Empowering Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship

1. Public and Community/Voluntary Sectors Adapting to Change through Innovation & New Ways of Doing Things OVERVIEW of the FIERE Project for use in INTERFACE IO2

2. Introduction • The origin of the FIERE project stemmed from the recognition that local/regional organisations need to be not only entrepreneurial but also innovative in the pursuit of their region’s socio-economic development. • Equally, it is not sufficient for regional actors just to be innovative without being entrepreneurial in the development and implementation of regional policies. • Project ran for 2 years in 2014/2015 with funding from the European Union under the terms of the GRUNDTVIG Lifelong Learning Programme

3. Rationale • Developing the innovative and entrepreneurial potential of a region requires that a multiplicity of local/regional stakeholders possess the requisite skills and attributes. • There is a recognition that training has been provided separately to regional organisations in innovation and, to a lesser extent, entrepreneurship, but not as part of an integrated programme. • Nor has this training input been provided to all decision-makers within local/regional stakeholders; there is a particular lacuna in relation to non-governmental organisations operating at a sub-regional level arising from their location and lack of access to higher education institutions and private sector providers.

4. Objectives • To enhance regional public and voluntary organisations with innovative entrepreneurship skills that can facilitate bottom-up regional development and tie-in with top-down regional development policies. • To enhance innovative entrepreneurship skill sets within the region’s formal and informal institutional infrastructure which in turn will hopefully have a significant beneficial multiplier effect within the region. • The ultimate aim is to assist regional institutions to make their regions both innovative and entrepreneurial, and to work with other regional stakeholders to turn ideas into jobs. • The outputs of the project are intended to raise the skills capabilities of local/regional organisations so as to develop innovative and entrepreneurial public-private partnerships to tackle the challenges in employment, economic development, climate change, energy, etc.

5. Project Partners Tipperary County Council (lead), Ireland; Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland; CESIE, Sicily; Institute for PostgraduateStudies, Bulgaria; Allweb Solutions SA, Greece; AssociacaoComercial e Industrial de Barcelos, Portugal; Einurd Limited, Iceland

6. What We Found • In terms of the not-for-profit/voluntary and public sectors, teaching entrepreneurship becomes more complicated because it is not the creation of an entrepreneur that is the desired result but the creation of an entrepreneurial spirit. • Therefore the key learning deliverable should be the increase of knowledge and confidence of individuals. • Thus any entrepreneurship education programme or curriculum for social entrepreneurs, voluntary organisations or public servants must be heavily based on awakening and strengthening these skills.

7. What the project delivered • User Training Needs Analysis Report • Case studies – Good Practice Handbook • Entrepreneurial and Innovative Skills Training Programme • Training Programme Learning Handbook • Instructors Handbook

8. Entrepreneurial and Innovative Shills Training Programme • Three (3) Modules developed • Creativity and Innovation • Resilience and Leadership • Analytical Thinking and Resourcefulness • Flexibility in role-out methodology within regions

9. Project Resources www.fiereproject.com/reports/