Varna Free University works in partnership with the municipal and regional authorities for the development of smart specialization strategies
The development of municipal and regional strategies for smart specialization is essential for the implementation of effective measures to stimulate the competitiveness of the industry based on new knowledge and ideas.
In the European Commission's proposal for cohesion policy in the period 2014-2020, the development of these strategies is a prerequisite for funding of projects under the operational programs in the programming period 2014-2020.
The Council of the European Union emphasizes the concept of "smart specialization" in which each region upgrades its own achievements, setting the priorities in national and regional innovation strategies. The recommendations of the EU are strategies to be developed jointly by the municipal and university structures, in partnership with the business on the basis of well-established platform (Smart Specialisation Platform).
In the spirit of the development strategy of the university on the basis of successful cooperation with administrative, business and educational structures andthe establishing of the higher education institution as an academic partnership model, the management of Varna Free University held a series of information meetings with representatives of regional and municipal administrations in different regions of the country.
At the end of October, Varna Free University and the European College of Economics and Management in Plovdiv brought together the municipalities from the region for an information meeting on the structural funds. The meeting was opened by the President of Varna Free University, Prof. D. Sc. Anna Nedyalkova. During the event, the European Commissioner for research, innovation and science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinnaddressed the participants on "The Role of Universities in Building a Strategy for Smart Specialization".
The information meeting, first of its kind in northeastern Bulgaria, related to the new national program "Strategy for Smart Specialization" was held in Varna at the invitation of the Rector of Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar". It was attended by representatives of the regional and municipal administrations of the districts of Varna, Dobrich, Silistra, Razgrad, Shumen and Targovishte.
The forum was opened by the Rector of VFU, Prof. D.Sc. Galya Gercheva, who pointed out the role of the event for early information and further coordination between the authorities, businesses and higher education institutions to implement the program, announced as a motive force of the future economic growth of the municipalities and regions in the EU.
The third in the series of information meetings was held on 27 November. It involved the Vice-Rector of Varna Free University, Prof. Valeri Stoyanov, PhD. Host of the forum was the regional administration in Montana.
With multimedia presentation Prof. Teodora Bakardjieva, PhD - Director of the Institute of Technology at VFU, introduced to the audience the essence and methods for the development of smart specialization strategies. The document presents a qualitatively new approach requiring assessment of the real innovation potential of the regions and refocuses the efforts towards developing sectors and international markets. Among the key concepts in the document are the priorities of the regions and municipalities, clusters of competence, platform for smart specialization and others.
During the discussions and the three working meetings there were discussed the opportunities for partnership between the university and the local authorities in the process of building up smart specialization strategies. The university has experts and expertise for partnership for development of the necessary regulations by which each municipality to highlight its key areas of specialization suitable for the opening of innovative potential. The institution offers partnership to municipalities and through specialized training and adapted Master’s degree programs to help them meet the new requirements for funding. There were also identified the first initiatives for joint work on the strategy for smart specialization in some municipalities.
Further information is available at: http://www.vfu.bg/akademia_znanie_i_inovatsii/predstoiashti/smart-specialization/
