Czech Republic's Development Priorities Post-2013: Overcoming Disparities & Promoting Innovation

1. Czech Republic’s Development Priorities after 2013 Stefano Barbieri Head of the OECD LEED Centre for Local Development Prague 23 June 2011

2. OECD • Making Reform Happen (2007 - 2011) • Strategic response to the Financial and Economic Crisis (2009) • Innovation Strategy (2010) • Bologna +10 (2010) • Green growth Strategy (2011) • Skills Strategy (2013) 2

3. Europe 2020 • “Smart growth, sustainable growth, inclusive growth” - and enhanced economic governance – are the common goals of the EU for 2020 • Five key target areas: employment, innovation, education, social inclusion and energy/climate change 3

4. Czech Republic and Europe 2020 • Recognition of challenges to be addressed to meet 2020 goals...and of the need to overcome regional disparities • Czech Republic actively working to develop the most appropriate and effective responses 4

5. Overcoming Regional Disparities • Regional disparities driven by many factors • In EU new member states regional disparities are growing • Important to put in place strategies which involve peripheral regions in economic development and put in place sustainable economic development 5

6. Place Based Approaches • Success of the local approach to development: complexity and integration • Meaningful consultation with range of actors and recognition of the value that local knowledge brings is crucial to successful strategies for sustainable economic development 6

7. Increasing Competitiveness • Drive to increase competitiveness founded on four pillars: • 1. Entrepreneurship • 2. Innovation and R&D • 3. Education and Training • 4. Functioning labour market 7

8. Entrepreneurship • Entrepreneurship is a key route to job creation • And to creating sustainable development across all regions, including peripheral ones • Business support services important part of creating and sustaining entrepreneurship 8

9. Innovation and R&D • Encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation is not as simple as promoting R&D – nor does it resolve regional disparities • Valuable to build positive relations between business and research/scientific entities 9

10. Key LEED Recommendations: Entrepreneurship and Innovation • Key recommendations that could help shape the future of Cohesion Policy on entrepreneurship and innovation: • 1. Promote knowledge networks • 2. Engage universities • 3. Develop a business support infrastructure conducive to innovation 10

11. Education and Training • Availability of appropriate skills critical to economic success • Important to get skills match right – and to think about short, medium and long terms when planning 11

12. Functioning Labour Market • Not only about education and training or flexibility • Need to ensure that public employment services have capacity to meet needs of business and of individuals, including most vulnerable 12

13. Social Inclusion • Strong focus on helping people towards the labour market as a way of combating social exclusion • Important to recognise needs of those for whom the labour market may be a long or even impossible distance away – and ensure that they are also included 13

14. Integrated Territorial Development Institutions Education and Training Innovation and R+D Competitiveness Labour Market Entrepreneur- ship Inclusion Infrastructure

15. Competitiveness Integrated Territorial Development Institutions Education and Training Innovation and R+D Labour Market Entrepreneur- ship Inclusion Infrastructure

16. Driving Competitiveness • Strong focus on getting institutions and infrastructure ‘right’ and these are crucial to the success of the focus on competitiveness and of generating integrated territorial development 16

17. For further information about the work of the OECD LEED Trento Centre, including active reviews and capacity development activities: www.trento.oecd.org Thank you. 17