P-IRIS was taking part in the first meeting of the Policy Learning Platform on Research & Innovation and SME Competitiveness in Milan (Italy) 19-20 October 2017. P-IRIS was well represented; partly because we have a partner Poliedra - Politecnico di Milano from Milan, but also SODEBUR (from Burgos) and Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality (from Norway) were present.
Lars Hustveit (representing the lead partner Sogn og Fjordane) was given the opportunity to present an open innovation case from P-IRIS during the Breakout Sessions the first day. He presented the case "Tech Yard" emphasising the link between the network and the tools to facilitate test and demonstrations. The case illustrated also the aspect of equal cooperation between individuals with practical skills and academic skills and the possibility to share expensive equipment for testing. Tech Yard is housed in a former shipyard facility and it is a co-working space for technology companies where they have access to expensive equipment for testing and demonstration. Key message highlighted: The activities in Tech Yard are built on equal cooperation between those with practical skills and those from a more academic background.
The Policy Learning Platform event was an opportunity to discuss common policy-improvement issues and to expand the network. Important issues: Open Innovation, Clustering and Cluster Partnerships, Platforms for interregional cooperation based on smart specialisation, research must lead to investments, the need for Managing Authorities to be innovative themselves (not only talk to others about innovation), understand the technology shifts and the young generation’s way of cooperating digitally, understand the difference between Research and Innovation, social innovation... to mention some of the topics.
Policy Learning Platform informed about their services:
- What to expect from the PLP knowledge hub
- How to submit good practices in the data base
- How to use the help desk
- How to be active in the community
It is important for P-IRIS to work on and deliver quality good practises. Managing authorities may access peer review and bench marking services from PLP.
The P-IRIS project is quoted in the report from Day 1 of the event on research and innovation:
Full report on research and innovation from Policy Learning Platform event in Milano:
