APRIL 2019 5TH STUDY VISIT REPORT REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND ON BEHALF OF REGION OF WESTERN GREECE 11th AND 12th APRIL 2019, PATRAS, WESTERN GREECE TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION .................................................................... 2 A. GENERAL PROJECT INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 2 B. THE GENERAL CONTEXT OF 5TH STUDY VISIT ........................................................................... 2 2. SITE VISITS AND STUDY TIMES ..............................................................3 A. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3 B. SESSIONS OF 11TH APRIL ......................................................................................................... 4 1. CREADIS3 Partners’ STEERING COMMITTEE and Internal session for Action Plans’ development ................................................................................................................................ 4 2. CREADIS3 STAKEHOLDER SESSION ............................................................................................ 4 3. Olympia International Film Festival for children and young people & International Olympic Academy PRESENTATIONS ........................................................................................................... 7 4. GUIDED TOUR TO the Museum and Archaeological site of Ancient Olympia ………………………..8 5. Hosting and Co-hosting Partners’ workshops .......................................................................... 9 C. SESSIONS OF 12TH APRIL ....................................................................................................... 11 1. PATRAS SCIENCE PARK ............................................................................................................ 11 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF PATRAS................................................................................ 12 3. PATRAS CARNIVAL LAB ............................................................................................................ 12 4. APOLLON THEATER – PATRAS MUNICIPAL THEATER .............................................................. 13 5. 6th Technology Transfer Exhibition - Patras Innovation Quest .............................................. 13 3. CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNT .............................................. 16 A. OVERALL EVALUATION ........................................................................................................... 16 B. THE STUDY VISIT IN THE MEDIA ............................................................................................. 17 C. CONTENT: MAIN LESSONS LEARNT AND TRANSFERABILITY .................................................. 18 D. NEXT STEPS: RECOMMENDATIONS……………………………………………………………………………………19 4. APPENDIX ........................................................................................... 20 A. AGENDA OF THE STUDY VISIT …………………………………………………………………………………………..20 B. LIST OF ATTENDANTS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….22 C. TEMPLATE OF THE EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE……………………………………………………………24 Patras, Western Greece 5th Study Visit Report 1 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION A. GENERAL PROJECT INTRODUCTION The Project CREADIS3 Smart Specialization Creative Districts in which the Region of Western Greece participates through the Regional Development Fund, aligns territorial public policy agendas to support the development of more efficient culture and creative industries policies and generate innovation and economic development in European regions. To tackle economic, social and environmental challenges, innovation is needed, not only based on the technological sectors but in allying these sectors to culture-based creativity. The main objective of CREADIS3 is to align territorial public policy agendas to support the development of more efficient CCI policies in territories aiming togenerate innovation and economic development in European regions. It gathers six European partners, sharing best practices and lessons learnt from their local experiences: - The Regional Government of the Basque Country; - The Regional Council of Central Finland; - Emilia Romagna Region; - Public Service of Wallonia; - The Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic; - The Regional Development Fund on behalf of the Region of Western Greece. The project started in January 2017 and will end at the end of the year 2021. It has a 1.462,700 euros budget. B. THE GENERAL CONTEXT OF 5TH STUDY VISIT The Region of Western Greece includes three regional units (NUTS3): Aitoloakarnania (EL631), Achaia (EL632) and Helia (EL633). Consists of 19 municipalities and the number of inhabitants is 679,796 according to the 2011 census (the 6,28% of the population of Greece), with a population density of 60 inhabitants/km2. The surface covers 11.350 km² (the 8,6% of the surface of Greece). The Project Partner paired is Emilia-Romagna Region. The 5th Study Visit of CREADIS3 project was held in the Western Greece on the 11th and 12th April. The 2-days programme of the Study Visit was focused on the topic: CULTURE AND INNOVATION IN CCIs ECOSYSTEMS: MOBILISING LOCAL RESOURCES. It was combined with the start of the 6th Technology Transfer Exhibition - Patras Innovation Quest (Patras IQ) in Patras. This international exhibition (https://www.patrasiq.gr/index_en.php) was held on 12-14 of April 2019 and co-organized by the Ministry of Education, Research & Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Economy and Development, the University of Patras, the Chamber of Commerce of Achaia, the Region of Western Greece, the Hellenic Open University and the Technological Educational Institute of Western Greece. Its main objective was to create a critical competitive advantage both in the research community and in the productive sector Patras, Western Greece 5th Study Visit Report 2 through a continuous effort to solve problems and apply innovative ideas for the development of new and optimization of existing products and services that aspire to take part in the national and global markets. 2. SITE VISITS AND STUDY TIMES A. INTRODUCTION The 1st day of the CREADIS3 Project’s operations took place in Ancient Olympia, the Olympic Games birthplace and more specific at the International Olympic Academy Venue. During the first day two workshops were organized and were leading by two of the project partners: Emilia- Romagna Region and the Regional Department Fund of the Region of Western Greece. The subthemes of the two workshops were the following: a) Support international territorial attractiveness to increase investment in the creative potential of the region and retain talents / creative entrepreneurs b) Support the internationalization of SMEs through new business models The 2nd day of the CREADIS3 Project’s operations included a visit tours in local and regional venues where cultural and scientific activities are being applied. An interactivity session took place during the afternoon, in the thematic axe: CREATIVE ECOSYSTEMS IN EUROPE. INSIGHTS AND REFLECTIONS into the frames of PATRAS IQ Exhibition. ANNEX 1: Agenda of the 5th Study Visit ANNEX 2: List of attendants Patras, Western Greece 5th Study Visit Report 3 B. SESSIONS OF 11TH APRIL 1. CREADIS3 PARTNERS’ STEERING COMMITTEE AND INTERNAL SESSION FOR ACTION PLANS’ DEVELOPMENT On Thursday 11th April the Study Visit Works has been opened with the Steering Committee meeting and the Internal Session devoted to CREADIS3 Action Plans. During the Steering Committee meeting CREADIS3 Partners’ representatives discussed various issues about the progression of the CREADIS3 Project. In detail, the representatives disussed the approval of last Steering Committee minutes and updated the progress report. Also, they discussed about the proposed best practices and the financial issues of the project. After the Steering Committee meeting, CREADIS3 Partners discussed about the Action Plans’ situation and development. Each Partner presented only the critical aspects of their Action Plan. In detail, the CREADIS3 Partners discussed about the advices and the resources for the elaboration of the Action Plan, the Action Plan Timeframe & Steps and the main actions and challenges of each Action Plan. ANNEX 1: SV WG 11-12/04/2019 Steering Committee ANNEX 2: SV WG 11-12/04/2019 Action Plan Methodology 2. CREADIS3 STAKEHOLDER SESSION Also, on Thursday, 11th April a Stakeholder Meeting was held from 10:30 to 12:15 at the Ancient Olympia and International Olympic Academy venue. Patras, Western Greece 5th Study Visit Report 4 The Stakeholder Meeting had a thematic session, Exploring the cultural and artistic potential in CCI ecosystems. Implications for internationalization, where stakeholders had the opportunity to interact with each other and exchange their experiences, according to their specializations. After all the stakeholders introduced themselves, three different focus group were developed. The first group gave some insight regarding entrepreneurship, SME’s and organizations. In this group only local members took part, and as a result, experiences exchanged were from local organizations and experience regarding entrepreneurship, methodology and tools from other countries in order to identify a better path for our situations in CCI’s industries. Some initial findings that were identified were the fact that, when young people want to start a new company, they usually aim the sector of high and new technologies and not any traditional activities. In Greece, another fact is