EU cities and regions in the role of societal pioneers and forerunners in building sustainable innovation eco-systems. 13th CASI EU Policy Brief by Anita Tregner-Mlinaric.
Cities, regions and societal challenges
Since the ongoing financial crisis and the recent events such as Brexit and raising voice of populism questioning the integrity, stability and future of the EU, the focus turns to addressing societal challenges and changing of current approaches and thinking. The transition requires incremental and multiple changes, for which engagement and governance at local level is crucial. As a response to recent political events, EU policy makers put hopes in regional capacities.
EU28 consist of 270 regions and 507 million people, whereas the governments of cities and regions manage two-thirds of all public investments, while three-quarters of EU policies and legislation target regions, with an immediate effect on citizens lives. Several EU initiatives such as European Metropolitan Authorities (EMA) Declaration and initiatives under the scope of the European Committee of the European Regions support the development of EU cities and regions.
These initiatives indicate that cities/regions are recognized as forerunners in building sustainable innovation (SI) ecosystems through broad stakeholder engagement and partnerships. This policy brief provides an overview of the current EU initiatives supporting the development of cities and regions, including examples of good SI practice based on the collaborative models that showing the potential of regional schemes.
Download the full 13th CASI EU Policy Brief by Anita Tregner-Mlinaric.