European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN)
May 2009

ERRIN Copenhagen Climate Change Briefing - call for good practice examples, Friday 29 May, Brussels

The EU aims towards achieving a comprehensive climate change agreement in Copenhagen, calling upon a doubling of R&D in low carbon and adaptation technologies in all sectors by 2012 and a quadrupling by 2020. There are also a number of other points concerning financing for low carbon technologies and boosting R&D and innovation.

ERRIN has an interest in supporting the European Commission in this call for increased investment in low carbon technologies. The planned ERRIN policy statement should be accompanied by a number of good practice examples from ERRIN member regions showing R&D projects within our regions and demonstrating how we are engaging internationally and how this benefits regional skills, jobs, health, etc.

This briefing will explain the background of this ERRIN initiative and the call for good practice examples.

Project Template ERRIN Copenhagen Climate Change Initiative

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Regional Strategies for the Internationalisation of SMEs and Clusters: An Exchange Event, 12 May 2009, Brussels

Organised by: ADEuropa Foundation – Regional Government of Castilla y León, the representation office of Basse-Normandie and England’s Northwest in Brussels

This event, which took place during the 1st European SME week in Brussels, brought together regions with an interest and active in getting businesses and clusters within their territories to cooperate and trade at a European and international level. This exchange event was targeted specifically at experts in charge of internationalisation activities of both SMEs and clusters. the attendance learnt about what tools and activities are implemented within a wide variety of regions across the EU.
 
Presentations available here
ERRIN Briefing on Green Public Procurement, Co-organised by the SDI Group and ERRIN, 11 May 2009, Brussels

By spending around 16% of the European Union’s gross domestic product, public authorities can potentially influence the market supply side towards ‘greener’ goods and services. But only a small minority of public organisations systematically considers environmental criteria when selecting suppliers, service providers and contractors. A lack of awareness about the role that Green Public Procurement (GPP) can play and a lack of information on the possibility to include environmental requirements into tendering procedures are some of the barriers of a wide-spread use of GPP.

This ERRIN Briefing, in cooperation with SDI Europe presented “GPPinfoNET”, the Green Public Procurement Information Network, and informed ERRIN members about the role of GPP in regional economic development and innovation policies.

Participants learnt about:
- The role of GPP within the European strategy for sustainable consumption and production
- How GPP can stimulate regional innovation and competitivenes
- The contribution of regional networks to the diffusion of GPP

Presentations available here

Some references:
EC - Green Public Procurement
GPPnet Network website
International Forum of Green Procurement

ERRIN Briefing on Regions of Knowledge, Research Potential and Research Infrastructure, 14 May 2009, Brussels

This briefing provided information on past and future calls within the Regions of Knowledge, Research Potential and Research Infrastructure strands of FP7. Mr. Ciaran Dearle and Mr. Christos Profilis, from DG RTD, presented preliminary results of the recently closed calls and inform ERRIN members about the priorities of the future calls for Regions of Knowledge, Research Potential and Research Infrastructure, expected to be published after the summer.

The briefing was organised by the ERRIN Working Group on Innovation Funding, more specifically, by its sub-group 1 on Innovation under EU research and regional policy, led by:

· West Finland European Office
· Government of Catalonia Delegation to the EU
· Bourgogne/Franche-Comte EU Office

Presentations available here

ERRIN ICT and Energy Working Group Meeting: Energy Efficiency Communication and Consultation, 20 May 2009, Brussels

 Colette Maloney, Head of Unit for ICT for Sustainable Growth at the European Commission provided an overview of this very important communication, followed by time for questions and discussion among participants.

The Communication (COM (2009) 111) highlights the importance of mobilising ICTs to facilitate the transition to an energy-efficient, low-carbon economy and announces the planned adoption of a Commission Recommendation setting out specific actions to make the best use of ICTs in this direction.

Katrina Destrée from GeSI presented ‘the ICT Industry’s Commitment to reduce CO2 Emissions’ by referring to the recently published Smart 2020 report. The report highlights the potential for ICT-driven decrease of global emissions by 7.8 Gt CO2, equivalent to 15 %, on the 2020 time horizon. A practical best practice example from Bristol City, presented by Michele Corbetta, South West UK Brussels Office was complementing the event.

This event provided ERRIN members with the necessary information to understand and reflect on the Communication, with a view to a possible participation in the relative consultation (open until June 14th 2009).

Presentations available online