Regional Actions To Innovate Operational Programmes (RATIO)

In the current European context SMEs located far from urban areas meet the challenge not only to grow but also to survive. The improvement of their innovation capacity is essential to promote the regional economical  development. As for rural areas innovation will bring a development possibility, RATIO project focuses its activities on how to make innovation a reality in rural areas and find the way to improve the implementation of regional development policies and programmes (Investment for Growth and Jobs) that support the delivery of innovation. RATIO aims to identify the innovative potential of SMEs and help them to grow through a learning process to implement and manage innovation. 

 

Covid -19

Following the implementation of the RATIO project, the project partners received approval under the 5th Interreg Europe call for additional activities to jointly seek solutions to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 crisis on the SME sector in rural areas.

The Covid-19 crisis has hit Europe and the world hard. The Covid-19 pandemic and its constraints have hit hardest in sectors such as tourism, hospitality, retail, cultural and creative industries that have direct contact with customers and audiences. These industries need innovative mechanisms to help them recover, adapt their business to these new changes (consumer behavior, market trends, new ways of working and communicating, health constraints).

Although the country has taken innovative steps to help prevent the crisis, learning from other regions is a great opportunity to help SMEs overcome the crisis caused by the pandemic and innovate.

 

Title

Regional Actions To Innovate Operational Programmes

Abbreviation

RATIO

Lead partner

Aragonese Federation of Municipalities, Regions and Provinces (FAMCP), Spain
Programme Interreg Europe 2014-2020

 

Partners
  1. Aragonese Federation of Municipalities, Regions and Provinces (FAMCP), Spain
  2. Aufbauwerk Region Leipzig GmbH, Germany
  3. Regional Development Agency of Usti Region, PLC, Czech Republic
  4. Foundation in Support of Local Democracy Malopolska Institute of Local Government and Administration, Poland
  5. Business Confederation of Aragon (CREA), Spain
  6. Vidzeme Planning Region, Latvia
  7. Municipality of Vila Pouca de Aguiar, Portugal
  8. Regional Association of Lazio Municipalities ANCI LAZIO, Italy
  9. Cork Chamber of Commerce, Ireland*

 

* All partners are working on the extension project, except for the Cork Chamber of Commerce in Ireland.

 

Objective

Improve regional policies and action programs for small and medium-sized enterprises in support of innovation.
Additional objective for the extension of the project Improve innovation support tools for rural SMEs, raise awareness among stakeholders in SME policy-making in partner regions about how to mitigate or prevent the effects of the COVID-19 crisis and pandemic constraints

Activities
  • Experience exchange between the project partners, a knowledge transfer;
  • Identification of good practice;
  • The study of innovation policy in rural areas, analysis of regional-level policy planning documents; recommendations for improving regional innovation policy;
  • Identification of innovative enterprises and assessment of their innovation capacity by using business innovation assessment tool (Innovation Health Care Check);
  • Action plan for innovation of the operational program;
  • Measures for development of clusters and international cooperation alliances;
  • Project publicity.
Additional activities

1. Experience exchange activities:

  • Identification of good practices in the region (innovation support tools for SME innovation)
  • Cooperation with the parties involved in the project - SMEs, local governments, innovation policy makers and support organizations, educational and research institutions;

2. Familiarization and transfer of good practices from partner countries to partners;

3. Publicity activities.

Results
  • Improved regional policies to support SMEs in innovation;
  • Increased involvement of SMEs in the innovation process;
  • Increased business competitiveness and the quality of services;
  • Acquired  partners` experience  in the field of innovation implementation;
  • Improved cooperation among businesses, business support structures and municipalities;
  • Promoted establishment of clusters and international cooperation alliances.
Additional results
  • Two good practices have been identified and analyzed - public innovation support tools; 
  • Report, video and interviews have been prepared;
  • Increased knowledge of stakeholders in partner regions on public innovation support instruments;
  • The good practice of the partners has been introduced and taken over.

Budget

Total budget:  EUR 1,569,982.00

VPR budget: EUR 165 700
Budget of extended period

Total budget: EUR 287 057.50

VPR budget: EUR 35 090.00

Implementation period

01.04.2016 – 31.03.2020
Extension period 01.10.2021.–30.09.2022

Contact person

Rita Merca

RATIO project manager

Tel. +371 29476373

rita.merca@vidzeme.lv