AER INNOVATION AWARD FOR EUROPEAN REGIONS
Innovation is a key priority of AER Committee 1’s strategic plan for 2007-2012. After 4 consecutive years, AER launches the 5th edition of the AER Award for Innovative European Regions. In the context of the economic crisis against which our regions are still struggling, it is more than ever crucial to identify and make use of our territories’ innovative potential.
The Prize aims at honouring European Regional Authorities' actions, which have stimulated, fostered and implemented innovation in their territory. It aims at promoting best practices as well as to demonstrate how regions can contribute to regional economic welfare.
The competition is opened to all regions in Europe, who have, in a way or another, initiated, fostered and implemented innovation on their territories.
The winning regions will be rewarded in the occasion of the AER General Assembly in Istanbul on 9-10 November 2010.
The award is of symbolic value and can generate investment and media opportunities for the region that wins. The winning regions will enjoy extensive publicity, provided by AER all along the year that will follow the awarding ceremony.
The deadline for submitting your application is 1st June 2010.
Please note that the technical committee will only submit fully-completed application forms to the jury. Any incomplete form will be declared as ineligible.
Application form to be downloaded below and sent back to Céline Dawans.
Brochure 2010
Application form
The 2009 AER Innovation Prize was awarded this year to two Regions: Västra Götaland (S) and Slaskie (PL).
Västra Götaland's project is called: "Industrial Dynamics".
It is a network of research institutes aimed at providing coordinated proactive support to industrial SME's.
The objective of the project is to develop a cluster of support services to SMEs in the region and to create synergies allowing the different actors to launch common projects.
The jury was particularly impressed by the quantitative results of the project, independently evaluated. There was a clear focus on the region’s potential. Finally, this initiative is politically backed and is based on a strong existing demand.
Slaskie's project is called "SEKAP"(Electronic communication system for public administration in Silesia Region)
The objective of the SEKAP project is to provide a number of public services via the Internet and increase the administration’s efficiency.
A Platform of Public e-Services was established and is dedicated to 3 types of users: officials, citizens and entrepreneurs.
This project was chosen because the initiative was well integrated in the regional development strategy, with a strong dissemination component and a measurable impact on a large number of citizens, since 3 millions inhabitants could benefit from this platform. Finally, the exemplarity of the project was demonstrated since it was transferred into other Polish regions.
Mrs Sabban, with the winners and the jury members
Special Recognition prize for Heraklion
Heraklion (GR) for the project entitled «Mobile mammography unit of the Prefecture of Heraklion)
This project does not exactly fit into the innovation award’s criteria, however, the jury was sensitive to the human dimension featured in the project and wished to highlight it as such, apart from the innovation award in itself.
Set up in July 2008 in order to improve the early diagnosis of breast cancers and to overcome the obstacles preventing women to undertake this screening. The mobile unit consists of a van equipped with a mammographer, an office for secretarial work and a waiting room. The whole procedure is free of charge. This project clearly answers to a need, that is underlined by a reality: breast cancer is the second cause of death for women in Western societies. Therefore, we are glad to award you this special recognition prize, as an encouragement for the future.
The 2008 AER Innovation Award was presented to the Dutch province of Noord-Brabandat last November at our General Assembly . Noord-Brabant received the award in recognition of its programme called 'Innovatieve Acties Brabant' (Innovating Activities in Brabant). This programme aims to utilize smart technology in the fields of healthcare and care for the elderly.
2nd European Award for Innovative Regions 2007
For the second time the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the AER give an award to the most innovative European region.
We received in total 7 applications within a very tense timeline. The submitted projects have a special focus on development and innovation issues and sprawl from the West to the East of the continent. The geographic dispersion covers EU-members (Austria, Spain, Romania) as well as non EU-member states (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina).
List of received applications
The awarding ceremony took place on 9 November 2007 in Udine,Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia (I), during the General Assembly of the Assembly of European Regions. President of the EU Commission, José Manuel Barroso, awarded the prize.
First prize: Lower Austria (A)
Project: RIS NOE - continous improvement of the Regional Innovation System
Application Form
Second prize: Valencia (E)
Project: RUSINET - Regional University - Industry Strategies Network
Application Form
Third Prize: Upper Austria (A)
Project:Strategic Program "Innovative Upper Austria 2010"
Application Form
For the first time the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia together with the Assembly of European Regions has issued a European Award for Innovative Regions in 2007.
18 regions handed in their applications, among them 11 applied from Western Europe, 7 from Eastern European countries within and outside of the European Union. Topics covered a wide range of activities from promoting the entrepreneurial spirit, to internet projects and setting up new structures to foster innovation.
See also Press Release: http://www.a-e-r.org/news/2007/2007021301.html
For the winner regions please see their websites or the downloads:
Vorarlberg: www.vorarlberg.at/english/future
Vorarlberg: Office for Future related Issues
Aragon: Innova100
Steiermark:Regional Internationalisation Strategy
Applications 2006
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