Studying other knowledge regions enables us to identify good practices in other regions. This compilation will focus on the role of governance in managing and planning regional development

The need to create a decision-making arena at regional level requires the analysis and study of different regions that have institutions specifically dedicated to that purpose and that have administrative powers at the level of regional government. The regions of Tampere, Cantabria and Twente have been analysed due to their complexity and singularity in different aspects.

Tampere

The region of Tampere (Finland) makes a particularly interesting case study because it is an example of evolution towards a knowledge region or smart specialization. At the core of its system of  governance is the Council of Tampere. Is interesting to point out that the Finnish system is organized into regional councils formed by municipal authorities that function according to the principles of local self-government. In addition, the Councils operate as regional development and planning authorities and “act as centres of development for the regions. They also pursue the interests of the region, its municipalities, inhabitants and business and carry out research, planning and analyses”.[1]

The councils receive “an annual state grant” to ensure regional development and establish the guidelines along which this development is to take place.  The councils also organize draw up plans and carry out specific analyses. In this regard, foresight exercises are key to determining the needs and interests of different agents in the region and to developing a strategy for solving the needs of society.

How the system works?

The assembly consists of democratically elected members and is the decision-making core of Regional Council. Its members are councillors from different municipalities who meet two times a year.

The ensure the function of this model, the Finnish authorities have set up two permanent bodies:

1. The Board: “The executive and administrative body of the Regional Council”,[2] members of which “are elected by the Assembly along party lines to be politically representatives of the region.” The Board meets at least once a month.
2. The Region Mayor is the president of Regional Council. Additionally, “he leads regional development activities in the region and works as a supervisor of the interests of the member municipalities”.[3]

Furthermore, Tampere’s region has an Economic Development Agency, Business Tampere, which promotes investment, attracts talent and creates opportunities for developing business in region.

Cantabria

Cantabria (Spain) as a region is unusual due to the fact that it is both an autonomous community (i.e. the second level of government in Spain after the central government) and a province (the third level of government in Spain). Thus, even though its social and economic data are included in NUTS3 statistics, in reality the region has the administrative competences of an NUTS2 region due to its status as an autonomous community.

In Cantabria, an entity promotes the idea of a knowledge region. Firstly, the Cantabria International Campus  (CCI), which brings together the Universities of Cantabria and Menéndez Pelayo with the aim of guaranteeing intelligent and cohesive development and of achieving excellence in research and knowledge transfer. The project also involves other regional and national entities, including regional and local governments, the hospital network, the port, foundations, institutes, chambers of commerce, etc.

Governance focuses on social, technological and political innovation through a strategy that monitors and evaluates impact. Specifically, two specific structures have been created: the “Regional Innovation Commission” and the “Regional Innovation Forum“. The first is the executive body responsible for promoting, planning and coordinating all R+D+I activities. This body brings together political leaders and executive directors from different sectors with the aim of implementing a mixed policy based on feedback and learning between those involved. The second is the “Innovation Forum”, which is a participative space aimed at all members of the innovation ecosystem.

Cantabria also has a regional development agency, SODERCAN, the objective of which is to promote R+D+I activities in industrial sectors with the aim of generating wealth in the surrounding companies.

Twente

The last example is Twente (Netherlands) which is part of a provincial organization located in Overijssel. In 2007, the national government transferred its regional economic development responsibilities to the provinces. This legislation thus created a governance structure based on collaboration between the provincial government and local municipalities (Coalition Agreement Overijssel 2015-2019). Collaboration between institutions enables the Twente region to benefit from NUTS2 expertise, even though it is technically considered an NUTS3.

As in the previous cases, Twente has an institution, the Twente Board, which guarantees investment in research to promote technological education.

Conclusions

The study of these systems of governance reveals different models adapted to the specific characteristics of each territory and their complexities at different levels. Ultimately, they all have the same objective of promoting knowledge-based activity. But the most interesting aspect is the theoretical basis on which they base their systems of government, namely the triple helix system, a concept promoted by Etzkowitz (1993) with the aim of leading societies towards knowledge.

It is worth mentioning that Tampere and Twente have specific territorial characteristics in that, despite being classified as NUTS3, the internal regional organisation of their countries allows them to act as NUTS2, thus allowing them to exercise their own administrative powers and resulting in more cohesive and therefore smarter regions. In fact, a very interesting differentiating element that is repeated in all three cases is the existence of regional development agencies that guarantee the distribution of investment to the different economic sectors represented in the territory.

In the light of all this, which governance model should Southern Catalonia adopt? It is difficult to reach a firm conclusion on this question; however, whatever the conclusion, it will benefit from an analysis of the situation, from dialogue and cohesion between the different entities involved and from strategic planning that will create region of knowledge capable of responding to society’s needs.

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[1] This information has been checked online. See: http://www.pirkanmaa.fi/council-of-tampere-region/?lang=en [Last consultation: 14/11/2017]

[2] This information has been checked online. See: http://www.pirkanmaa.fi/decision-making/?lang=en [Last consultation: 14/11/2017]

[3] This information has been checked online. See: http://www.pirkanmaa.fi/decision-making/?lang=en [Last consultation: 14/11/2017]