The 2011 European Entrepreneurial Region award winner Brandenburg will be visited by an EU delegation from 31 May – 1 June 2012. The delegation will evaluate the progress of the programme that won Brandenburg the EER award.
In 2011, Brandenburg (DE) was one of the first three regions assigned the award European Entrepreneurial Region (EER), together with County Kerry (IE) and Murcia (ES). This accolade is given to those regions with great political engagement and the most convincing strategies to boost their entrepreneurial climate. Now, as Brandenburg's EER year has come to an end, an EER jury delegation must monitor the overall impact the label has had in the region.
The jury is composed of members from different entities to ensure an impartial viewpoint on the development of Brandenburg's programmes, as was the case with previous missions. The jury visiting Brandenburg is led by the President of the Committee of the Regions and EER jury chair, Ms Mercedes Bresso who underlines: "After three years of existence, the EER label has been recognised by most of our stakeholders as an instrument to help regions to master the economic crisis". She will be accompanied by the CoR member Mr Henk Kool and representatives from the European Commission's DG Enterprise and Industry, the EC representation in Germany and Social Economy Europe.
Under the title "Brandenburg - European Entrepreneurial Region 2011 - A strategy to support Innovation and Creativity for SMEs" the Brandenburg State Government has set seven targets that eventually led to the allocation of the EER award:
- innovative forms of SME funding involving new revolving instruments;
- ecological modernisation;
- promotion of creativity and innovation;
- internationalisation;
- promotion of start-ups;
- improvement of the entrepreneurial culture;
- securing workforce quality and quantity.
The first three objectives in particular drew the jury's attention in 2011. Throughout the EER year 2011, the region has been financing EER-related projects through the ERDF, has strengthened its ESF co-financed start-up facilities which have been nominated amongst the finalists of the Regiostars 2012, and has increased its efforts to boost start-ups with a special focus on internationalisation. Furthermore, small businesses have been put at the heart of its strategy to increase the transfer of R&D know-how into marketable innovative technologies.
Part of the EER label is to ensure the sustainability of the action plan. Therefore, the jury will assess the progress made during the EER year 2011 and discuss prospects to further develop Brandenburg's EER strategy with regional partners.
Further information: cor.europa.eu/eer