South West Partners' activities during OPEN DAYS 2009
The South West UK Brussels Office October Management Board meeting was held in Brussels on 5 October 2009 to coincide with the European Week of Cities and Regions (OPEN DAYS). The South West was well represented at OPEN DAYS events and seminars in Brussels this year, showcasing best practice from the South West and feeding in viewpoints about key policies.
Cllr Carolyn Rule, Councillor and Cabinet Member at Cornwall Council, participated as a speaker on the “Regional Partnership on Transition Regions in Europe”, which took place on Tuesday 6 October. Through her presentation Cllr Rule explained the experience of Cornwall as a Convergence region and as a success story in terms of the innovative way the funds were invested over the years.
Richard Hayman, Senior Finance Manager at Devon County Council, was a speaker at the In search of a “Framework for Cooperation in the Atlantic Area” organized at the Fundación Galicia Europa on 7 October. The main objective of the workshop was to explore ways to enhance future co-operation in the Atlantic Area, in the context of the current discussions on the future of Territorial Cooperation programmes.
Ahmed Goga, Director of Gloucestershire First, participated at the seminar “Social Innovation: Sharing creative ideas for sustainable growth” organized at the Permanent Representation of Portugal to the EU on 8 October.
Prof Stuart Bartholomew, Chief Executive, and Matthew Desmier, Head of Enterprise, Arts University College at Bournemouth, took part on the European Design as an expression of Creativity and Innovation. The event was hold at the Flanders Liaison Agency on 6 October.
Bournemouth’ Surf Reef project was presented at the Open Days Exhibition. The stand was located at the Esplanade of the European Commission Berlaymont Building, and provided information about the Surf Reef to the general public.
The Wave Hub Project was showcased at the Berlaymont Esplanade during the Open Days Exhibition on the 7 October. There the general public could get information about the UK’s first offshore facility in order to generate electricity from wave energy.
The RAPIDE Network celebrated a meeting in the South West UK Brussels Office chaired by Lorelei Hunt, Director for Innovation of the South West RDA.
The Project was also invited to be presented at the Esplanade of Berlaymont Building and at the DG Enterprise Seminar on Innovation Strategies.
Five thematic workshops were also organised on the following topics: innovation voucher, pre-commercial procurement, effective funding, innovation incubators and innovation laboratories.
