The InnoRegio-program: a new way to promote regional innovation networks - empirical results of the complementary research -

Implementing the InnoRegio-program: Process and state of project approval;
assessment of the program

Transforming project ideas into viable project proposals worthy of receiving support at first
progressed very slowly, partly because of problems with the support regulations, and partly
because of the applicants’ lack of experience. To speed up the process, special consultation
routines were established. The support management team is important in this respect; it is
comprised of InnoRegio actors and advisors commissioned by project backers to implement
the program. Joint meetings with the applicants contributed to a faster resolution of problem
areas in the support arrangements and sped up the decision-making process. Despite some
initial problems, the participants overwhelmingly judged the support concept and the
individual benefits of the InnoRegio to be positive (Table 1)⁴. Probably acceptance partly
results from the considerable number new partners especially acquired for R&D (Table 1).

The survey and interviews conducted in the framework of this study, as well as the project
backers’ statements point to marked differences between the networks in the project
approval process. Of the 19 InnoRegio networks that were already classed as being worthy
of support, four received early approval for support for their first projects, six needed to have
⁴ In comparison to the survey from the previous year the approval has even grown.

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