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Rural Innovation and Business Systems

Rural Innovation and Business Systems. Final Conference, Wednesday 27 th February 2013 John Mackenzie, Development Manager. What is RIBS ?. Northern Periphery Programme project. Five participating partner countries.

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Rural Innovation and Business Systems

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  1. Rural Innovation and Business Systems Final Conference, Wednesday 27th February 2013 John Mackenzie, Development Manager

  2. What is RIBS ? Northern Periphery Programme project. Five participating partner countries. Research and develop products and tools that can be utilised by any rural region. Identify strengths and weaknesses in each region. Share findings of the learning experience.

  3. RIBS Partners Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scotland Lulea University of Technology, Sweden Micropolis Ii, Finland West Iceland Regional Development, Iceland WESTBIC, Ireland

  4. Aims and Objectives • Manage a successful project as lead partner. • Share and learn best practice from our partners. • Investigate the challenges of innovation in a rural context. • Utilise the products developed by the RIBS partners. • Help to scope out innovation policy moving forward.

  5. HIE Initiatives • Online resources • Developed website (www.ruralinnovation.eu) • Twitter account @innovationrural Mapped innovation Ecosystem (2011) Too many programmes Lack of context Confusing landscape Limited joined up working • Four main areas of focus • Lead Partner for the Rural Innovation and Business Systems project • Innovation Survey • Designed and analysed by Lulea University of Technology, Sweden • 120 Companies surveyed across partnership • Knowledge Exchange • Hosted 3 KE visits • KE visit to Sweden • Project dissemination in • Norway • Learned from our partners

  6. Online resources: www.ruralinnovation.eu • Website where the outputs of the project are communicated • The products and services developed during the project will be shared on this website • The website will be updated and maintained until 2018 • You can also follow @innovationrural on Twitter

  7. Innovation Map June 2011

  8. Mapping Innovation Landscape Findings Too many similar programmes. Lack of context. Confused landscape. Limited joined up working. Advisor confusion. Lack of promotion at a regional level. Outputs Reduction and merging of products Toolkit for HIE Account Managers Regional representation for national programmes Joint promotion of services Sharing of information

  9. Innovation Survey

  10. Innovation Survey

  11. Knowledge Exchange Visits

  12. Knowledge exchange what did we learn ? • Similarity between the regions in the context of population, geography and challenge but mostly importantly in the levels of ambition. • Focus on what resources are in your region and try and use them as a platform to grow. • A strong University reaching out across the region can really act as a Hub for regional growth • Infrastructure such as connectivity and transportation links is a challenge for all rural regions but the more you investment the more long term benefit can be derived. • Increased support is required to enable new businesses to emerge through incubators, increased innovation and entrepreneurship support. • Renewable energy and our goal to make wave and tidal our differentiator is the correct strategy.

  13. Knowledge Exchange what did we learn ? That business mentoring is used very effectively by our partners. Universities are the pipeline for developing new companies. Having a local supply chain in place is the key to developing a industry around a sector. For example Facebook in Sweden. We are doing well in a number of areas such as support for internationalisation, food and drink, tourism, marine science and renewable energy. That micro clustering for sectors such as tourism, creative industries and food and drink can help to bring economies of scale enabling access to larger markets. Keeping skilled talent in the region and attracting new talent is challenging in rural areas

  14. Actions taken and next steps • Our new programme of entrepreneurship support aims to stimulate innovation. • Aim to develop new Espark presence in Inverness in 2013. • Increase collaboration across the innovation support partners . • Utilise the Business Compass and Navigation Tool to measure progress. • Look at the internationalisation tool and clustering work methodology developed during this project and utilise these moving forward. • Promote the successes of the region through case studies and business testimonies

  15. Crystal Mackay, Development Manager (01463 244 556) crystal.mackay@hient.co.uk John Mackenzie, Development Manager (01463 244 520) john.mackenzie@hient.co.uk Website: www.ruralinnovation.eu Follow on Twitter: @InnovationRural Contact Rural Innovation:

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