Knowledge management in the Tampere Region

The challenges posed by the complexity of the current socio-economic environment require the development, generation, integration and management of knowledge. This challenge was highlighted in March 2000 at the Lisbon European Council meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, where a ten-year strategy to make the EU the world's most dynamic and competitive economy was set out. Regions have a crucial role to achieve this strategy.

Professia Ltd. which was hosting Tampere International Business Office was a partner in an EU project RKMnet - Regional Knowledge Management Network.

RKMnet was a European Project co-financed by the INTERREG IIIC Programme, South Zone. Its purpose was to encourage interregional co-operation across the EU territory and neighbouring countries on topics closely related to regional development. It was financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), as part of the Structural Funds and is co-financed by national project partners. RKMnet was a network composing 10 partners representing their region in 9 different countries. All INTERREG III C programme Zones (South, West, East, North) were involved in the project.

RKMnet Consortium

• Basque Government, Basque Country region (Spain). RKMnet Co-ordinator
• Labein Foundation, Basque Country region (Spain)
• Firenze Tecnologia, Tuscany region (Italy)
• CEIDET-Universidade de Aveiro, Centro region (Portugal)
• URENIO- Aristotle University of Tessaloniki, Central Macedonia region (Greece
• Professia, Länsi-Suomi region (Finland)
• Pospeševalni center za malo gospodarstvo (Slovenia)
• Naujos Ekonomikos Institutas (Lithuania)
• Advantage West Midlands, West Middlands region (UK)
• Regionales Innovationsbündis Oberhavel E.V. - RIO, region Berlin-Brandenburg (Germany)

Contact: bsanchez@labein.es

PROJECT DATA

• Start Date: April 2004
• End Date: June 2006
• Total Budget: 1,331,786 EUR
• EU Contribution: 815,893 EUR

RKMnet ACTIVITIES

The main activities of RKMnet were directed at the co-operation between the 10 project partners and regions which intended to:

- Create and Upgrade the RKMnet Portal Web. A Technical Watch System for Regional Scientific, Technological and Innovation Knowledge Management.

- Create and progress the Regional Scientific, Technological and Innovation Database.

- Raise awareness, Exchange, Transfer and Diffuse Experiences and Knowledge, through interregional Seminars, Workshops, Training and Publications.