European Urban Knowledge Network

1. European UrbanKnowledge Network QeC-ERAN Conference Skills for sustainable and competitive urban development Mart Grisel Head EUKN Secretariat 22 May 2007 www.eukn.org

2. EUKN & the skills agenda • Some information on EUKN - now and in the future • EUKN and the Skills agenda • Skills and the European agenda.

3. Part IEUKN’s mission EUKN’s mission is to build a strong evidence base across Europe for strengthening urban policies and monitoring and evaluating their effectiveness in order to create sustainable cities.

4. Per day, 1,800 urban professionals frommore than 110 countries visit the EUKNe-library containing more than 2,500 documents

5. Visitors per knowledge theme

6. EUKN Core activities 2007-2010

7. The EUKN Action Programme 2007-2010 contains presently 5 modules 1 - The EUKN Core Action Programme • Based on the 3 core activities: support to the EUKN network and the NFPs and funded by the participating MS. 2 - EUKN Dissemination Conference 3 - EUKN Research 4 - NFP Quality Improvement Programme 5 - Additional contracts between URBACT, EUKN and NFPs

8. Possible scenario:EUKN knowledge circle (1) First step: focus on knowledge dissemination, based on the structure of National Focal Points.

9. The EUKN knowledge circle (2) Second step: pair the dissemination of knowledge with the creation of “new” knowledge, based on issues raised by the dissemination network.

10. The EUKN knowledge circle (3) Third step: ensure the proper implementation of knowledge created and disseminated. • Examples within EUKN: • ASC, UK • Nicis Academy, NL • Similar academies in Spain & Italy

11. The EUKN knowledge circle (4) Fourth step: ensure the proper evaluation of knowledge created, disseminated and put into practice. • Examples of such practices: • Research institutes collaborating with national audit offices; • Possible involvement of the Urban audit.

12. Part IIEUKN and the Skills agenda • ASC is the EUKN National Focal Point in the UK; • Partnership between ASC and EUKN, supported by URBACT, in preparing the Skills Symposium in November 2006; this could be continued in the future. • Importance of the sharing of knowledge and experience by linking knowledge (dissemination, implementation) to skills (implementation), and, eventually evaluative research (audits). Use of EUKN templates. • “Skills” might be highlighted in the e-library as a knowledge theme in its own right, easily retrievable via the multilingual EUKN search engine (soon >700 documents on skills). • EUKN NFPs can be stimulated to create national academies for sustainable cities in order to link the EUKN knowledge network to a European-wide skills network.

13. Part III:Skills and the European agendaKey recommendations by external evaluators • Maintain the momentum by offering a continued programme of skills symposia; • Create synergies by establishing a ‘skills for the future knowledge network’, linked to existing networks such as EUKN, QeC-ERAN and URBACT; • Ensure the dissemination of knowledge on skills through the EUKN website using the standardised EUKN templates; • Broaden the support base for the skills for sustainable communities agenda amongst Member States and other networks or programmes, such as URBACT, Interreg, QeC-ERAN, EUKN, OECD, etc. • Improve European indicators for further research within the urban audit, ESPON and research initiatives at MS level. • Ensure political lobby and fund raising; • Investigate the possibilities for setting up a European-wide Sustainable Communities Programme as part of the Regions for Economic Change programme.