REGI Delegation to the Netherlands: Focus on Smart Specialisation - Main contents
A delegation composed of Members of the Committee on Regional Development visited a series of businesses, facilities and centres of knowledge in various regions of the Netherlands during a three-day trip focused on Smart Specialisation strategies in the EU. MEPs have reaffirmed the importance of Cohesion Funds as a major public investment tool and of good cooperation with regional and local authorities.
"I am delighted to have seen how well the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) supports innovation and R&D projects in the Netherlands and the importance of a good smart specialisation strategy in driving job creation and economic growth", said Iskra Mihaylova (ALDE, BG), Chair of the Committee on Regional Development.
After a visit to YesDelft, a high-tech centre for startups, the delegation visited the Bioprocess facilitator, a center of expertise and technology on the bio-based economy. The delegation then visited the Oesterij, an example of aquaculture. The following days, the delegation went to the "smartest" region of the Netherlands, the Brainport with Eindhoven at its heart, and visited the High Tech Campus and the Automotive Campus. "These two places are the living examples of the success of the concept of 'smart specialisation'", said Lambert van Nistelrooij (EPP, NL) coordinator for EPP Group in the REGI committee. He insists on smart specialisation to be at the core of the EU Regional Policy after 2020. "We have to bring together the best with the best. This is a great basis for inspiration and innovation on our continent", he added.
The MEPs also participated in debates with local, regional and national authorities during which "the beneficiaries of ERDF funds (...) highlighted the importance of EU financing, also, in more developed countries like Netherlands", said Ms Mihaylova (ALDE, BG). She also highlighted that "the good cooperation between EU institutions and regional and local authorities is key for creating the basis for innovative EU financed projects with a high positive impact at local and regional level."
Impressed by the level of investments and technological achievements in the Netherlands, S&D members of the delegation highlighted that "European funding programmes, such as H2020, and European Structural funds have been helpful not only in reaching an impressive level of technological innovation but, most important, in creating jobs and developing European regions."
Call for maritime regions to make blue economy a priority
The North Sea coastline of the Netherlands is about 350 kilometres long with about 2,5 million people living in the four maritime regions. The Netherlands has a diversified maritime economy and its most important maritime regions are Zuid-Holland and Noord-Holland. Two large ports (Rotterdam and Amsterdam) are located in these regions.
In this context and in view of discussions on the EU's Dutch Presidency in 2016, Younous Omarjee (GUE/NGL, FR), first Vice-Chair of the Regional Development committee, called on the government of the Netherlands to make the maritime economy a priority of its presidency. "Europe is the leading maritime power in the world, blue growth is an essential part of its future," he said, explaining also that in the context of M. Juncker's investment plan, maritime regions of Europe could make innovative proposals in this direction.
Background Information
Smart specialisation is a new innovation policy concept designed to promote the efficient and effective use of public investment in research. Its goal is to boost regional innovation in order to achieve economic growth and prosperity, by enabling regions to focus on their strengths.
The REGI delegation to the Netherlands (18-20 March) was composed of Ms Iskra Mihaylova (ALDE, BG), Mr Daniel Buda (EPP, RO), Mr Andrey Novakov (EPP, BG), Ms Maria Spryraki (EPP, EL), Ms Michela Giuffrida (S&D, IT), Ms Liliana Rodrigues (S&D, PT), Mr Younous Omarjee (GUE/NGL, FR) and Mr Lambert van Nistelrooij (EPP, NL).
The MEPS visited Yes!Delft, business incubator in Delft, Zuid - Holland, the
Bioprocess Pilot Facilitatoran, an ERDF co-funded facility which stimulates scaling-up laboratory experiments to an industrial scale, the Oesterij, a successful oyster producing family farm as well as the High Tech Campus and the Automotive Campus, in the Brainport-Eindhoven region.
They also met with representatives of different regions and provinces authorities (Zuid-Holland, West Netherlands, Province of Zeeland) and with the State Secretary for the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ms Sharon Dijksma.
Links
Website of the Committee on Regional Development
REGI Committee meeting documents
Watch previous REGI meetings on VOD
Twitter: EP_Regional
Voor een foto impressie van het bezoek klik hier