URBACT II: Local Action for TransformationRole of Universities in Urban Poles (RUnUP) Network

Clive Winters, Lead ExpertBarakaldo, Spain, 17th June 2010

INTRODUCTION

From iron and steel industrial rationalisation, unemployment, industrial ruin, contaminated land, districts among industrial areas and lack of facilities and green areas.

To economic development model, job creation, quality of life, communication links, non polluting industries

Barakaldo Transformation

URBACT II OVERVIEW

› URBACT is a European Exchange and Learning Programme promoting sustainable urban development URBACT enables cities to work together to develop solutions to major

urban challenges, reaffirming the key role they play in facing increasingly complex societal challenges.

› The URBACT II programme recognises the urban contribution to growth and jobs and that cities are home to innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and economic growth.

Priority axis 1 in particular recognises the important themes of promoting entrepreneurship and improving innovation and the knowledge economy and the development of triple helix structures as catalysts to promote innovation structures and entrepreneurial spirit.

› www.urbact.eu

RUnUP OVERVIEW

› Cities are widely recognised as playing a fundamental role in the promotion of the knowledge economy

Most research and policy has focussed on large cities with World-class educational and research institutes and advanced clusters of economic activity

› There are clear and significant gaps in the knowledge of how smaller sized cities, with different levels and types of knowledge institutions and different levels of economic activity can compete within the Knowledge Economy.

Such cities are recognised within European Union policy as playing a vital role in the implementation of the Lisbon agenda.

RUnUP OVERVIEW

› The network has addressed in a uniquely different way the fundamental issues of how universities should engage with their local communities.

With a particular focus on small and medium-sized cities; the role of local authorities and municipalities and the importance of triple helix structures for supporting economic development and encouraging entrepreneurship.

9 partner medium-sized European Cities in the Knowledge Economy

Gateshead,UK (Lead Partner) Agueda, Portugal Barakaldo, Spain Campobasso, Italy Dunkerque, France Leszno, Poland

Patras, Greece Potsdam, Germany Solna, Sweden

LOCAL ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT

› A core aim of the URBACT II programme is to "assist city policy-makers and practitioners (including managers of operational programmes) to define, and put into practice, Action Plans for sustainable urban development“

Local Action Plans (LAPs) are a new dimension to the URBACT Programme. Drawing on the URBACT I experience, they are intended to:

Improve the impact of transnational exchange and learning on local policies;

Give concrete form to the outputs from networking activities carried out by partners;

Be an instrument of further change.

LOCAL ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT

Review Evidence Base

Stakeholder

Analysis

Problem

Analysis

Goals and

Objectives

Outputs and

Activities

Indicators and Targets

Risks and

Assumptions

Logical Framew

ork Analysi

s

Consultation on

Draft Plan

Launch Action Plan

Concluding Remarks

› This thematic event in Barakaldo with a focus on talent attraction and retention provides a unique opportunity to exchange practice between cities and explore economic development actions

Provide a valuable input into the work of the local support groups in particular to the development of the local action plans

Local action plans provide a mechanism for real transformation at a local level.

Talent attraction and retention alongside other priorities is an important dimension of the local action plan development