EUROsociAL brings experience in innovation and regional policies from Sweden, Spain, Great Britain, Chile, Colombia, the European Association of Development Agencies (EURADA) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Brasilia hosted the international seminar “Innovation Strategies and Regional Development Policies within the European Union and Latin America: Opportunities and Challenges”. The aim of the event was to generate a space for international debate where different European and Latin American experiences in regional development could be discussed, as well as how to incorporate innovation and smart specialisation systems. The seminar inputs will be used in the process currently being carried out by the Brazilian Regional Development Secretariat in producing a new Regional Development Plan.
EUROsociAL+ coordinated the entire organisation of the seminar with the Secretariat, but especially through the contribution of leading European and Latin American experts. Participants at the seminar included: Professor Philip McCann of the University of Sheffield Management School (Great Britain); Roberta Dall’Olio, president of the European Association of Development Agencies (EURADA); Alicia Williner, representing the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); Roberto Algarra, director of financial advice and European projects at the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (Spain); Anders Olsson, manager of Research and Innovation for the Värmland Region (Sweden); Geraldine Fuentealba Romero, coordinator of the Management, Policies and Innovation unit for the O’Higgins region (Chile), and; Diana María Ramírez Daza, an expert from Colombia’s National Planning Department.
The opening round table was also attended by European authorities including Thierry Dudermel, head of the European Union’s cooperation sector in Brazil, and Brazilian government authorities such as: Gustavo Henrique Rigodanzo Canuto, executive secretary at the Ministry of National Integration; Júlio Alexandre Menezes da Silva, secretary of planning and economic affairs with the Ministry of Planning, Development and Management; Leonardo Rodrigues Albernaz, secretary of governmental macro evaluation at the Union Accounts Court; and Otávio Ladeira de Medeiros, deputy secretary at the Ministry of Finance National Treasury Secretariat.
At the end of the international meeting, after two days of intense work and public debate, a technical work meeting was held between the authorities at the Regional Development Secretariat and the various experts. This framework made it possible to delve deeper into some of the topics of debate, such as regional financing mechanisms, governance systems and the relevance and limits of the RIS3 methodology promoted by the European Commission. The experts were then able to make concrete recommendations for the process to design the new national plan for regional development in which the Brazilian Secretariat is involved.
This seminar is part of the comprehensive support that the EUROsociAL+ European Union Programme is giving to the Brazilian Regional Development Secretariat in designing its new National Regional Development Plan. The activity will continue over the coming months, with an exchange visit to European regions to learn about successful experiences in innovation and in implementing the RIS3 methodology.
Área de políticas de Gobernanza Democrática / Democratic Govenance Policy Area. EUROsociAL+ / FIIAPP
