Background of FIDIBE

The SEE area has a low performance with respect to R&D. The majority of the countries of the area are facing low levels of innovative activity and thus of competitiveness. Therefore it is crucial to establish frameworks to motivate SMEs for innovation activities, to bring them closer to R&D activities and to provide a favourable environment for them. As a respond to that, many national and regional innovation policies in the SEE area aim to develop technology parks, incubators, research centres etc. – in one word innovative business parks. However, the effectiveness of the attempts to create or further develop such parks varies – there are well established institutions, good practices, but also weak initiatives seeking further assistance. We have realized that there is a strong need for transnational mechanisms, reference materials, models, sharing of best practices that could promote the coordinated development of these parks.

Objectives of FIDIBE

The main objectives are to increase the innovative potential and competitiveness of the SEE area with the development and support of competitive and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the Area, to facilitate innovation, promote entrepreneurship and the development of knowledge economy in the SEE area and to decrease the big disparity in economic development in the SEE area. Objectives would be achieved through developing and improving support networks and services for innovative SMEs in the area.

Specific objectives are:

• to introduce operational structures that enhance transnational cooperation among existing innovative business parks and such new initiatives in the SEE area and to create a network among them which allows sharing and dissemination of effective approaches in innovative business park development for the better provision of support services for innovative enterprises (second level clustering);
• to develop standards and location requirements for innovative business parks in form of a Manual in the programme area to provide an effective solution for the development problems of innovative SMEs, and create a favourable environment for them in terms of physical sites and a range of support services;
• with the transfer of best practice and exchange of common knowledge to encourage the establishment of new innovative business parks and facilitate the further development of existing ones;
• to capitalize the results, influence policy level and seek for financing of the establishment or extension of parks in the mainstream ERDF funded OPs or national funds via the involvement of relevant MAs and IBs, policy makers, national and regional stakeholders.

Main objectives of the projects are to develop standards, provide mechanisms of cooperation and exchange of experience, demonstrate best practice in the area of Business Park development. Main outputs and results are: the Manual of Business Innovation Park, which can be used as a guide to establish new and further develop existing parks, regional analyses and feasibility studies of the foundation of new parks or of the enhancement of old parks coupled with the in-depth analysis of needs of SMEs, forums for exchange of best practice, knowledge and experience in the framework of training, study tour, international seminar and final conference. The Partnership will use a wide range of instruments – internet, brochures, media, regional and international events – to communicate and disseminate the results of the project not only on SEE but also on EU level. Our aim is to ensure sustainability and capitalisation of the results and outputs during the lifecycle and in particular after the closure of the project.