The ECoC-SME project worked under the specific objective “SME competitiveness” of the Interreg Europe programme 2014-2020. Five cities and regions were engaged in exchanges, joint learning and co-creation activities. In the beginning, they all brought interesting initiatives and ideas to the table and then in the end, could leave with innovative projects and new practices to promote their local businesses and entrepreneurship.
Matera and the Basilicata Region, Italy…
inspired us all with their strong community spirit and community-based practices as well as cross-sectoral cooperation skills: these had been essential factors in their ECoC nomination and achievements, and which had driven their success in turning their deserted old town Sassi – a sense of shame – into an attractive site combining heritage preservation and creative innovation, something truly to be proud of. The good practice “Open Design School” an interdisciplinary experimentation laboratory and an important pillar project of Matera 2019 European Capital of Culture, is concrete manifestations of these values.
In Matera “heritage site prototypes” have been developed and tested which engage and boost local community and creative businesses -- not exclusively for the development of the tourism sector!
Leeuwarden and the Region of Friesland, Netherlands…
offered tested good practices such as the “Launch Game”, a dynamic simulation game to teach potential start-uppers how to develop an entrepreneurial plan, and “Blokhuispoort”, an exciting incubator for start-up entrepreneurs in the creative sector.
The start-up simulation event “Launch Game” already proven to be a good practice for promoting local entrepreneurship has been successfully extended and adjusted in Friesland to support future entrepreneurs specifically in the cultural and creative sectors. Inspiring, educational and fun for all participants!
Rijeka, Croatia…
presented us with “RInovatoRI”, a good practice encouraging entrepreneurial competences of children in their city. The city also established “Startup Incubator Rijeka”, asupport centre for people who want to develop their entrepreneurial idea.
From their Action Plan, low-threshold social media solution has been designed and tested to facilitate peer-to-peer online support for local SMEs and start-uppers in the creative industries in a programme called “Creative Doctors”: some very interesting lessons learnt! Entrepreneur educational module was also developed and piloted specifically to support CCI businesses – tailored to local needs.
Timisoara, Romania…
has introduced us to their good practice “Co-work Timisoara” to strengthen local entrepreneurship by bringing together start-uppers and freelancers in a friendly and community-building working environment; as well as their “Creative Timisoara” program to stimulate the involvement of young high school students in planning the development of their city.
Kaunas, Lithuania…
inspired our project’s work with their “Smart Practice”, based on a so-called EQ-thinking model, designed for developing value-creating partnerships between students and business or NGO communities.
Also, we were introduced to a rich methodological and practical toolkit and educational approaches, methodologies that can be used to attract and prepare youth for entrepreneurship and to link in talents from multiple disciplines and sectors.
