Strategy Programme for Innovation in Regional Policies in the Baltic Sea Region


Book Description

This publication gives an overview of the current state and development potential of the Baltic Sea Region and proposes a concrete strategy programme for innovation in regional policies. One prerequisites is a strong cooperation between the regions and states, but also the promotion of regional competition while preserving and strengthening the specific regional cultures around the Mare Balticum. For a competitive Baltic Sea Region, it is also essential that the regional policy supports the innovation in the small- and medium sized enterprises, since 99,8 % of all companies are SMEs and thus the economic and social backbone. A creation of real knowledge-alliances between universities, public administrations and businesses is highly recommended. These political strategies are the result of intensive discussions and experiences of a three year running project with 40 partners from 11 countries around the Baltic Sea Region, called BSR QUICK. They are adopted and recommended by the 47 Members of the Hanse Parlament and 16 Members of the Baltic Sea Academy. The book contains the identical text of approx. 55 pages in English, German and Polish. The book concentrates on - Cooperation and integration - Regional competition and fiscal equalization - Equivalent living conditions and functional division of labor - Independent cultures and regional self-esteem - Endogenous potentials and smart specialization - Regional economic cycles and intense range development - Small and medium-sized enterprises and networks - Innovation and knowledge partnerships Decentralization and autonomy




Building the socially responsible employment policy in the Baltic Sea Region


Book Description

The topic that is disclosed in the scientific publication “Building the socially responsible employment policy in Baltic states” is certainly relevant to the context of national economy and social policy. Experience shows that socially responsible employment policy measures are especially widely used in the old EU member states. Relevance of socially responsible employment policy is not decreasing because unfavourable economic conditions aggravate the employment of certain groups of people (especially the long-term unemployed, low-skilled, having low marketable professions and other persons). The content of the scientific articles by the authors of this publication allows to answer reasonably to questions about the development of socially responsible employment policy in the Baltic states. The results of accomplished analysis are relevant to the fact that they allow to reveal the problems that are encountered in the development of socially responsible employment policy. A special focus is given to the employment of females and elderly employees to boost the innovation performance of companies.




Age, Gender and Innovation – Strategy program and action plans for the Baltic Sea Region


Book Description

All countries in the Baltic Sea Region face a growing lack of skilled work force. However, the large potential of a better inclusion of females and elderly employees and managers remains often untapped. Also female and elderly employees can increase the innovation level of a company. This publication provides strategies how to better include this important group in companies. It was developed as part of the flagship project of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region “Innovative SMEs by Gender and Age (QUICK-IGA)”. The project addresses the following objectives: - levelling of equal opportunities for women south of the Baltic Sea with the ones of northern countries; - strengthening the promotion of innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises by developing working cultures that explicitly improve the equal opportunities of women; - supporting regional development in order to optimally develop human capital and competitiveness through gender and education policy. The manual containing all the project results and additional tools for the management of demographic change at enterprise level. Part I of the book incorporates the strategy programme on "Age, Gender and Innovation: Policies and Strategies to Improve Employability and Work Ability of Women and Older People in the Baltic Sea Region”, whilst part II contains action plans for the Hanse Parlament (network of business chambers) and the Baltic Sea Academy (network of academic institutions) “Promoting the employment of women and older people”.




Promotion of business transfers in the Baltic Sea Region


Book Description

The ageing of society does not stop at company owners. More and more companies have to be handed over to the new generation. This process is a challenge for all parties involved. The support of business transfer assistance is just as essential for the European economy as the promotion of start-ups because both are critical to the development of the European economy. Over 450.000 firms with over two million jobs are transferred to a new owner in the EU-28 each year. Around one-third of these transfers fail, and the companies are closed. The future growth and sustainability of innovative companies in the Baltic Sea Region are severely limited by failed business transfers. Furthermore, due to a lack of available and appropriate successors, many firms are liquidated rather than transferred. This publication is part of the project INBETS (www.inbets.eu), highlights the background to the current situation of business transfers in the Baltic Sea Region, and proposes a policy program to promote business successions and open up new target groups of potential successors. Part-financed by the European Union (European Development Fund and European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument) within the INBETS project. This publication does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Commission.




Common Vocational Training to Master craftsman in the Baltic Sea Region


Book Description

All countries around the Baltic Sea region face a great shortage of entrepreneurs and managers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This substantially limits economic growth and innovation capacity. Due to demographic reasons population and thus working age population is expected to decline in almost all European countries in the near future, so that this shortage will even increase and have a strong impact on the SMEs, that must compete with major industries for the few well-qualified talents. To tackle this pressing issue, experts from Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway teamed up in an EU-funded project to develop a common vocational training titled 'Master Craftsman' that reflects the needs for SMEs, in particular from the craft sector. This publication contains all relevant information, from the concept and background to the actual curricula and example for examination regulations.




The European Union Baltic Sea Strategy and Baltic Sea Region Programme


Book Description

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: 1,7, University of Southern Denmark (Department of Border Region Studies), course: European Regional Innovation Policy, language: English, abstract: This paper is designed to examine the Regional Innovation Policy, consisting of existing schemes of systematic exploitation of innovation, so-called Regional Innovation Systems, and entailing public procurement for innovation and cluster-policies in combination with a mapping of the actors in the Regional Innovation System in the Baltic Sea Region, all in regard to Small Medium Enterprises due its pre-dominance in the fields of research and practical implementation of economic innovation. While the scope of this paper includes the effectiveness and efficiency of the "European Union Baltic Sea Region Programme" (EU BSRP) in reference to one of its priorities, "fostering innovation‟ for economical growth in the Baltic Sea Region, the programme's relative novelty in design and strategic relevance, given by the fact of promulgation of a "European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region" (EU STRAT BSR) parallel to implementation of EU BSRP, point out to a demand for further investigation on the fact that the EU BSRP is an innovation by itself concerning regional policy as "macro-regional cooperation" within the framework of the EU. This paper will address firstly the EU STRAT BSR and its potential effects on the strategic environment in the Baltic Sea Region in particular and on European level in general by scrutinizing the second programmatic "pillar", making "[...] [t]he Baltic Sea A Prosperous Place", due to its reference character for the economic yield of the strategy. This short description and analysis of EU STRAT BSR is followed by an outline of the EU BSRP by providing an account of innovation policies in the Baltic Sea Region.Two research questions will serve as a guideline along the descriptive part a




Strategies and Promotion of Innovation in Regional Policies around the Mare Balticum


Book Description

A sound promotion of innovation is essential for the future of the Baltic Sea Region, in particular to support the small- and medium sized enterprises. For this purposes stakeholders from medium-sized businesses, science, politics, and administration met at the seventh Hanseatic Conference in May 2012 in Hamburg. For two days the participants discussed about "Innovation and innovative strategies in the regional policy around the mare balticum" to further strengthen the region. It became evident, that a sustainable promotion of innovation demands a closer cooperation within the regions, on a transnational level but also between administrations and especially between companies and R&D institutions. The Baltic Sea area will only be one of the most innovative and strong regions in the world, if the bordering countries build a unit. This publication included the presented papers and summarizes the discussion of the participants.




Energy Efficiency and climate protection around the Mare Balticum


Book Description

According to European and national schedules the Baltic Sea Region must cut its energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions dramatically within the next few decades. Substantial growth of renewable energy sources will be needed as well as a boost in energy efficiency. In this process small and medium sized enterprises (SME) play a key factor. The authors of this book – scientists, entrepreneurs and journalists – discuss how SMEs can make the best investment decisions to reduce their own energy consumption. Additionally the articles analyse new market opportunities opening up for SMEs, as implementing energy efficiency will happen mostly on a local level and on a rather small scale. For being able to seize these opportunities training and education of SMEs' staff are essential. The included texts are printed either in German or English.




Economic Perspectives, Qualification and Labour Market Integration of Women in the Baltic Sea Region


Book Description

Volume 9 of the Baltic Sea Academy Series: Demographic and economic structural change affect the development of the whole Baltic Sea Region in the future. Coping with these challenges requires initiatives aiming at labour market issues. A shrinking and ageing labour force entails the danger of shortage of labour supply in general while demand for skilled labour increases in the course of knowledge-based structural change. There are large potentials for the Baltic Sea Region to strengthen its competitiveness by better tapping its human resources. Among these an advanced integration of women in the labour market is at the top of the agenda. This book analyses the current economic and demographic structures in the Baltic Sea Region and assesses the development perspectives. In this context, it shapes the educational attainment and labour market involvement of women and points to considerable hidden potentials. The Baltic Sea Academy is a non-profit network of 16 colleges and universities focusing on Education, Qualification and R&D for small and medium sized enterprises.




REGROW - "Recruiting the Young Generation Workforce: Innovative HR Management"


Book Description

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION In many EU countries there is a severe shortage of young skilled workers, especially in SMEs, which has a negative impact on their growth prospects and competitiveness. Even countries such as Germany, with its dual vocational training system, which has traditional strengths in attracting young talent, are having increasing difficulties in meeting the shortage of young skilled workers. There is a need of renewing the HR-Management in many SMEs to better attract and integrate young talent and to provide owners and employees with the necessary knowledge and skills. This project has collected best practices and developed a SME centred HR-concept including digital models, as well as various training programmes with different measures for SME managers leading to the implementation of a modern and holistic human resource management. Vocational Training Providers are equipped with the necessary materials and training programs to qualify their staff and SMEs and their employees in their sphere of influence. This publication contains the relevant curricula, application notes and experiences as a result of the project REGROW with the following partners: Hanse-Parlament (DE), Berufsakademie Hamburg (DE), Chamber of Crafts Opole (PL), Chamber of Crafts Poznan(PL), Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EE), IBC International Business College Kolding (DK) and Arbeit und Zukunft e.V. (DE).