Call for tender for Preparatory Actions for Urban Networks for Competitiveness and Innovation

Cooperation between cities through networks is one of the conditions for access to specific funding foreseen in the QREN – National Strategic Reference Framework (2007-2013) Operational Regional Programmes.

Tenders should provide for participation of different relevant urban stakeholders, in particular specific players from the science and technology system (namely R&D centres and laboratories), higher education institutions, entrepreneurial associations and public or private companies.

This policy instrument is intended to promote the formulation of cooperation strategies and the creation of networks of cities (axes or urban systems) with enough critical mass to attract and develop new urban functions and innovative activities – namely via the creation and anchoring of knowledge of new models and tools for development and use of information and communication technologies – and thus project themselves internationally.

The following strategic cooperation topics are encouraged:

• Cooperation in the area of production and dissemination of new knowledge, including its social appropriation and realising its economic value;
• Cooperation to develop new applications, urban services and interactive and creative environments based on information and communication technologies;
• Cooperation based on the territorial competitiveness factors of activity clusters, especially emerging clusters;
• Cooperation to step up ability to attract activities and creative professionals;
• Cooperation to appreciate the worth of specific territorial resources, namely when targeting sharing of heritage and cultural resources and appreciation thereof (including appreciation of cultural facilities);
• Cooperation to strengthen and qualify players and the innovative environment and to create knowledge communities;
• Cooperation based on models of governance and on policies to develop creative cities.

In terms of these Preparatory Actions, Urban Networks for Competitiveness and Innovation mean networks comprising:

• Geographically close cities involved in a joint strategy harnessing complementary aspects and interdependence, strengthening creative factors and promoting knowledge and innovation and internationalisation, aiming to reposition themselves nationally and internationally;
• Geographically distant cities cooperating through a backbone action plan aiming to harness joint heritage features, strategic pluses for the same activity cluster or specific factors benefiting from strengthened inter-urban complementarity.