BSR Stars

Updated program for the Conference on Smart Specialization Strategies, 27 May, Sandviken

Niclas Forsling — Tue, 17 May 2016 11:31:23 +0000

We are now only 10 days away from the stakeholder conference on Smart Specialization Strategies - the macroregional perspective, and we look very much forward to seeing you all for a day of interesting and timely workshops on the many aspect of smart specialization strategies. Please have a look at the updated program here.

BSR Innovation Express 2016 Call Launch 2 May 2016

Hans Henrik Lomholt — Mon, 02 May 2016 14:08:26 +0000

Based on positive experience with previous Innovation Express calls in 2013, 2014 and 2015, again this year BSR Stars launches a transnational call to support the internationalisation of SMEs - in 2016 with participation from the German Brandenburg region as special “cooperation partner”!

The Innovation Express call is open between 2 May – 31 October 2016. Details on eligible applicants, application procedures, etc. are available in the call text on the Innovation Express webpage. Applications should be submitted via a unique, common online application portal.

You can also register to attend this year’s cluster-to-cluster conference and matchmaking event “Internationalisation the Strategic Way” to be held in Warsaw 19-20 September at Innovation Express Cluster Matchmaking Conference 2016.

BSR Stars - Accelerating Innovation in the Baltic Sea Region

Alf Kronvall — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 10:42:06 +0000

BSR Stars has developed into a support vessel for development of activities helping the Policy
Area Innovation being implemented according to the Action Plan, and the upcoming
Strategic Action Plan expected to be launched in July 2016.

At this stage, BSR Stars is working with a number of project initiatives; both new Flagships
as well as projects. The BSR Stars Secretariat team work jointly and share project ideas being
developed at our weekly meeting, to ensure input by many Secretariat members as part
of the project feedback.

The 2015 BSR Stars Innovation Express call results in 27 new international collaboration projects, involving more than 1180 SMEs

Emily Wise — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 13:20:14 +0000

The BSR Innovation Express call (open between 1 May – 30 October 2015) attracted 50 applications from cluster organisations and business networks in the six funding and extended partner countries. Of these, 40 have been approved – directly engaging 1186 SMEs in international innovation collaboration activities.

Funding Partner Country	Applications Received	Approved Projects
Denmark	27	23
Iceland	3	2
Lithuania	1	1
Norway	12	5
Sweden	11	5
Catalonia, Spain	4	4

23 applicants have teamed up in 10 joint projects (with 2 or more partners receiving funding). In addition to these joint projects, 17 more projects have been approved – resulting in a total of 27 new international collaboration projects (see overview of IE projects 2015).

Project partners come from a range of business sectors including environment/green technologies, ICT, creative and experience business sectors, healthcare/medical devices, energy, agro-food, and materials/new materials. This year, 30% of projects are cross-sectoral – combining partners with expertise in different business, service or research sectors.

Projects involved 77 clusters from 17 different countries. Again this year, a majority of targeted partners (75%) were located within other Baltic Sea Region countries. Relative to last year, we witness a growing number of partners from other countries around the world.

More than 50% of projects aim to develop international collaboration bilaterally (i.e. a cluster has only one targeted partner). A smaller group of projects include partners in 3 countries. Four projects have partners in 4 or 5 different countries.

Innovation Express Call Deadline 30 October – a chance to build on innovative combinations

Emily Wise — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 10:04:55 +0000

The recent cluster-to-cluster matchmaking conference provided a forum for developing ideas for international collaboration. The Innovation Express call now provides an opportunity to act on these ideas for “innovative combinations” of clusters.

The 3^rd Cluster Matchmaking Conference “Innovation by Combination” (held in Copenhagen 17-18 September) gathered nearly 300 participants representing more than 150 clusters from 32 countries. And with 544 cluster-to-cluster matchmaking meetings, it became the biggest cluster matchmaking event so far. (See additional information about the conference including presentations and a video summary here.)

Many ideas for cluster collaboration were developed at this event, and the Innovation Express call provides an opportunity to initiate action.

Innovation Express is a joint call for proposals implemented within the framework of the BSR Stars programme. The call is funded by national/regional funding agencies to initiate, develop or enhance transnational cooperation activities – leveraging cluster organisations (or similar) to develop proposals for their SME members. Additional information can be found here.

Application forms must be completed in English via the online application portal by October 30, 2015 at the latest.

3rd Cluster Matchmaking Conference “Innovation by Combination”, 17-18 September

Alf Kronvall — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 07:26:12 +0000

On the 17th and 18th of September 2015, Copenhagen will host the 3rd Cluster Matchmaking Conference. Even before the registration deadline nearly 260 participants representing over 135 clusters from 30 countries have signed up. The theme of this year’s Cluster Matchmaking Conference is “Innovation by Combination” since innovation occurs by combining forces, across clusters, across borders and across sectors. Therefore, this year’s event features an increased focus on cross cluster collaboration.
The matchmaking event provides a unique opportunity to establish international collaboration with other clusters. At the matchmaking session cluster managers have 20 minutes for meeting with potential cooperation partners from other clusters. The pre-planned and pre-booked matchmaking meetings provide the possibility of eight meetings per cluster this leading to many new collaboration partners and ideas.
Besides excellent matchmaking opportunities, the event also offers a conference program with relevant key note speakers on cluster internationalisation and an insight into funding schemes dedicated to clusters such as BSR Innovation Express (this being coordinated with the conference), Horizon 2020, COSME and Enterprise Europe Network. Further the program will offer insights into how cluster can work with cross-sectorial innovation.
The 3rd Cluster-Cluster Conference and Matchmaking is sponsored by the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation and supported by a number of European innovation agencies and organisations within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). TCI is also supporting the conference and TCI president – Dr. Christian Ketels – will moderate the conference.

BSR Stars Innovation Express 2015 - call launches 1 May

Alf Kronvall — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 08:59:08 +0000

Based on positive experience with previous Innovation Express calls in 2013 and 2014, BSR Stars will again have a transnational call to support the internationalisation of SMEs - this year with participation from our ‘extended partner’ in Catalonia!

The Innovation Express call will be open between 1 May – 30 October 2015. Details on eligible applicants, application procedures, etc. is available in the call text. Applications should be submitted via the application portal.

You can also register to attend this year’s cluster-to-cluster conference and matchmaking event “Innovation by Combination” to be held in Copenhagen 17-18 September at: https://www.b2match.eu/cluster-to-cluster-2015.

Connect the RIS3 in the Baltic Sea Region in Vilnius, Lithuania

Alf Kronvall — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 13:28:30 +0000

On 9 December the S3 Platform, the Priority Area Innovation of EU Strategy for Baltic Sea Region together with the Ministry of Economy of Lithuania invite you to the second workshop to connect the RIS3 in the Baltic Sea Region in Vilnius, Lithuania. The workshop is organised jointly with the Lithuanian International innovation conference 2014: Economy transformation: Step into the Future. More information and the agenda of the event can be found on our webpage http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ris3-in-bsr-vilnius

The Workshop Connecting RIS3 in Baltic Sea Region will give a frame for exploring cooperation opportunities in order to tie the RIS3 across the Baltic Sea Region tighter together and you are welcome to present your ideas for collaboration. The workshop will bring forward work already started in the Malmö conference – Get smarter together in the Baltic Sea Region, in November 2013 where over 160 participants discussed how to collaborate within the frame of RIS3. We will offer parallel sessions to discuss further on Health Technologies and Sustainable Cities and in addition introduce a session on Creative Society and an Open Session for other topics offered by the participants.

You can use the updated EYE@RIS3 to find others with similar priorities as your region. Please pass this invitation to the relevant stakeholders in your country or region who would be interested in taking part in the thematic sessions. And please let us know if somebody from your region would like to present shortly their initiatives, projects, needs and wishes for collaboration in relation to RIS3 priorities and their implementation.

Hope to see you in Vilnius!

Best regards

S3 Platform and PA Inno of EUSBSR

Three weeks to go! Realise your cluster’s project idea to foster SMEs’ internationalisation through BSR Innovation Express

Alf Kronvall — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 14:16:10 +0000

Do you have Ideas for collaborative projects that can foster SMEs’ access to knowledge, partners and markets and build international linkages and competitive strength?

If you…
- Know at least 3 small companies in your cluster/business network who could benefit from international activities in the Baltic Sea Region
- Have a concrete idea/project plan that can be quickly realized – helping companies gain increased knowledge and competitive strength
- Have at least one targeted partner in another country
- Are geographically based in a Nordic country (where funding partners are located)
…then the BSR Innovation Express call may be the “instrument” to help you realise your idea.

Three weeks ago, more than 150 clusters from 23 countries gathered in Berlin for this year’s BSR Stars cluster-to-cluster matchmaking event. After 450 speed-dating meetings, 6 thematic workshops and countless informal meetings, the event has catalysed many new matches and ideas for collaborative projects.

Ministries and agencies around the Baltic Sea Region launched the 2^nd BSR Innovation Express call at the beginning of May this year. BSR Innovation Express is part of the BSR Stars programme – which aims at strengthening international linkages between business networks, clusters and other specialised research and innovation environments in the macro region.
The BSR Innovation Express call is open for three more weeks. Information on the call and access to the application portal is available elsewhere on the BSR Stars homepage (http://www.bsrstars.se/project/bsr-innovation-express/). The 4-page application should be filled in (online) and submitted by 17:00 on 31 October 2014.

Your national contact point can provide you with additional information:

Denmark: Hans Henrik Lomholt ([email protected])
Finland: Asta Wallenius ([email protected])
Iceland: Hannes Ottósson ([email protected])
Norway: Eivind Ingdahl ([email protected])
Sweden: Catarina Hedar ([email protected])
Karin Nygård Skalman ([email protected])
Wilhelm von Seth ([email protected])

Commission’s report on the European Macro-Regional Strategies

Alf Kronvall — Mon, 26 May 2014 15:45:18 +0000

The Commission has published a report concerning the Governance of Macro-Regional Strategies intended to draw up existing obstacles to implementation and necessary changes to improve impact and results of strategies. The interest in regional cooperation is growing as a respond to economic, social and environmental diversity and imbalances. The two present Macro-Regional strategies in the EU, the Baltic Sea Region and the Daube Region, are already bringing positive results but the Commission has come to the conclusion that further measures are needed. The report looks at the already existing strategies at the level of Political leadership and ownership (who gives strategic direction), Coordination (who is responsible for administrative coordination?) and Implementation (who should lead day-to-day implementation?) taking into account the already existing regional specifics stressing that the regions should use and value the already existing organisations. The Commission calls for in particular:

stronger political leadership and decision making where ministers and national authorities need to take full ownership.
greater clarity in the organisation of work within the authorities working on day-to-day implementation who need explicit lines of responsibility, effective coordination and sufficient recourses.

The report also offers recommendations and options which the different Macro-Regions now will have to respond to. Expected outcome is better management of the strategies more efficiently delivered results. The role of the Commission should continue to be supportive and it should continue to act as a facilitator of the evaluation progress and ensure coherence with EU policies and positions. It should also play a key role on co-ordination where involvement is motivated.

For more information about the Macro-Regional Strategies visit the Commission website

Written by: Louise Lundberg