The STARNETregio project has been conceived to increase the overall capacity of regional players in the regions Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy), Slovenia and the County of Rijeka (Croatia) to invest in RTD and carry out research activities in the marine industry – the focus lies in specific on shipbuilding and port equipments, thus strengthening and developing the sector’s scientific and technological basis and ultimately the economic growth of the regions. This endeavour will be achieved by encouraging and supporting within the regions the performance of “regional research-driven marine clusters”, based on the triple helix model, associating universities and research centres (RTD), enterprises (industry cluster) and public regional authorities (PA). 

The project regions have already established regional clusters or technology platforms dealing with the marine sector and which have a great impact on the regional and national economy. However, despite this general commonality, the three regions are not moving at the same pace as regards the RTD progress and local industrial performance:

• The region Friuli Venezia Giulia presents the shipbuilding industry as a very well established industry branch in the regional economic system with a strong impact on the employment rate and the region’s prosperity.
• Slovenia is characterised as a lesser developed region in the sector, especially in terms of research results achieved until today, but the country, since disposing of a network of research and industry players active in the sector, offers promising environmental and institutional conditions for enhancing the industry branch.
• The County of Rijeka considers shipbuilding as an important industry branch in the region. Although if more progressive than Slovenia, the sector nevertheless today is struggling due to the shipyards’ debts in the country that are higher than their original stock capital.

STARNETregio will tie up to these scenarios and will enhance the sector’s growth in all target regions by bringing together governmental, scientific and industrial key stakeholders (with particular reference to the small and medium seized companies which constitute up to 70% of the produced value in the shipbuilding sector), and therewith accumulating excellence know-how of all three regions. The project will enhance the cooperation and coordination among the regions for the initiation of common RTD strategies and the implementation of concerted RTD and innovation programmes, favouring the joint development of the shipbuilding industry in the entire geographical area. The target of the initiative is the shipbuilding sector integration in the regional development plans as one main focal point, thus demonstrating the regions’ commitment to improve the performance in the sector. Such integration process will be facilitated by the fact that project partners are already collaborating at single regional level through existing industrial and scientific clusters and networks, but, what is more important, they are already cooperating also at trans-national level through on-going projects and initiatives allowing exchange processes and experience sharing.

• Improved coordination and  implementation support among the partner regions.

Means of verification:

the constitution of a Technical Steering Committee, functioning as a repository of knowledge and experiences on regional RTD policies and regional research activities, and acting as an assessor of the sector’s technology needs from the industrial perspective.

the constitution of three Liaison Offices, one to be established in each region with the overall coordination of the region Friuli Venezia Giulia, disposing of a consolidated marine industry cluster and recognised as excellence player in research and production processes for the shipbuilding industry. The Liaison Offices aim to enhance research and technology transfer in the partner regions, thus increasing the economic value of research results.

• Development of regional and trans-national capabilities aimed at sustaining the capacity for investing in RTD, carrying out research activities and producing future research strategies.

Means of verification:

Analysis of the current regional situations in the shipbuilding industry, completed through Regional Reports for each region, demonstrating the state of play of the regional research driven clusters.

Analysis and assessment of the regional RTD backgrounds and the research and industrial communities, allowing for comparisons and the detection of synergies and complementarities to build on in the future through concerted regional development programmes. In this regard, three Regional Research Agendas will demonstrate the regions’ performance in a comparative way so as to establish future joint activities.

Improving the participation of responsible policymakers in maritime concerns, seeking for an increased allocation of local and regional funds to the sector and the better exploitation of funds coming from EU instruments. Policymakers will be directly involved in the project through the participation to the Technical Steering Committee. Furthermore, their involvement will be generated through the participation to the International Shipbuilding Dissemination Forum and the Joint RTD Strategy & Policy Formulation Event.

Improving the participation of the private sector in research activities, aimed at creating a more favourable environment to the private financing of innovation. The private sector will be directly involved in the project through the participation to the Technical Steering Committee and the work carried out in the three Liaison Offices. Furthermore, its involvement will be amplified through the participation to the International Shipbuilding Dissemination Forum and the Joint RTD Strategy & Policy Formulation Event .

• Initiation of concrete steps for a sustainable trans-national cooperation.

Means of verification:

Formulating a Shared Trans-national Research Agenda, defining the common foresight as regards the regions’ commitment to innovative technologies and the investment in RTD for the shipbuilding industry, and setting up a long-term vision on concerted regional strategies and RTD policies.

Accomplishment of workshops and personnel exchanges in each region, aimed at initiating mutual learning processes, diffusing knowledge and supporting the development of highly-qualified human capital. Specific regard will be given to the involved regions that are lesser developed and which might need additional mentoring in order to carry out successful RTD activities.

Elaboration of a joint Action Plan and integrated Business Plan, built on the shared trans-national research agenda and consisting in strategic steps towards concerted RTD initiatives.

• Broad dissemination activities and awareness building.

Means of verification:

Main dissemination tools are the International Shipbuilding Dissemination Forum, the Joint RTD Strategy & Policy Formulation Event, the main dissemination event and the project website, which will include a targeted newsletter tool. Information tailored to SMEs’ needs will be arranged and diffused with the help of the most relevant Craft and Industrialist Associations as well as through the Chambers of Commerce.