URBAN INNO Kick-off meeting held in Bled
The URBAN INNO – „Utilizing innovation potential of urban ecosystems“ project Kick-off meeting took place on June 23rd 2016 in Bled, Slovenia.
URBAN INNO is a project co-funded by the Interreg Central Europe Programme, which is addressing the challenge to make Central Europe more innovative and competitive by maximizing the innovation potential of smaller and medium sized urban ecosystems. A significantly better linkage of actors within urban innovation ecosystems is needed for a better use of innovation potentials. Therefore, URBAN INNO focuses on maximizing innovation potentials of urban ecosystems through establishment of quadruple helix clusters/networks in the partnerregions as well as by development and implementation of new participatory methods and tools to engage end-users in innovation processes with the objective to have educated and motivated users – SMART USERS.
URBANN INNO will be implemented in project partner`s urban ecosystems in Central Europe with strong replication potential in similar-sized cities in EU. 5 new quadruple-helix networks will be established in partnership regions, and 6 regional/urban innovation plans developed. In parallel, new participatory methods and tools will be developed and tested in pilot projects. A transnational cooperation strategy and platform will provide all interested regions the best available participatory tools and qualified facilitators. The platform will also include the transnational analysis, the strategic plan and wil be available through the project website.
All twelve partners participated in the kick-off meeting, the first official project partners meeting and the launch of the project, where implementation activities were discussed, management structures and processes as well as communication activities were agreed. The representative of the Joint Secreteriat of the Interreg Central Europe Programme Mrs. Chiara Casarella participated at the meeting, presenting general rules and obligations for partners during the project implementation.
