In between managing our fabulous project, our Lead Partner managed to find some time to make sure that Responsible Innovation is a strategic objective in their Chamber of Commerce multi-annual programme. Giulia, you are amazing!!
So what is the policy change exactly?
The Multiannual Programme – Chamber 4.0 of the Chamber of Commerce of Romagna (2016-2021) defines the strategic priorities for the Chamber of Commerce’s support to local development. Triannual Plans (revised yearly) break the strategic priorities of the Multiannual Programme into 3-year strategic objectives, while Annual Plans describe the operational objectives through which the strategic objectives are pursued.
In this period, CISE had to chance to influence both the Triannual and Annual Plan. Tangible elements of the improvement of the policy instrument Multiannual Programme 2016-2021 – Chamber 4.0 are:
- inclusion in the Triannual Plan 2020-2022 of a Strategic Objective on Responsible Innovation (Type 3: change in strategic focus of policy instrument). The SO is “to spread responsible innovation: ethics and sustainability applied to the generation and management of innovation”;
- inclusion in the Annual Plan 2020 of a Strategic Objective and an Operational Objective to “develop a programme of initiatives inspired by Responsible Innovation, Agenda 2030 and co-creation processes”. Funds are allocated to this to disseminate, mainstream and/or deliver Responsible Innovation.
Let’s break that down: a formal commitment to support Responsible Innovation and some funding to do it!
How did MARIE contribute to this?
MARIE offered CISE a platform to promote Responsible Innovation across the local and regional environment. The Strategic Objectives were defined thanks to a multi-stakeholder engagement process, during which CISE shared experiences from MARIE regions.
Within Responsible Innovation confirmed as a Strategic Objective, the Operational Objectives specify what will be done in practice. Here, MARIE GPs play a key role:
- Koklaamo (Tampere) is an innovation platform that brings together companies, communities, experts and citizens to co-create and experiment new solutions to identified challenges. CISE transfers the role played by public authorities and the decisional and operational process that lead to their involvement.
- Demola (Tampere) promotes cooperation among universities, research centres and enterprises. CISE transfers this connection between research and local enterprises, around a specific innovation issue and with third party coordination, with reference to activities foreseen by the Forlì-Cesena Technopole, local AreaS3 hub and Romagna Young initiative.
- Innovation Café (Bucharest-Ilfov) creates a framework for cooperation and for sharing experience among quadruple-helix innovation players. CISE transfers the creation of a stable, growing local community with interest in open innovation, but bringing different perspectives and capacities.
Are you keeping count??? We are at Policy Improvement #3 (with Tampere and Southern Ireland already blazing a trail last year). We love this project and we love that innovation is becoming more responsible in our regions!
Photo by Luuk Wouters on Unsplash
