Mission

The ambition of the BSR Stars is to stimulate the Baltic Sea Region to become a functional region where it is natural for actors to collaborate with other actors in the region and consider this to be a home market, and at the same time keep linkages to the rest of the world.

The EU Strategy for the BSR gives the BSR Stars programme a policy framework to work within and provides the justification for decentralized and regional innovation policy that introduces new methodologies and approaches/tools.

The BSR Stars programme’s main focus is to activate collaboration between the macro region’s resource base by strengthening linkages between research environments, clusters and SME-networks to foster sustainable growth and prosperity.

The mission of the programme is to shape a more integrated resource base and expanded markets as well as build dynamic innovation capabilities that can be leveraged to address common challenges (in areas such as health, energy, sustainable transports, and digital business and services). The ambition is to stimulate the different locations to become globally leading innovation hubs in a number of different areas. The programme participants will be trained in identifying market potentials in “grand challenges” and in mobilizing competencies that may be dispersed over different sectors and countries. Participants will further work on open innovation platforms where various actors can work together to creative innovative solutions that tackle these challenges. Activities will also foster job and SME growth opportunities, and strengthen social and territorial cohesion for the Baltic Sea Region.

The specific goals of BSR Stars are to:

  1. Develop competencies and capabilities in working with open and demand-driven innovation methods.
  2. Form new strategic alliances and innovation partnerships, which lead to:
    • Commercialized applications, products & services
    • New firms and jobs
    • Increased export activities (both between countries within the BSR and outside of the BSR
  3. Strengthen the BSR’s international visibility and attractiveness.