trentino plus 10: guiding questions and foresight concept

FraunhoferISI

InstituteSystems andInnovation Research

Trentino plus 10 Foresight Workshop 14-15 July 2003 (Trento)

Trentino plus 10:Guiding questions and

Foresight concept

PD Dr. Knut Koschatzky

Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, ISI (D)

ConferenceBuilding the future in an enlarged and more integrated Europe

Autonomous Province of Trento, 6 October 2003

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The Science and Technology Base of the Provincia Autonoma di Trento: Capacities, Trends and Opportunities

Regional Foresight study conducted by Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI),

Karlsruhe/D– complements the techno-scientific spectrum of FhG by economic and social aspects – long experience in methods for providing strategic intelligence, e.g., Foresight,

evaluation, benchmarking

commissioned by the provincial government Provincia Autonoma di Trento (PAT)

– autonomy status (political, legislative, administrative, financial) and special funding– perceived high quality of life; strong tradition of cooperation and mutuality

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International context New regional autonomy Increased global competition Need for regional specialisation

Necessity for structural policy decisions on a regional level to ensure long-term welfare

Regional context Trentino uncertain perspective of autonomy

status difficult to motivate interest groups

due to lack of economic pressure

Larger context of the study

Need for strategic intelligence, i.e., Foresight resp. long-term view

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Guiding questions and goals of the project

Guiding questions: – How can Trentino position itself in the European Research Area?– What kind of changes in the present research and innovation system are necessary?– How can welfare be sustained in Trentino in the long run?

Goals of the project: – Generate appropriate information through the use of ”strategic intelligence" for

research and innovation strategies and policies – Provide support, impulses and suggestions for the development of the regional

innovation system – Formulation and elaboration of fitting research and innovation priorities and policies

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Design of the project

Strengths and Weaknesses Profile:information about the current state of the innovation system, over

40 Interviews, April Workshop

Policy Recommendations for strategic further development of research and higher education system

Examples from international

cases

Regional Foresight: develop a joint "vision" for the future and work out specific measures to make the region one

of the leading regions internationally

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Strengths and Weaknesses profile of Trentino

Strengths

• Close informal networks, institutional 'thickness' and embeddedness

• Rich innovation infrastructure

• Good funding system (R&D budget 2001: 84,87 million €)

• Sheltered area for building up national and international competitiveness

• Relatively stable and static firms population (sectors and numbers of firms)

Weaknesses

• Cooperation between science and industry and within business sector expandable

• Strong public sector and high propensity for subsidies with so far little strategic priority setting

• Little developed entrepreneurial culture and small industrial base

• Fragmented / segmented firm structure

• Low R&D and high-tech intensity in the regional industry

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Sectoral and technological profile of Trentino

Own perception of future technological/sectoral strengths

Tourism, Art, Culture

Agrofood

ICT/Artificial Intelligence

Environmental sciences

Mechatronics

Green Biotech

Physics & Material Sciences

E-Government

Technological specialisation 1990-2000 by patents

Food Processing

Chemical Engineering

Information Technology

Food Chemistry

Civil Engineering

Handling

Machine Tools

Control Technology, Nuclear Engineering

Biotechnology

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Foresight concept

Attempt to discuss systematically future perspectives

Mobilising all relevant actors in a joint process

Drawing conclusions for the presentForesight in

Trentino

Workshop with 90 participants

Participants from research, university, business sector, associations, government = stakeholders

Is no planning but a step in planning

Research and innovation policy can be based on it

Has an influence on the participants themselves

Communication and motivation effect

Discussion of future developments, shaping factors and necessary measures

Joint process has initiated communication and exchange between the interest groups

Awareness of future challenges and opportunities

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Trentino and the European Research AreaTrentino: A positive example for how regions can

actively try to take part in the European Research Area and innovation landscape

and thus shape their future

Regional Foresight: actor-oriented (bottom-up) process-oriented future-oriented

Foresight process is both medium and message

Decisive first steps reached in the Foresight exercise: to get the different interest groups into interaction and exchange to set the system „in motion“

trentino plus 10: guiding questions and foresight concept

Documents