Project: " Knowledge based economy-assertive pillar of economic, social cohesion in the cross-border region"

RO2004/016-760.01.04.01.12
01.12.2006-30.09.2007
Funded by PHARE CBC Romania-Bulgaria 2004

Applicant: ARIES Oltenia

Partner: Business Information Center for Regional Development ,IBCRD, Belogradchik, Bulgaria

Associate: Dolj County Council

PROJECT CONTEXT

Local public authorities play an important role in sustaining real reforms and change management, in the context of a sustainable development at local, cross-border and regional level, and the electronic, software and IT industry is the “tool” which ensures development and progress at all levels.

Electronic trade, particularly speaking, and TIC, generally speaking, have the potential to generate significant long-term cost reductions and facilitate access to internal and external markets. Therefore, ARIES Oltenia Subsidiary envisages to contribute, through information and training seminars, with specific means and a high proffessional level of its experts, to the consolidation of LPA and business environment capacity to achieve the development objectives, based both on TIC and on the access to various financing sources, in order to integrate Romania and Bulgaria in the European Union.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The project’s main purposes are to “develop economic and social cohesion in the cross-border area by increasing the ability of private and public sectors to use the facilities offered by the Information and Communication Technologies  (ICT) and Technology Transfer (TT)” and “increase the connection level of economic activities by intensifying information, training and cooperation activities of the Local Public Authorities (LPA) and business environment in the field of ICT”, specifically aiming at “sustaining educational activities for LPA and business environment representatives in the field of electronic, software and IT industry, in order to promote knowledge-based economy in the Oltenia-Vidin cross-border area.”

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

• Organizing 4 seminars alternatively in Craiova and Belogradchik:
• 2 seminars addressed to Local Public Authorities representatives:
• “The european clerk – IT beneficiary and user”
• “Identifying, elaborating, implementing projects under structural and cohesion funds”
• 2 seminars addressed to business representatives in the field of electronics, software and IT and other entreprise categories in the cross-border area:
• “Relationship supplier-beneficiary of electronics-software-IT”
• “Industrial and Intellectual Property, Technological Transfer, Innovation”
• Elaborating training and information materials: - IT Catalogue and the Guide ”Maximizing structural funds atraction and cohesion in cross-border areas”
• Organizing an annual exhibition in Craiova, “Innovation and IT in Oltenia-Vidin cross-border area”;
• Promotion and visibility activities - 1 banner; 20 posters; 6 press articles and announcements; 5 radio/TV broadcasts; 1 webpage; promotion within the IT and TT networks, IRC and Danube 21 Euroregion

TARGET GROUPS

• Local Public Authorities representatives
• Business environment representatives in the field of  electronic-software-IT and other entreprise categories in the cross-border area.

PROJECT RESULTS

• 1 IT Catalogue elaborated and printed - 500 beneficiaries
• 1 Guide ”Maximizing structural funds atraction and cohesion in cross-border areas” elaborated and printed - 500 beneficiaries
• Promotional materials elaborated and printed – 500 flyers, 20 posters, 1 banner.
• 6 local press articles and announcements and 5 radio/TV broadcasts
• 4 seminars organized – 40 LPA representatives (20 from Bulgaria and 20 from Romania) , 20 representatives of the electronic-software-IT sector (10 from Bulgaria and 10 from Romania) and 20 representatives of other entreprise categories (10 from Romania and 10 from Bulgaria)
• 2 press conferences;
• 1 Annual exhibition “Innovation and IT in Oltenia-Vidin cross-border area” organized – 20 exhibitors and a minimum of 100 visitors
• 1 web page developped – minimum 3000 users from Romania and 120 users from Danube 21 Euroregion accessing the IT and TT networks, IRC and Danube 21

Long and medium term results:

• Development of economic cohesion in the cross-border area by developping knowledge-based economy
• Commercial contracts signed at cross-border level
• Elaborating a common strategy for expanding regional market at EU level
• Identification, elaboration and implementation of structural funding financed projects for Research&Development, Innovation and Cohesion
• Increasing the interest in top industries and their contribution to cross-border economy development
• Increasing the informatization level and compatibility of Local Public Authorities

MATERIALS:

• Project Banner
• Project Flyer
• Exhibition Poster

PROJECT EVENTS:

• 13 March 2007 – Press conference for project launching
• 27-28 April 2007 - Seminar: “Identifying, elaborating, implementing projects under structural and cohesion funds”
• 8-9 June 2007 - Seminar: “Relationship supplier-beneficiary of electronics-software-IT ”
• 20-21 July 2007 – Seminar “Industrial and Intelectual Property, Technological Transfer, Innovation”
• 01 September 2007 - Exhibition: “Innovation and IT in Oltenia-Vidin cross-border area”