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Today, and even more in the future, knowledge-based societies will need the innovation technologies that are a decisive factor in determining the levels of regional competitiveness in the North Sea Region. Innovation, together with access to information and communications infrastructure, have a particular interest and significance for areas that are experiencing the challenges of economic restructuring and, or, lie in peripheral locations. That interest and significance is the opportunity for economic development. The success of small and medium enterprises is dependant on two key factors: first their accessibility via modern communications technology, and secondly, their capacity to use them. Both of these factors are vital preconditions for SMEs to operate innovatively and to acquire the competitive edge that will ensure success.
The promotion of the ‘Information Society’ produces benefits in terms of raising efficiency and it has the potential to deliver significant social benefit. It can do this by the promotion of new mechanisms of service delivery, particularly through e-services.
Innovation in this context is about the introduction and commercialisation of new or improved products or processes and it applies to all sectors of the economy. Closely, allied to innovation, is the key concept of sustainability, particularly relating to renewable energies and transport. The main challenges for the North Sea Region include the environmental consequences of the continued use of fossil fuels with the concomitant risk of major pollution. Additionally, woven into the fabric of concern about these challenges are important economic considerations. It flows from this that there is a clear need for research and development in order to provide knowledge and innovation in renewable energies and sustainable transport with a view to the maintenance of strong regional competitiveness.
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| Key features Main achievements and outcomes |
| Participation in civil society |
improving access to government through ICT
promoting of eParticipation and eDemocracy
enhancing e-services and innovative planning tools
increasing ability of local municipalities to deliver services to citizens, businesses, as well other local authorities
knowledge management system for the integration and interpretation of a large set of previously non-integrated systems and services
data infrastructure relating to labour and educational statistics
making new and innovative services by combining natural history cultural and heritage based-information available for tourists
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| Economic development through improved ICT |
increasing the accessibility of broadband internet in rural regions
educating the population about the use of ICT
strengthen spatial and structural ICT measures
creating an industrial zone by wireless broadband
broadband implementation with a view to stimulating regional development
initiation of e-courses for teacher training
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| More efficient transport and harbour management |
database on international freight flows in the NSR
proposals for optimal and alternative fright routes in the NSR
training programme in the form of an e-learning module
calculation tool for estimating maritime emissions
case study to identify spatial and environmental barriers to intermodal transport
common decision-supporting tool to facilitate sustainable management of marine environments
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| Renewable energy initiatives |
exploring possible future viable and renewable energy sources
enlarge the use of biomass for energy production through trials on how to use biomass and biogas and thereby enabling farmers to diversify activities
improvement of facilities and opportunities for research
stimulating innovation amongst companies, products and tools
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Achievements and outcomes of project activities Achievements and outcomes in this theme are grouped around four broad categories: the increased participation in civil society; economic development through improved ICT; more efficient transport and harbour management, and renewable energy initiatives.
Participation in civil society
In the interests of ensuring a healthy democracy, there is now more than ever before, a need to engage citizens in governance issues as well provide them with sources of information on regional development initiatives. This is a concern for the EU, for national governments and for local government. This theme recognises the importance of enhanced e-services as a means to increase citizen participation in the democratic process, in regional development agendas and as a way of providing access to civic information.
E-Voice-The Voice of the citizen in the Multimedia Information Society emphasised improved access to government through ICT by engaging EU citizens in general political issues. Successful work was carried out in Zwaagwesteinde, the Netherlands to engage young people and the project was recognised by a Council of Europe meeting in Strasbourg in 2007. Large document handling systems were developed by the project partners at Uddvella, Sweden and Bremen, Germany to effect citizens’ access to the system. The municipality of Groningen, the Netherlands, ran an award-winning scheme that recorded 325,000 visitors and 170,000 transactions per year. Leidal, Belgium, and Norfolk, England were also successful in contributing to the promotion of eParticipation and eDemocracy.
LoG-IN, sought to strengthen local business economies by linking local authorities more closely and engaging them more with local businesses through enhanced e-services and innovative planning tools. The long-term results of this project are that local authorities have increased their ability to deliver services to citizens, businesses, as well other local authorities. An example includes the improvement of service delivery for the libraries in Avelgem, Flanders. The achievements of the project were recognised by receiving no less than seven awards at various levels including a Special Achievement in GIS Award from San Diego, USA.
GeoShare-Interpreting Place Related Information developed a GeoShare knowledge management system for the integration and interpretation of a large set of previously non-integrated systems and services in the four participating countries in Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, and Scotland. The project focussed on data infrastructure relating to labour and educational statistics. It also enhanced spatial management processes, and made available new and innovative services seeking to combine natural history cultural and heritage based-information for tourists. A further example of the project’s achievements may be seen in the GeoShare platform implemented in Edinburgh to introduce new students to the city; these modules have been mainstreamed into the ICT infrastructure of the city council.
Economic development through improved ICT
Important for this category of the theme was the need to increase the accessibility of broadband internet in rural regions, the promotion of the ICT infrastructure, and the education of the population about its use.
ICTs for SMEs sought to strengthen spatial and structural ICT measures designed to support SMEs and encourage an economically well-balanced North Sea Region. One achievement was the creation of an industrial zone by wireless broadband in an area of Germany where a rural area became linked up to a data highway: this facilitated ICT access to the area and created a free intranet between a web of companies, and from those companies to neighbouring Bremen. Another example of success was the sustainable ICT support structure for SMEs that was a vertically integrated sector-spanning network across local authority education providers and transnational partners.
The aim of Broadband Access for Innovation and Regional Development (BIRD) was to exchange experience and expertise on broadband implementation with a view to stimulating regional development. Examples of success included the compilation of 25 indicators of best practice and 8 case studies, an increase in the knowledge and promotion of e-commerce in Varmland, Sweden, and the initiation of e-courses for teacher training in Groningen, in the Netherlands.
More efficient transport and harbour management
This part of the theme illustrates the importance of greater efficiency in the management of shipping and freight movement, as well as in the management of harbours and ports.
Sustainable Transport Research & Development Network in the North Sea Region (SUTRANET) was aimed at the need to improve the knowledge base for the benefit both freight transport systems, and policy decisions. This project achieved an R&D network as well as the creation of a database on international freight flows encompassing the whole of the North Sea Region. Proposals were made for optimal and alternative routes. A training programme was developed in the form of an e-learning module and is used by students in Germany and the Netherlands. In the context of environmental impact, the project developed a calculation tool for estimating maritime emissions. A case study was prepared based on the port of Gothenburg to identify spatial and environmental barriers to intermodal transport.
The linked area of harbour management was the focus of Green-NSD-North Sea Docks that set out to create a common decision-supporting tool (a ‘DST’) for use in transnational co-operation between EPAs, harbour administrators and scientists. The purpose of the DST was to facilitate sustainable management of marine environments. The project succeeded in the development of the DST. As a result of the efforts of the project, an innovative means of assessing environmental problems in the dockyard sector is now available. This produced the extra benefit of developing treatment technologies as well.
Renewable energy initiatives
This aspect of the theme is the use of natural resources: experimenting with them and exploring possible future viable and renewable energy sources. An important point in connection with this is the potential mechanism that the work of these projects provides to strengthen regional development, especially in rural areas.
North Sea Bio Energy (NSBE), sought to enlarge the use of biomass for energy production in North Sea countries thereby reducing green house gases as well as strengthening the sustainable spatial development of rural areas. This project contributed to field trials on how to use biomass and biogas thereby enabling farmers to diversify activities.
Facilitating Sustainable Innovation (FSI) emphasised the improvement of facilities and opportunities for research and development through the creation of interregional cooperation in sustainable innovation, in order to stimulate innovation amongst companies, products and tools.
A main achievement of FSI was the development project Cradle to Cradle (C2CI), which was approved under the North Sea Region Programme 2007-2013. C2CI will work on natural resources on various islands in the North Sea Region to develop what could be viable sources of alternative energy. Lasting legacy for the North Sea Region through the projects' achievements The project achievements in this theme are wide-ranging and potentially long lasting. They include the encouragement of citizens to participate more fully in civil society; the stimulation of development in rural areas; increased efficiency of freight transport and harbour management, and the exploration of viable sources of renewable energy. A common thread, however, runs through this list and that is the use of technology and innovation as a means of achieving successful outcomes and improving the quality of life for people living in the North Sea Region.
Some of the projects provide platforms for further research. Others have received prestigious recognition, such as Log-IN the recipient of seven awards and nominations.
The fundamental importance of freight and harbour management in the future of an environmentally aware sustainable economic future is a clear legacy that flows directly from this theme.
The policy effects of the projects will be long lasting; various governmental agencies from local to EU level, academic institutions as well local and regional committees have adopted or further considered much of what has been addressed by them. Examples include the political agreement to use the project results from FSI, the SUTRANET originated user group discussions in Region Nordjylland, Denmark, and the inter-regional collaboration between Bremen and Niedersachsen, Germany, fostered by Geoshare.
The projects in the theme ‘Making use of innovation and knowledge’ will have long lasting effects for the North Sea Region and may continue to stimulate regional development while adapting to the needs of the 21st century, through innovative technological initiatives fostered and encouraged by the Programme . |
Innovation: test drive GIS for Planning (LOG-IN project)
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