizations, RTOs, and managers of leading companies. Such active involvement of the key regional players has contributed to building a strong regional consensus for the future implementation of the Strategy and the Action Plan.
The RIS project was implemented as a pilot initiative in Bulgaria by a public-private consortium coordinated by ARC Fund and including also the Commission for Social and Economic Cohesion for the South Central region of the country, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, tti Magdeburg in Germany, and the University of Thessaly in Greece.
Links:
Regional Innovation Strategy (in Bulgarian)
Innovation.bg Newsletter (in Bulgarian)
Final Conference “Development of a Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS) for the South Central Region of Bulgaria”, May 21, 2004
National Innovation Strategy of the Bulgarian government
Network of Innovating Regions in Europe
