Objectives

• Development of new energy efficiency and RES solutions through Sustainable Energy Action Plans in the involved areas
• creation and testing of innovative solutions of private-public-people partnerships to encourage the demand for EE and RES and the development of smart energy chains and communities

Activities

• assessment of the energy system of the involved areas
• outlining of roadmaps to achieve targets 2020
• capacity building for the local administrations on "energy efficiency" and "renewables" in urban planning
• Sustainable Energy Action Plans
• Creation of Public Private People Partnership (PPPP)
• assessment of the technical and financial feasibility of an intervention of SEAP;
• final assessment of the activities

Objectives

Internationalization of the study program of Adriatic secondary schools

Creation of an Adriatic program for students' mobility at secondary school level

Creation of an institutional network of Adriatic School Authorities which develops criteria for mutual recognition of

secondary school programs and diplomas to increase students' mobility opportunities.

Project activities

- Creation of KEPASS program for students' mobility at secondary school level for the Adriatic Area

- Launch of the first Call for accrediting schools within the KEPASS mobility program

- Creation of a tool (the accreditation system) to drive schools towards more competitive and up to date education offer and assess it

- Monitoring visits to assess schools for accreditation

- Training workshop for school principals

- Training program for teachers of the accredited schools

- Pilot mobility for aged 17/18 in another Adriatic country for one term

- Definition of and assessment tool to measure the competences acquired by students during mobility

- Horizontal mainstreaming of the KEPASS program

- Presentations of the project results to Decision Makers in the Cooperation Area, EU representatives, EU delegation.

Results

- Increased formal, informal and non formal competences in students who participate in the mobility program

- Increased attractiveness and competitiveness of secondary schools accredited in the KEPASS program

- Mutual recognition of vocational diplomas in specific sectors of interest

- Creation of "International Modules" to be then added to the ordinary curriculum of each school receiving accreditation in the KEPASS system

Project objectives:

• spreading and development of the knowledge of the R&D system of the   Kragujevac area among the most important actors of the institutional, research and economic system by the definition of a deeper and more objective analysis of the points of strength of the  territory;
• support to the local actors in the acquisition of competences and knowledge necessary for the development of a scientific and technological park capable of correctly managing the innovation and SME development processes, as well as of providing the know how and the useful instruments for the joint participation to national and European R&D programmes;
• strengthening of the  SME innovation capacities of the regional economic realities of excellence in the engineering and industrial components sectors; promotion of their internationalization by the development of weaving factories with Serbian partners so as to foster a joint development and the possibility of profiting of international opportunities thanks to the mix of know how/specialization of FVG enterprises and prices and the manufacturing capacities of Serbian actors;
• development of a participatory communication process with the most important stakeholders of the two territories, as for example economic and institutional realities and the civil population so as to foster the cohesion between the two regions.

Expected results:

• increased knowledge of the R&S system of the  Kragujevac area among the most important actors of the institutional, research and economic system by the definition of a deeper and more objective analysis of the points of strength of the territory aimed at the implementation of new joint projects and programmes;
• Feasibility study and transfer of the models for the start-up of the management of a scientific and technologic park.
• start up of collaborations between the Friuli Venezia Giulia SMEs and their counterparts for the implementation of joint projects.
• Development of a participatory communication with the most important stakeholders of the two territories.

The project, inspired by principles of environmental sustainability and cross-border cooperation, aims to improve the joint use of sports and recreational facilities in the recipient areas. In particular, interventions will focus on the promotion of sports activities that take

place in the natural environment, such as climbing, hiking and mountaineering cycling, addressed to young and disadvantaged social groups.

Specific objectives

• Enhancement of the cycle-tourism and hiking supply;
• Realization of new sporting and educational cross-border projects;
• Creation and development of suitable centres to support sporting activities and excursions;
• Development of education and training, particularly the horse-therapy addressed to vulnerable people.

Expected results

• Requalification of facilities and equipment for climbing and hiking;
• Realization of specific programs for climbing training;
• Development of programs and paths enjoyable by vulnerable people;
• Creation of entertainment and information centres;
• Organisation of training sessions for tourism and social operators and sport courses for tourists;
• Organisation of a joint cultural week dedicated to mountain environment and sports;

• Publication of monographic guides and information catalogues on the Julian Alps.

Realization of a new online platform to support the internationalization of Italian enterprises in new markets and promote new business opportunites. The tool, in English language, has free entrance and allows companies to have a virtual showcase where promote their products and services, and to get in contact with other selected companies, interested in establishing new commercial and business relations.

Management and maintenance of the platform.

Companies networking

The proposed project is the second step of a 24 months programme developed by Informest which has a twofold objective:

1. To strengthen skills and improve capacities of participating Business Support Organisation - BSOs in the field of financial instruments made available by International Financial Institutions to small and medium sized enterprises;
2. To provide technical assistance to a pilot group of selected SMEs in each recipient country to facilitate their access to international financial schemes for investments.

Project purpose

• Increased understanding of selected BSOs staff of their role in assisting SMEs in their search for finance;
• Intensification of collaboration between BSOs and SMEs in the field of IFI facilities.

Expected results

• Updating of the FIT4SMEs BSO database;
• Elaboration of a questionnaire to be delivered to each registered BSO in order to update the training needs;
• Conduct of a training needs assessment analysis;
• Organisation of three training sessions held in SERBIA, UKRAINE and ALBANIA;
• Organisation of a Pilot Action (2-3 SMEs selected for each recipient country);
• Updating of the project website.

The general objective of the project is the creation of an information system for the integration and coordination of competences and technologies regarding the activities of planning and implementation of building projects. The project aims to facilitate the matching between supply and demand for Private-Public Partnerships. The project aims at enhancing SMEs competitiveness through the development of cross-border cooperation between enterprises and institutions.

Project objectives:

• Creation of a cross-border platform;
• Support for the transfer of technologies;
• Support to enterprises in the internationalisation process and in reaching good practises in planning and organisation;

• Streamlining of bureaucratic processes concerning the creation of opportunities for Private-Public Partnerships;
• Support to public administrations and municipalities for the drafting of Private-Public Partnerships projects.
• SMEs training related to Project Financing and Project Management;

• Monitoring service on Private-Public Partnership opportunities available for SMEs.

The main objective of the project is the transfer of experiences and good practices to the stakeholders in the three recipient countries. The intervention axis are:

• AXIS I: Preservation of biodiversity between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Istria;
• AXIS II: Internationalization - development of economics relations between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Montenegro: strengthening and development of economic cooperation between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Montenegro SMEs.
• AXIS III : Social Cooperative: the activities aim to include vulnerable people in the Albanian labor market - transfer of best practices in Albania.

Project activities:

AXIS I: 1. scientific research aiming at the preservation of the bee ecotype populating the Eastern coast of the Adriatic See; 2. direct trainig for the beekeepers; 3. promotion of beekeeping products and honey nutritive proprieties, raise of awareness about the importance of bees in human food chain through the participation at events and the organisation of formative meeting addressed to primary school students.

AXIS II: presentation conference organised by Unioncamere FVG; 2. collection of the regional agencies' expressions of interest in order to participate at the mission; 3. research of Montenegrin partners; 4. B2B in Montenegro and in Triest.

AXIS III: 1. visit to the Social Cooperative ONLUS Hattiva's buildings by the Albanian onlus; 2. individuation of the study area in Albania; 3. feasibility study in order to verify the reproducibility of Hattiva’s experience in the Albanian territory.

The MOTOR Project aims to contribute and increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of tourism supply in some territorial segments, such as tourist destinations into protected areas, the less developed rural areas and urban centers with a rich cultural heritage.

In particular, the project aims at fostering innovation in the tourism sector through the development of cross-border tour packages that connects existing tourism facilities. Furthermore, the project favors knowledge and training of tourist actors through activities such as local coaching and tutoring and supports new investments in innovation and the creation of new services and local tourism offers.

Expected Results:

• Creation of a joint study on the tourism potential and a development plan for the areas involved in the project;
• Implementation of training initiatives and coaching addressed to actors and stakeholders acting in the tourism field;
• Organization of study visits in areas characterized by good practices and exchange of experiences;
• Development of cross-border tourist packages and programs;
• Joint presentation in a sectorial fair.

Project Objectives:

• Developing and enhancing knowledge of Vojvodina Research and Development system among main institutional actors of FVG research and economic system;
• Supporting local actors in the acquisition of competences and knowledge necessary for the development of innovation processes towards green and highly productive technologies and for joined participation in national and European programmes of research and development;
• Reinforcing competences of regional economic realities in competing in internationalization processes, according with foreign opportunities;
• Developing a process of participated communication with most important stakeholders of the territories, with economic and institutional realities and with civil society.

Expected results:

• Feasibility sectoral study in biotechnology and renewable technology sector;
• Training activities aimed at providing local actors with necessary competences and knowledge for the development of innovation processes;
• Dissemination activities about opportunities for regional enterprises and organization of meetings;
• Communication activities and dissemination of project content and activities.

Project Objectives

ACQUIS 3 project is aimed at the following specific objectives:

1. Implementation of an institutional workshop representing the result of the technical assistance path to local administrations for the definition of their Statute, in a EU harmonization logic;

2. Implementation of a service of accompaniment and technical assistance to the FVG authorities and SMEs in the individuated areas (Kragujevac, Bar), by the valorisation of the presence and role of local partners;

3. Reinforcement of the FVG info-point of Kragujevac (Serbia) with the aim of valorising the cooperation activities started by INFORMEST and IAL FVG, so as to seize the emerging opportunities for the socio-economic system of FVG region;

4. Setting up of a stable presence in Bar (Montenegro) so as to valorise the presence of FVG region started with the previous project. Focus will be on the building and hotel works sector and plant, included domotics, water depuration and waste management.

5. Activation and realization of seminars targeted to the interested subjects of the two areas so as to train up persons capable of assuring a follow up to the transfer of information, competences and opportunities, useful for the promotion, planning and implementation of local development, cooperation and economic exchange initiatives.

6. Drafting of project proposals for local development in both countries.  

Project objectives:

• Increase knowledge of the country's integration process and its implications particularly among key target groups;
• Increase general understanding of the EU, its policies and programmes among the population at large.

Specific Objectives:

• Enhancing EU information impact and provide clear image of the EU via explaining its policies and objectives;
• Providing information on the development of the relations between the European Union and Albania and better understanding of the impact of the pre-accession process on one's own life and expectations;
• Increasing knowledge about the implementation of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) in the country;
• Increasing synergies with multipliers and other interested parties for the provision of the information on the EU.

Expected Results

• The EU Information Centre well managed
• Support to the EU Delegation for the implementation of information and communication activities in Albania
• Information on the development of relations between the European Union and Albania provided to maximum key target groups
• Tailor made information on the implementation of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) in the country provided to maximum key target groups
• Synergies with multipliers and other interested parties on provision of EU information established
• EU information products (print, audiovisual and electronic ones) delivered
• Events on EU related actions organised

ACOST general objectives are strengthening the Croatian tourism sector, both supporting Croatian economic actors and policy-makers who play an important role in the tourism planning, development and promotion and improving the economic cooperation between Italy and Croatia in the tourism sector to strengthen the Italian market's penetration in Croatia.

Activities:

• Training activities addressed to the Croatian policy-makers to ensure the professional growth and the tourism sector growth;
• Analysis of capacities of the Croatian associations to penetrate in the main markets of demand's formation in tourism sector;
• Training activities addressed to economic operators to re-force the knowing of complexity of products' promotion and of products' selling;
• Study-tour in Trentino Region addressed to the Croatian participants of the training courses;
• Participation of a delegation of Croatian operators in a fair of tourism sector in Italia;
• Participation of a delegation of Italian operators in a fair of tourism sector in Croatia;
• Meeting b2b within Croatian and Italian firms.

Expected results

• Making improvements of planning capacities of policy makers;
• Innovation of process and products of world's tourism sector;
• Qualifying of tourism offer;
• Making improvements of marketing and web marketing;
• Enheancing of the positioning of the Croatia on the world tourism destination market;
• Growth of tourism incoming;
• Making improvements of quality level of hotels;
• Re-forcing of economic relationship between Italia and Croatia;
• Economic agreements between Italian and Croatian firms.

The project promotes the utilization of existing cultural values and tourist potential of target territories creating local identities having as references both promotion and tourism management based on the appeal factor of historical villages, walled cities, castles and cultural sites comprised in the these territories. These factors contribute to the development of the economic potentials of the local economy assuring the highest employment rates and improved living conditions for the population of the target territories.

The project supports both the preservation of these areas and the use of historical and cultural determinants in order to promote sustainable tourism as an essential factor in developing urban areas together with their surrounding rural areas.

The envisaged activities include: The promotion of the historical villages, fortified cities, cultural sites and cultural itineraries in the target territories; The sensitization of the target area stakeholders and local policymakers/operators to the economic and social advantages that can be derived from creating a network of common experience and by the  affiliation to the to-be constituted network of cross-border centres with a high tourist appeal; The management of pilot projects regarding particular territories and itineraries; The development of a institutional training and promotion shared network among cross-border centres with a high tourist appeal; The creation of a series of promotional and educational activities together with media representatives and tour operators.

The main goal is to strengthen the bond of common origin among Adriatic cities through territorial cooperation, the aim being to create and to put into practice a common cross-border strategy emphasizing local history and heritage, cultural tourism and other factors essential for the economic rebirth of historical centers.

Project objective

AGRONET is a permanent network of logistic, distribution and service infrastructures in food production lines among the two Adriatic coasts. The general objective of the project is to develop transnational cooperation activities within the framework of the SME system in order to promote forms of commercial cooperation and investments in transnational areas.

Project activities

• Setting up of a Sheering Committee in order to coordinate all activities;
• Definition of a dissemination plan for the project to promote cooperation among countries;
• Setting up of a observatory for implementation, management and development of a single agricultural and food production lines within the territory;
• Providing outsourcing professional support and consultancy technical services;
• Devising some guidelines to implement work process certification systems;
• Endorsing agreements with Credit Institutes, in order to be granted dedicated banking lines and credit lines and some specifics forms of guarantees for exporting products and for structural investments of companies;
• Setting up of a specific software programme for manage logistic platform;
• Defining a protocol of intentions to establish an European Territorial Cooperation Group (GECT);
• Benchmarking and training about the implementation of certification systems and the use of an information platform.

Expected results

• Implementation of entrepreneurial methods based on the concept of cooperation within the framework of production lines in the Adriatic area, in order to maximize the potential for internationalization;
• Fostering distribution and service systems in food production lines in order to strengthen enterprises with a perspective of transational cooperation;
• Introduction of support measures for enterprises by applying certified productive systems and financial measures in order to increase investments, development and presence in the market;
• Research and support to internationalization and spreading of the best practises about the organisation and management of production lines, also by means of public-private cooperation agreements on the development of territories;
• Study and testing of new technologies and managerial techniques in production lines, in order to stimulate the introduction of techniques and solutions;

Promotion and use of joint ventures among economic subjects in different areas or countries.

Objectives

• To concretely involve youth dimension in public life and policies (in particular anti-discrimination, sport, culture and access to labour market)
• To strengthen the youth participation in the civil life and in the decision-making processes;
• To create a Youth Policies Commission within the Adriatic Euroregion

Activities

• To analyze youth policies at national and local level and youth organisations
• To set up Youth Forums, Youth Information Services and Multimedia Communication Centres
• To create a Youth Policies Commission within the Adriatic Euroregion
• To train young people and promote entrepreneurship in the cultural sector;
• To organize events in the Adriatic area

Results

• Improved knowledge of EU/foreign legislation, experiences and best practices in youth policies;
• Improved participation of local young population in local civil life;
• Creation of stable network of youth associations at local and cross-border level;
• creation of a Youth Policies Commission within the Adriatic Euroregion

Objective

The initiative is in accordance with the health framework of Operative Plan of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region 2010-2013. The objective is strengthen international and local partnership in order to establish future partnership to implement cooperation projects in the health sector to finance within  European and international programmes. The initiative aims at establishing a coordinate framework for the project of scientific and institutional stakeholder that are operating on regional territories in a international view.

Project activities 

• Cooperation and implementation of projects and realization of training course
• Support to implementation of  European and international projects
• Cooperation between Friuli Venezia Giulia region and health Ministry of Albania with the involvement of the regional IRCCS and of Albanian hospital in the frame of "Institutional Table"

CHARPLAN aims to provide a strong basis for ensuring compatibility and synergy between Cultural Heritage conservation and socio-economic growth by fostering the adoption of a modern Environmental Planning approach. The aim of the project is to integrate traditional urban and spatial planning with the concerns of environmentalism to ensure a sustainable development.

In particular, the specific objectives of the project are:

• Enhancing capacities of national/local authorities, tourism operators and CH managers;
• Increasing relevant stakeholders integration and motivation to participate in the revitalization;
• Enhancing joint strategies for the development of historical centres and management of CH;
• Transferring know-how from more to less experienced countries/contexts by promoting a transnational pooling of expertise;
• Introducing innovative tools of economic development based on environmental services;
• Implementing International Conventions on Cultural Heritage.

Project activities

• Predisposition of a communication campaign (brochures, articles, events, seminars);
• Creation of a project website hosting a GIS platform to ensure easy access to information;
• Analysis of the legislative frameworks on Cultural Heritage and existing planning tools at regional, national and EU levels;
• Realization of a studying research on the Cultural Heritage of the recipient countries;
• Elaboration of a CH Environmental Planning and definition of possible comprehensive scenarios;
• Realization of pilot projects experiences.

Project objectives

The project aims at the development and implementation of operative plans and new tools in order to consolidate and diversify urban and regional economy through the enhancement and tourist promotion of historic, cultural and religious heritage in the partner countries. In particular, the project aims to integrate the religious cultural values in the planning and development processes of urban, rural and peripheral centres of SEE programme area.

Project activities

• Creation of a religious heritage catalogue and assessment of the development potentials through the realization of a GIS map concerning all the partner regions, good practices and tourist service assets analysis;
• Elaboration of a Religious Tourism Common Model (RTCM);
• Creation of four Agencies - in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece - specialised in religious tourism development;
• Internationalization and marketing promotion of religious touristic products in the South East Europe area, through the definition of touristic itineraries and routes, the participation into International Tourism Fairs and Seminars, the organization of promotional activities addressed to tour operators and religious tourism specialized agencies.

Expected results

• Elaboration of a SEE cultural and religious heritage virtual map;
• Elaboration of a Religious Tourism Common Model;
• Design and promotion of religious tourism itineraries;
• Creation of Tourist Agencies specialized in the development of religious tourism;

• Identification of a cross-border route to be proposed to the Council of Europe and included into the European Cultural Routes.

SEE Digi.TV aims to speed-up the digitalization of the broadcasting services,including the largest number of stakeholders, especially broadcasters and industry. On a long term, the project aims to solve issues of digital divide and social inclusion and thus will contribute to the creation of the region of equal opportunities. The overall objective of the SEE Digi.TV is the harmonization of the activities related to the introduction of Digital Broadcasting services in the target SEE region.

Project objectives:  

• speed-up the overall process of analog switch-off in the region and further developments to more efficient technologies;
• maximize the harmonization of the legislative and technical frameworks with the EU digitalization process;
• avoid policy, technology and market fragmentation;
• develop regional strategy for optimal use of freed frequency spectrum for new ICT broadband services;
• efficiently manage digital dividend.

Furthermore the project contributes to environmental sustainability as new digital broadcasting technology at both sides, transmitting and receiving side, lowers the power consumption significantly.

The project aims to raise awareness and facilitate access to financial instruments made available by International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) though a training addressed to the staff of selected BSOs located in the 9 non EU CEI Member states, in order to strengthen their internal capacities and knowledge on instruments available through major IFIs. The proposed project is a first part of a larger programme developed by Informest which seeks to develop skills and improve capacities of participating BSOs to help them provide a similar level of assistance offered by business support organisations in the European Union countries.

The project has the general objective to promote and sustain the development of the regional economic system in Turkey, with particular attention to the sector of technologies and telecommunications (ICT), with the aim to strengthen economic and institutional relations among the two territories and support the local productive system in the acquisition of competencies and knowledge in the field of ICT.

ITHREU main objective is supporting Croatia in the integration process towards the European Union. The project provides a technical assistance to the representatives of the Croatian public agencies/ministries, in particular in the sectors of SMEs, energy, environment and construction in order to transfer the Italian good practices and expertises focused on a complete industrial re-conversion and a stronger development of the Croatian productive system and an enforcement of the direct Italian investment in Croatia.

Project activities:

• Organization of the Italian-Croatian Economic Fora on mid-years basis;
• Creation of a web site dedicated to the Economic Fora;
• Organization of workshops to identify partnerships between Italia and Croatia;
• Analysis of the needs of the Italian-Croatian cooperation;
• Supplying of 50 days of training and technical assistance for Croatian public officers;
• Study-tour in Italia for the Croatian public officers;
• Territorial marketing analysis of interchange and cooperation between Italia and Croatia to define the most interesting sectors;
• Elaboration of a promotional plan and brochure;
• Joint participation of Italian and Croatian delegations in two International fairs on third markets.

Expected results:

• Efficacy of the Italian-Croatian Economic Fora;
• Strengthening of the Croatian governance;
• Development of a integrated planning;
• Acceleration in the last phase of the Croatia adhesion process to the European standards;
• Strengthening of the cooperation between the Italian and Croatian economic and productive systems;
• Development of a territorial marketing plan;
• Increase of the Italian-Croatian collaboration in productive, economic and trades fields.

The general objective of the project is the strengthening of competitiveness of SMEs in the cross border area through the development of cooperation activities and the creation of networks among enterprises, with the general aim to develop competitiveness of the cross border territory toward the global market.

Specific objectives:

• Promotion of R&D and of the knowledge economy, with particular attention to the system of SMEs
• Improve and qualify the occupational potential through the creation of coordinated systems of educational activities
• Strengthen systems of communication and instruction

Activities:

• Creation of a network among institutions supporting SMEs
• Implementation of a Knowledge Management System (KMS)
• Implementation f a Digital Business Ecosystem
• Creation of cross border clusters
• Activities of territorial marketing for the joint participation of cross border SMEs on foreign markets
• Development of specific actions for the involvement of junior and senior in the entrepreneurial contest
• Awareness of SMEs on innovation opportunities and on benefits of the internationalization process

Results:

• Creation of an active entrepreneurial cross border frameworks through the establishment of networks/platforms and clusters
• Activation of joint services for SMEs
• Improvement of competencies of junior and senior and connection between labour market and the educational system

"Innoweek" - the week of Innovation, Science and Technology in Novi Sad, is a project financed by the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia and coordinated by Informest, whose aim is to represent in a serie of events and meetings in Vojvodina's main city, the Friuli Venezia Giulia 's regional system of scientific research, innovation and technological development.

The general objective of the project is to favor and consolidate the cooperation between the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in a number of key sectors of the technological development already identified, establishing permanent relations among scientific institutions and local actors of the territorial development, promoting common projects and intensifying bilateral exchange programmes.

The Protocol Agreement in force between the Region FVG and the Province of Vojvodina since June 13^th, 2007, and updated on January 30^th, 2009, with the signature of a joint declaration from the two Presidents Renzo Tondo and Bojan Pajtic, contains a working map to enhance the cooperation between the two regions. In particular, strengthening the so-called 'Regional Innovation System' (i.e. the cluster of research centers, academy, local institutions and innovative enterprises in the region) has been identified as a priority in the partnership building process, considered the excellence of the 'Friuli Venezia Giulia model' at European level and the receptiveness of the innovation network in Vojvodina.

The 'Innovation Week' that is going to be organized in Novi Sad by Informest and the two project partners on 21-23 September 2010, will allow some of the actors of the Friuli Venezia Giulia innovation system to present themselves to potential partners in Vojvodina and activate a knowledge exchange path capable of rising a long-term strategic partnership between the two geographical areas.

It is foreseen the creation of several bilateral Working Tables that will gather research centers, enterprises and institutions to debate around the following priorities:

• Biotechnologies applied to agrofood and medical / health care sectors
• Energy efficiency and new energy sources
• ICT for personal and collective mobility.

Project objectives:

In the framework of a wider and long-lasting cooperation between the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Montenegro, the main objective of the Maricoltura project was the analysis of the water conditions in the Bay of Kotor for the implementation of an experimental oyster farm aiming at enhancing and modernizing the Montenegrin aquaculture and traditional fishing sectors, diversifying production, introducing new technologies and innovative knowledge tools and allowing the adoption of sustainable production methods meeting the European standards.

By increasing the economic incidence of aquaculture and fostering fish-based nutrition attitudes, the project has thus strengthened the scientific, economic, social and institutional cooperation between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Montenegro to support the maritime identity of Montenegro and develop its productive, economic and social potential.

Project activities:

• Mapping of the Bay of Kotor to set the ground for oyster farming;
• Implementation of an experimental oyster farm in one of the areas granted to the Institute of Marine Biology of Kotor;
• Implementation of the project website.

Project results:

• Identification of the sea areas suitable for oyster farming;
• Introduction of innovative technologies and know-how;
• Sustainable exploitation of the Bay of Kotor;
• Improvement of the aquaculture sector for the economic development of the country.

The aim of ADRIA A project is to contribute to the re-organization of the accessibility and transports system with the scope of setting up an integrated metropolitan area

The project objective is to achieve a critical mass in order to ease the competition of territories and realizing an efficient, integrated and sustainable transport system. It's foreseen the projecting of the missing links on the railway infrastructure both Italian and Slovenian, allowing to realize joint transport services on the whole area (railway, local public transport, inter-modalities between airports/railway/sea) in order to improve connections among cities.

ADRIA will establish the 1^st EGTC (European Group for Territorial Cooperation) between Italy and Slovenia, instrument based on EU law supporting cross border cooperation for future actions in the field of spatial planning and transports.

Objectives

• Development of an Integrated transport system trough a Light Train between cities like Gorizia, Nova Gorica, Sesana, Divaca, Koper, Trieste.
• Creation of a transport network among participating cities, regions ( Veneto and Friuli VG), ports, operators, associations through the establishment of new market oriented transport services able to launch a tourist promotion of the integrated cross-border area.
• Creation of a Common cross-border body under EU law on European Group of Territorial Co-operation: The first EGCT created in Italy on Italian territory
• Strategic studies and Analysis of demand for shuttle trains connecting cross-border and programme area cities, airports and ports, so as to facilitate attainment of transport and economic objectives (also in light of potential tourist market opportunities), while pursuing regional development and modal shift objectives
• Development of policy recommendations and medium term investment road map so as to promote intermodal passengers transport and to integrate with inland transport

Project objectives:

The objective of the initiative i sto increase knowledges and skills related to access and use of EU funds: target groups are young people of the Gorizia and Isonzo area interested in starting a professional career as EU project manager and EU policies experts.

Project activities:

Concept and implementation of a training course addressed to young people (24 to 30 years old) living in Gorizia and Isonzo area aimed at deepen issues related to Eu programmes promoting an approach both theoretical and practical with the scope of providing young people with operative tools to work in the field of cooperation project, both transnational and crossborder. The course will be structured in 2 modules: one focused on EU insititutions & programmes and on shaped as "laboratory" for EU project managers. It is foreseen to organize 8 workshops for a total of 24 hours of training with a final project work on a specific call for proposals.

Expected results:

• Implementation of a training course of 24 horus for 15 participants.
• Selection of 2 participants for a traineeship in Informest.

Project objectives:

The project aimed at implementing an active communication, mainly targeted at regional enterprises, in order to spread the contents of the monitoring activity carried out by Informest analysts on rigorous scientific grounds since the beginning of 2009, about the real trends of the economic situation and the effects of the anti-crisis measures adopted in 12 Eastern countries. Because of their relevance to the economic relations of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, these countries will play a key role in the future growth trends of the region. Thus, the monitoring activity focused on the most important perspectives in the short and medium run, as well as on the new opportunities arising from the post-crisis environment, with the aim of orienting the business and investment operations of the regional enterprises looking for diversified markets.

Project activities:

The Observatory offered a differentiated analysis of the economic perspectives in the target countries, presenting their situation in three different fields: the progress of reforms; the impact of the crisis and the measures adopted to overcome it. The dissemination of the monitoring activities, already experimentally started, has benefited from the realisation of a dedicated website featuring multimedia and interactive contents, from the publication of printed and electronic-format materials and from the organisation of dissemination events in the regional territory (seminars, etc.).

Expected results:

• Dissemination of the acquired knowledge and promotion of the economic culture in the entrepreneurial environment, through the supply of original knowledge on the factors influencing the development of the emerging markets and on the competitiveness of the Eastern markets, and through the strengthening of the strategic programming capacity rooted in the use of up-to-dated and verified economic data by the local economic actors;
• The dissemination activities, consistin in both traditional means (public events and seminars, printed materials, Cds) and the dedicated internet website, are meant to benefit the local territory as for: the number of participants to public events and seminars, the dissemination of the documents elaborated, the use of the internet website, the direct answer to the requests of information/in-depth analysis of enterprises and institutions.

Project objectives: to encourage new commercial partnerships in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro in the sectors of equipments and products for ice cream.

Project activities:

• Identification of participating Italian companies;
• Identification, for each Italian company, of the foreign company belonging to the same sector and located in the target countries;
• Creation of a website to promote the project and the italian companies in the target countries. The web-site, realized in Italian, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian and Montenegrin language, is part of the International Ice Cream Exhibition web-site organized by Longarone Fair;
• Research of companies (distributors, buyers, foreign importers ,...) interested in starting a business collaboration with Italian companies;
• Organization of a B2B event in the conference hall of Longarone Fair;
• Follow-up activity.

Project objectives:

The project aimed at organising an Ideas Competition to identify and design an international multicultural and multifunctional Youth Centre, likely to be built in the Northern area of the City earlier occupied by the Civil Hospital, and at drafting a feasibility plan for the renovation/requalification of the target area.

Project activities:

• Identification of the permanent Steering Committee;
• Management and technical coordination of the project;
• Publication of the European call for the ideas competition;
• Evaluation of the project proposals;
• Fund raising to implement the renovation activities;
• Promotion activities.

Expected results:

• Identification of the Evaluation Committee;
• Draft and publication of the call;
• Collection and evaluation of the submitted proposals;
• Identification of the financing opportunities;
• Seminars with the stakeholders;
• Release of a publication and organisation of an exhibition to present the project and the winning ideas;
• Organisation of cross-border seminars to launch the renovation process.

SeeNet Programme is based on a network of local authorities from Italy and South-East Europe that cooperate in order to strengthen the governance skills of involved territories, promote sustainable local development and enhance the EU integration process of SEE countries. In order to achieve the Programme objectives, there are foreseen two types of Actions: Horizontal Actions that will involve the whole partnership and Vertical Actions that will involve each italian partner in a specific thematic to be implemented in specific SEE territories. The Horizontal actions are so divided: Action A - Institutional Building; Action B - Information and dissemination; Action C - Research; Action D - Partnerships between South East Europe Local Authorities. While the Programme will implement nine vertical actions that can be grouped in four thematics: 1 - Valorisation of cultural tourism; 2 - Valorisation of rural areas and natural environment; 3 - SME support and cross-border entrepreneurial cooperation; 4 - Territorial planning and social services.

Obiettivi perseguiti:

On the 8th of November 2007, a Cooperation Agreement was signed between the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia and Alba Iulia County Council, establishing bilateral cooperation in commercial-economic, technical, scientific and cultural fields.

The themes and sectors envisaged by the Agreement have been object of meetings and technical discussions among the representatives of the two regions. Alba Iulia County Council expressed it's interest in focusing a first phase of cooperation on rural tourism development by combining the characteristics of its territory with the expertise of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in the creation and management of the "albergo diffuso". Starting from such specific interest, the collaboration between the two public authorities and Informest's technical assistance has been addressed mainly to the development of projects and individuation of financing opportunities supporting local development policies, especially in the tourist sector.

The collaboration context has therefore led to the presentation of a joined project called ACT - Territorial Cooperation Activities, for the realisation of specific actions aiming at supporting local development strategies programming process and management, for the tourist sector, rural development, transports and enterprise services.

Attività progettuali:

• Training of local administrations (County Communes and County Council staff) on local development issues: rural development and LEADER, tourism, transport services, project cycle management, etc.;
• Management of local development participated processes (meetings among the local public administrations and the County Council aimed at the creation of shared development strategies);
• Strategic planning; the activity foresees the realisation of a feasibility study for tourism transport sector and a feasibility study for the creation of a common information and assistance structure to the public and private sector;
• Start-up of a pilot project through the creation of the local development offices; such offices shall support the County Council, the local administrations and the private sector in the individuation of financing opportunities, in the presentation and implementation of projects, in supplying technical assistance for the development of local development strategies and the realisation of information and awareness actions addressed to the socio - economic sector.

Risultati attesi

• Improvement of coordination actions at local level for the realisation of shared projects and strategies, coherent with a better integrated context and resources;
• Increase of key actors participation into public decision - making processes through the creation of stable and balanced partnerships;
• Elaboration of local development strategies envisaging rural development issues by combining tourism, agriculture, handcrafts and services;
• Increase in the local and transnational cooperation of the public sector - local administrations - and private sector - enterprises, associations, other key players.

Project Objectives:

The project consists in the supply of technical assistance to the implementation of the Axis V of the Veneto ROP ESF for 2007-2013 - Interregionality and Transnationality.

Project Activities:

Technical assistance in the implementation of the projects financed under the Axis V - Interregionality and Transnationality, approved by the Regional Law no. 4124 from 30/12/2008:

• Information and promotion activities towards the Member States Managing Authorities aiming at stimulating interest and generating possible collaboration in the publication of joint calls;
• Identification and support to strategic projects.

Technical assistance in the programming process:

• Strengthening the regional presence through small territorial twinning, transnational and/or interregional agreements;
• Supporting monitoring activities in the framework of the Veneto ROP "Regional Competitiveness and Employment" financed by the ESF - Interregionality and Transnationality and other European Funds and Programmes to enhance the complementarities and synergies of projects;
• Identification of project opportunities to be presented in the calls financed by the European Commission and by Structural Funds;
• Organisation of events and communication activities. Technical support to the organisation and realisation of mainstreaming events in order to consolidate the links between the territory (socio-economic partnership, potential stakeholders) and the regional administration.
• Supporting the management of the ESF Transnational Contact Point in Veneto. Management of the relations with the National Contact Point at the Ministry for Employment and with the Regional Contact Point at the Regions Technical Coordination Office.

Expected results:

• High-quality partnerships and really transnational and interregional activities for funds absorption;
• Identification of common needs and implementation of projects really pursuing common needs in the fields of training and education, active employment policies, social inclusion;
• Development of complementarities with other Funds by supporting complementarities and synergies among projects.

Objective of the project

Improving the economic cooperation between italian and SEE local systems and productive sectors, in order to promote the internationalization of the local italian systems and the use of the new tools of the european cooperation.

Activities

In Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina and Serbia, the project acts on 3 prioritary subsectors: economic cooperation between local productive systems; rural development; decentralization of the services to promote the employment.

Activities are: common events for the exchange of experiences and strengthening the partnership; identification of the potentials for the business cooperation and promotion of the opportunities at Italian level; decentralization of services for the SMEs; editing of a business guide for the Italian investments in the involved areas.

Results 

Economic and institutional partnerships between Italian and Balkan areas.

Project objectives:

The purpose of the project is to increase the level of information and public awareness about the European Union in the Republic of Albania as well as about the accession process through the establishment and management of an EUIC. In particular the specific objectives are:

• To increase knowledge of EU policies, objectives, priorities, institutions and perspectives;
• To increase knowledge on the relations between the European Union and Albania and better understanding of the impact of the pre-accession process on one's own life and expectations;
• To increase knowledge about the implementation of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) in the country;
• To increase information on the EU resulting from networking with multipliers and other interested parties.

Project activities:

Various information and communication activities with the aim of building public support for the accession process based on well informed and realistic expectations, such as: running of an EU Information Centre, creation and implementation of strategies and information campaigns, press and media relations, events and visits management, web page development and update, networking, update of databases, research issues, production of publications and other necessary activities in the information and communication domain.

Expected results:

• Support to the EC Delegation for the implementation of information and communication activities in Albania insured;
• An EU Information Center established in the Capital of Albania, Tirana;
• An EU Information Center well managed;
• Information on the development of relations between the European Union and Albania provided to maximum key target groups ;
• Tailor made information on the implementation of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) in the country provided to maximum key target groups;
• Synergies with multipliers and other interested parties on provision of EU information established.
• EU information products (print, audiovisual and electronic ones) delivered;
• Events on EU related actions organised.

Objective of the project

The project aimed at dealing with the internationally recognized issue of the effects of climate change on alpine tourism, winter tourism and winter sports in some areas of the Alps and all-season tourism in other areas, providing:

• appropriate strategies to ensure a balanced development of alpine tourism
• the preparation of appropriate adaptation policies at the national, regional and local level
• assessment of the economic and social effects of climate change on tourism  

Project activities:

• Analysis on the impacts of climate change on Alpine tourism;
• Creation of an executive overview of the tourist areas;
• Analysis on adaptation and management strategies in the Alpine region;
• Selection of a set of parameters and identification of common trends in order to develop a strategy;
• Creation of an electronic tool for stakeholders;
• Development of strategies in the pilot areas with a direct involvement of local authorities, stakeholders and the public.

Expected results:

• Overview and assessment of possible impacts of climate change;
• Identification of possible adaptation strategies;
• Development of an electronic web-based tool;
• Information, education and communication activities.

Informest as the "Technical Secretariat" of the Region of Veneto, was appointed for project writing, co-ordination and management of the whole project.

Project objectives:

The general objective of the project is to strengthen the territorial marketing of the Adriatic - Danubian compound in the global market for the purpose of developing local economies and their endogenous resources by creating sectoral networks relationship suitable for making more of the more competitive transnational value chains and fostering FDI attractiveness, and for reducing regional disparities.

Specific objectives are:

• Identification of more important transnational value chains ant their suitable and accessible location;
• Growth of vertical ties among companies of the Adriatic - Danubian compound for the full exploitation of the sectoral opportunities on transnational basis.

Project activities:

Identification of transnational value chains, set up of local help desk for partnership promotion, development of territorial marketing capacities, provision of ICT advanced tools for collaborative entrepreneurship.

Expected results:

• 1 transnational context analysis for the identification of strategic economic sectors;
• 1 transnational marketing strategy;
• 4 transnational partnership agreements;
• 1 Feasibility study for the implementation of a DBE model;
• 1 Catalogue of product and service of the Adriatic-Danubian compound published;
• 1 standing trans-national working group established;
• 1 concept for the governance of trans-national productive chains outlined;
• 5 local desk established;
• 1 single territorial brand designed and delivered.

General objectives

1) To augment the level of economic integration of the two national production systems through the increase of commercial inter-change and direct investments on Italian businesses in the Balkans.

2) To support Italy's role as the logistic platform of Mediterranean and Balkan countries on the East-West and North-South corridors.

3) To improve Italian regions' capacity in the management of international cooperation programmes on transport and logistics as well as in the initiatives for supporting regional entrepreneurship in the field of services abroad.

Expected Results

1) The implementation of a network composed of institutional bodies and Italian and Balkan public and private economic operators in the sectors of transport and logistics, so as to ensure the constant inter-change of information, the emergence of joint projects between the two areas and the coordination of cooperation initiatives

2) The definition of at least 3 hypotheses (one per country) for new maritime and/or air-lines between ports and airports in Albania, Montenegro and Serbia

3) The emergence of shared business initiatives realized by public and private bodies from Italy and the beneficiary countries aimed at augmenting and enhancing the level and quality of transport and logistics services, at encouraging harmonization of operational and management standards on the crossing corridors in the countries involved as well as at leading the operators towards the use of intermodal techniques and solutions

Project Structure

Sub-project 1
Acquisition and data analysis and information on issues of logistics and freight transport on routes Italy-Balkans.

Sub-project 2
Analysis of technical and economic feasibility of new air and shipping routes between Italy and the Balkan countries.

Country Sub-projects 3 to 4
Development of relations in logistics and freight transport with: Albania, Serbia and Montenegro.

Project objectives :

FVG Home in Vojvodina had the general objective to create a common meeting place where to develop business and institutional cooperation activities, with the aim of strengthening collaboration among the two territories.

Project activities:

• Sectorial context analysis of Vojvodina, within the agro-food, construction and automotive sectors;
• Promotion of opportunities in the FVG territory, through the institutional association system and identification of interested companies;
• Creation and transfer of a road map on the innovation system in Friuli Venezia Giulia;
• Enhancement of the economic and institutional system for the development of bilateral relations and collaborations;
• Promotional activities.

Expected results:

• Economic context analysis;
• Institutional and economic mission in Vojvodina;
• Transfer of competences and know-how on the innovation system;
• Project website;
• Press release.

Objectives:

• Contribute to the creation of a trans-national system of innovation
• Develop the role of development agencies in the innovation regional systems enforcement
• Diffuse and capitalize the lessons of the EU Regional Plans for Innovation (RPIAs)

 Activities:

• Creation and consolidation of the local and trans-national network;
• Knowledge sharing on themes relative to innovation;
• Implementation of staff exchange and training packages;
• Improvement and specialization of Development Agencies staff
• Pilot activities to test the innovative services for SMEs and their associations;
• Thematic workshops with the participation of policy makers and of the key actors of innovation;
• Elaboration of a Memorandum of Understanding / Central Agreement of the Development Agencies together with the Communitarian Policy makers participating in the program management 2013-2020;

Results:

new ICT tools for the management of innovation knowledge; adoption of the new training tools to enforce the management of knowledge and to develop the innovation process; constitution of regional networks for innovation and for innovation policies; create a trans-national network for the management of services and development policies

Project objective:

•  Promote an urban sustainable requalification providing local administrations with 1. tools to manage the entire process of conversion, from the negotiation with the central government to the participation of private investors and 2. programming future investments;
• Favour entrepreneurship and competitiveness of the territory throughout the process of restructure of the abandoned military areas into enterprises support centres with the definition of regional strategies and measures to support SMEs and start ups
• "test" the measures and tools defined in the project on 8 specific cases of abandoned military areas.

 Project activities:

• Definition of a common methodology for the valuation of abandoned areas;
• Analysis on the economic and entrepreneurial context with particular attention to the impact of the conversion into enterprises support centres on the economic system;
• Mapping and valuation of the ex military areas;
• Definition and application of tools/measure for the management of the transfer of property and conversion of military areas;
• Definition of measures to promote entrepreneurship
• Pilot actions (Feasibility study, planning, operative plans and investments for the conversion of the areas in Service Centres/incubators);
• Results diffusion

Expected results:

Transfer of methodologies and knowledge; adoption of 9 plans (or recommendations) for the conversion of the abandoned military areas; 8 urban plans for the creation of service centres/incubators; adoption of a common strategy to promote entrepreneurship.

Project objectives:

The project aimed at evaluating the good practices and the sustainable forest planning in the area of the Adriatic European region, with particular reference to the area of the High Adriatic (Veneto Region, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Emilia Romagna Region and the Croatian Counties of Istria and Rijeka), in order to draft a strategic action plan for the forest sector according to the European policies and to identify the relevant opportunities in the European programming and international cooperation.

Project activities:

• Analysis of good practices in forest management in the target areas;
• Drafting of the strategic action plan according to the European policies and identification of the instruments to support implementation;
• Activities to share the achieved results;

Expected results:

• A document containing the analysis of the good practices in forest management in the High Adriatic area and identification of the strategic guide lines for a sustainable forest planning according to the European policies;
• Final workshop to present the achieved results.

POLYINVEST aimed at improving the conditions for investments in the marginal areas of SEE space, favouring the entry onto the market of a broad offer of unused public real estates, with a consequent income and saving on the maintenance and management of the public assets. Starting from the previous experiences of the partners and of a strengthened best practice, the objective of the project is to develop an active approach to the market by the public administrations, favouring the definition and the implementation of complete territorial offer packages; these packages will include information about the real estates which can be alienated and information on the conditions which could favour the realization of investments from private investors.

To achieve the abovementioned objectives, the following activities were performed

• Þ Transnational project management and coordination
• Þ Communication and Dissemination
• Þ Market analysis, definition of themes and census
• Þ Legislative and administrative procedures
• Þ Platform construction and data input
• Þ Sustainability: Promotion, marketing and scouting
• Þ Pilot Actions

The project POLYNVEST carried out the following results

• Þ Improvement of the public properties capitalisation and widespread diffusion of the potentialities of public real estate;
• Þ Alienation and procedural facilitations for potential investors to invest in the target areas;
• Þ International networking between different public actors, real estate managers and private investors,
• Þ Improvement of the overall economic development and requalification of the target areas;

Dissemination, awareness campaign follow-up plan defined

Project objectives:

The overall project objective is the establishment and implementation of an effective and coordinated SETA framework, promoting and fostering the institutional cooperation between PEC structures and member states in order to reach the EU's objectives of (i) transparency and information reliability; (ii) develop of an harmonised and efficient institutional framework and (iii) rapid implementation of the transport priority projects. This overall objective could be reached by the implementation of a specific WP1 in compliance with EU recommendations (in particular HLG Report, 2005-2007, EC Comprehensive Monitoring Reports and COM (2008) 125 final). PECs have similar problems above all regarding administration and exchange of information. SEETAC will enable this exchange, in coordination with EC SFC 2007-Electronic Data Exchange project, the identification of common problems and solutions in order to attain the common mobility (good, capitals and people) standards for the whole EU territory.

Project activities:

• Istitutional coordination to build an effective SETA framework and network in compliance with recent EU transport policies (i.e. HLG Report and COM(2008) 125 final);
• Establishment of an institutional and transparent communication system;
• Implementation of a coordinated database management system;
• Definition of multi-modal traffic scenarios and common mobility standards and environmental (EIA & SEA) guidelines;
• Identification of necessary financial resources and financing mechanisms;
• Finalisation of SEE Spatial Planning.

Expected results:

• Established transnational transport framework and regular SETA organisational/administrative reports (Operational Manual, Audit / Administrative / Progress / WP Reports);
• Information management system including communication plan and tools; regular meetings of Ministers of Transport, PEC bodies, EC and Donors;
• Electronic database management system including traffic, social, environmental and economic data;
• Multi-modal traffic scenario study identifying good practices and recommendations;
• Common multimodal transport standards and EIA/SEA guidelines;
• Priority project fiches & application documents to be submitted to donors for financing and financial report;
• SEE Spatial Plan / SETA Strategy compatible with the SEETO Action Plan.

These results could be easily transferred to other EU Transport Axis, in particular to Central Axis, where another coincidence of CE Programme eligible area exists.

Project objectives:

The SEPA project aimed at transferring, through feasibility studies and investment attraction, the experience gained by the Prato industrial area (IT), creating infrastructures and centralised services to improve the environmental, economic and social performances of the target areas (rational water use, management of induced mobility, clean energy production and waste management), according to EMS/EMAS standards.

Project activities:

• Implementation of regional stakeholders networks for the socio-economic and environmental reconversion of industrial areas;
• Development of a transnational model for the sustainable management of productive areas with a low environmental, economic and social impact;
• Identification and selection of the active or under-construction industrial areas where the pilot model of sustainable economic development could be implemented;
• Feasibility study aimed at defining the model of development/reconversion of the pilot areas and intervention planning;
• Investment attraction in the target areas with the organisation of a transnational conference/seminar.

Expected results:

• To achieve and share methodologies and procedures needed to realise and manage industrial areas in an socio-economically and environmentally sustainable way;
• To development of a new model for sustainable production areas;
• To improve the abilities to plan and organise industrial sites and in particular to project and realise production areas according to new sustainability parameters and indicators;
• To create a transnational network of pilot areas in order to transfer and guide the transformation process of the production sites at the international level.

Project Objectives:

The project aimed at enhancing the diversification of the agrofood industry in Moldova through the adoption of agro-energetic cultivations which are more environmentally sustainable and allow for the self-production of energy. In particular, the project aimed at fostering trade between the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Republic of Moldova, enhancing the bilateral partnerships at the institutional/university level as well as between entrepreneurs.

Project activities:

• Feasibility study from an economic and logistic point of view, focused on the implementation of a biofuel chain and, in particular, on the cultivation of vegetable oil to be transformed in biodiesel;
• Technical assistance and best-practice exchanges;
• Organisation of study tours in Italy and Moldova;
• Dissemination of results.

Expected Results:

• Partnerships between regional/Italian and Moldovan enterprises in the biodiesel sector for the supply of raw materials, by-products and semi-finished goods, technologies and instruments, knowledge;
• A better-organised production, diversified and improved agriculture products, increased qualitative standards.

Project objectives:

The project had the objective to consolidate and develop the network created among local municipalities, institutions and agencies located. In the territories of Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro with the institutional and economic system of Friuli Venezia Giulia, with the aim to boost local development and assist local administrations in the acquis communautaire processes.

Project activities:

• Realization of a training programme to transfer information and competences necessary to plan and implement local development and cooperation initiatives, in the frame of the Acquis Communautaire processes;
• Activation of a Friuli Venezia Giulia Infopoint in Kragujevac for the promotion of both economic and institutional opportunities;
• Organization of focus group in Friuli Venezia Giulia with companies and institutions to present the economic and institutional system of the Balkan territories;
• Technical assistance and support to B2B meetings among FVG and local companies.

Expected results:

• Involvement of at least 40 regional enterprises;
• Presentation of project proposals for local development;
• Organization of 4 focus groups.

The project, defined in the framework of a national initiative lauched by a structure of the Presidence of the Council of Ministers (in cooperation with the Italian Minitry of Regional Relations), named Progetto Opportunità delle Regioni in Europa (P.O.R.E.), consisted in the creation and management of a grant system to enhance the project generation capacity of the territory, realized by means of an on-line operational platform and a project database.

The regional subjects proposing projects in the framework of a pre-defined list of European Programmes may request for a contribution from the regional budget through the website, within given time-frames, supplying the requested documentation. Prizes are given also to projects that haven't obtained a European co-financing due to the limited budget available in the Programme. Subjects requiring contributions may receive assistance from an help-desk. The projects includes the development of promotional activities.

The Adriatic Euroregion was founded on June 30, 2006 in Pula, Region of Istria, Croatia. It represents a model of co-operation that includes trans-national and inter-regional co-operation between regions of the Adriatic coastline. The Adriatic Euroregion is the institutional framework for jointly defining and solving important issues in the Adriatic area. It consists of 23 members - Regional and local governments from Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania. The aims of the AE are the fallowing: (i) Forming an area of peace, stability and co-operation, (ii) Protection of the cultural heritage; (iii) Protection of the environment, (iv) Sustainable economic development in particular of tourism, fishery and agriculture; (v) Solution of transport and other infrastructure issues. The objective of this project is to provide Veneto region with technical assistance to strengthen its role and to support the newborn Adriatic Euroregion.

The following activities have been carried out:

• Þ Support to the activities of Veneto Region - International Relations department in the institutional bodies of the Adriatic Euroregion;
• Þ Support to the operative coordination of the participation of Veneto Region in the Adriatic Euroregion Commission;
• Þ Favouring a strategic regional action with regard to all the initiatives and projects activated in the Adriatic Euroregion to monitor the ongoing activities;

Support to the communication activities

Project objectives:

To improve the overall absorption capacities at national and regional levels, thus ensuring a correct utilization of ERDF, European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument, Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance, and ESF.

Project activities:

• To reinforce the skills of final beneficiaries in preparing good project proposals that correctly match the priorities of the National Development Plan and would lead to a proper project pipeline for financing from the Structural Funds' type of intervention;
• To strengthen the capacity of the Training Units within MEI and RDAs to efficiently coordinate and manage the training delivered both at national and regional levels, within the framework of the Human Resources development policy;
• To strengthen the capacity of ROP Final Beneficiaries in terms of Organizational structure, partnership etc., as well as regards critical issues to be observed in the process of application to SF financing opportunities.

Expected results:

• Enhancing the preparation, information, management, control, evaluation and other tasks of the Managing Authorities established within the Ministry of European Integration for the Regional Operational Programme and European Territorial Cooperation Operational Programmes, and of their respective Intermediate Bodies;
• Strengthening the capacity of potential beneficiaries to develop and implement operations to be financed under the above-mentioned Operational Programmes.

Project objectives:

• Maintenance and enhancement of the information network created in the framework of the Project "Balcani on line";
• Development of the on line editorial office in order to manage and improve the information services provided;
• Development of new information services;
• Technical management of the on line editorial office and of the website.

Project activities:

On the basis of the activities and outputs of the Project "Balcani on line", the project consisted in:

• The creation of a more efficient on line editorial office: through an on line platform, Informest editorial staff daily collected coordinated and edited on the website the news provided by 7 ICE Offices operating in the beneficiaries Countries and by Informest itself.  The news were targeted at Italian SMEs and investors interested in the Balkan region. In addition, a staff of six persons monitored and translated to Italian the most interesting news published on local online newspapers in the beneficiary countries. Informest editorial staff selected and edited this press review;
• The development of more efficient information retrieval tools on the website www.balcanionline.it;
• The collection and uploading of documents and news about events interesting for Italian SMES;
• The drafting of articles promoting special initiatives and presenting interesting projects;
• The creation of an innovative database of all the projects implemented thanks to the Italian Law 84/01: the online database has a search engine and an interactive map showing the areas involved in the searched projects initiatives;
• The organization of an international event involving up to 150 participants from Italy and the project beneficiary countries. The event focused on IPA Adriatic Cross-Border cooperation programme and South East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme. The participants were from public entities and institutions, development agencies, chambers of commerce, NGOs, universities and research centres, eligible projects promoters/partners in the framework of the above mentioned programmes. The participants were grouped in order to work on specific thematic working tables moderated by Informest staff.

Project objectives:

The project aimed at providing technical assistance to the National Association of Small and Family Hotels in order to increase the professional skills of the personnel, to re- qualify the facilities and services, to create a unique market image, to develop the co-operation with the Italian and European tourism market.

Project activities:

• Analysis of the Association’s status, management tools, marketing policy and offer, analysis of the market diversification, facilities and services level, and the professional skills of the Association’s members;
• Implementation of the membership criteria in product clubs;
• Definition and realization a of a training course for the Association’s members;
• Internship of the Association’s members in Italian hotels and associations;
• Definition and realization of promotional and marketing initiatives on the European tourist market;
• Final conference for the dissemination of the project results.

Expected results:

• Definition of quality standard indicators for each target club;
• Increasing of the professional skills and boosting of the marketing policies on the European tourist market;
• Successful positioning of the Association’s members on the tourist market;
• Proposals for the review of the marketing plan.

Project objectives:

PRO.COOP. general objectives were: the provision of assistance and promotion services to cooperative associations and associations’ members in the Balkan countries (Montenegro, Croatia and Bulgaria), the improvement of the local environment in which the cooperatives work and the increasing of their economic potential. From the Italian side, the project aimed at a more developed internationalization of the cooperative system.

Project activities:

• Realization of an analysis on legal, juridical and organisational issues of the cooperative systems in the beneficiaries countries, finding out weak points and opportunities offered by the systems and trying to harmonize them with the Italian and European model;
• Technical assistance initiatives, aimed at strengthening Balkan cooperative associations and at spreading the opportunities offered by Italian associations for the Balkan co-operatives. The initiatives included the realization of management tools (a Vademecum), two internships in Italy for employees of the Croatian and Montenegrin Associations; two on-job-trainings in Croatia and Montenegro;
• Realization of three seminars in Croatia and Montenegro for the promotion of the project at local level;
• Implementation of a pilot civil action in Montenegro, aimed at giving a practical example of civil economy through the creation of a new entrepreneurial activity, which helps disadvantaged people to re-enter in the labour market, according to the model of Italian social cooperatives;
• Establishment of a desk dedicated to the development of the opportunities between Italian and Balkan co-operatives and creation of a database of the business opportunities;
• Realization of two business initiatives (B2B) in Croatia and Montenegro for Italian and Balkan co-operatives;
• Participation of the partners in a trade fair on social cooperation;
• Promotional and dissemination initiatives, carried out during all the project implementation phases.

Expected results:

• Analysis of the juridical status of the co-operative system in the beneficiaries’ countries and definition of legislative proposals;
• Promotion of the Italian and European cooperative systems and models in the beneficiaries’ countries;
• Introduction of technology, methods and product innovation tools for the cooperatives of the Balkan area;
• Improvement of professional skills of the cooperatives’ associations personnel and development of modern and innovative services rendered to Italian enterprises;
• Increasing of business relations between Italian and Balkan cooperatives;
• Improvement of the cooperative's image in the Balkan countries, thank to the information spread about similar experiences in other countries;
• Reinforcement of the Italian productive system in the Balkan area, by developing existing entrepreneurial relations and creating new development opportunities for Italian enterprises;
• Strengthening of the relations between Croatia, Montenegro and the European Union, favouring their juridical and economic integration in the single market.

Project objectives:

The overall objective of the project was to develop the capacity for an integrated governance between public and private sectors in areas affected by business clusters in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, sharing experiences with the central and provincial authorities.

Project activities:

• Development of methodology for the identification of possible emerging clusters such district;
• Business meetings with Serbian cluster manager to verify the structure of cluster chain relationships and their openness to the market;
• Development of knowledge sharing between Italian districts and Vojvodina and Serbian clusters, with the aim to develop business cooperation among companies;
• Training activities and a study in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region among productive districts;
• Organization a final conference for the presentation of clusters and for match making activities;
• Promotion of a paper on Serbian clusters activities, in order to improve the accessibility by Italian entrepreneurs.

Expected results:

• Analysis of supply chain relationships and of their degree of openness to the market;
• Development of two training seminars for cluster managers and business supporting organizations and a study tour to Friuli Venezia Giulia districts for 15 public officials and Serbian cluster manager;
• Preparation of a document analysis of Serbian cluster types;
• Elaboration of a Serbian model for the institutional support to the growth of the district;
• Organization and promotion of the final conference;
• Creation an electronic paper containing the activities of the 18 Serbian clusters interviewed.

Project Objectives:

The general objective of the project was to provide EU technical assistance to the Asian tourist sector for its sustainable and responsible growth on international markets, in order to attain the socio-economic benefits of an efficient management and the exportation of sustainable tourist products. The project thus aimed at:

• Enhancing the Asian countries skills and strategies to export sustainable and high quality tourism on the international market;
• Developing an integrated and permanent cooperation between the EU and Asian actors of the tourist sector at different levels;
• Growing the awareness of the economic impact of tourism in the socio-economic framework of the Asian countries partners.

Project activities:

• Collecting the market facts and figures;
• Design and management of the project web portal;
• Organization and realization of training courses in Nepal, Mongolia and Italy;
• Organisation of a seminar in Italy about tourist opportunities in Asia;
• Organisation of a 5 day mission in Nepal and Mongolia;
• Selection of interns and mission participants.

Expected Results:

• Enhancing the Asian tourism sector skills in planning, managing and exporting diversified sustainable tourist products;
• New business and cooperation contracts between Asian and European tourist operators;
• New investments in the Asian tourist sector;
• Improvement of the living standards of the local communities.

Project objectives:

The project had the general objective to guarantee the participation of the regional economic system at the development of Kosovo in his present historic phase of legal and economic consolidation, enhancing the relations between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Kosovo, both at the economic and institutional level, and creating collaboration opportunities for Italian and Kosovo enterprises. In particular, it aimed at developing and fostering the relations with the Italian Embassy in Kosovo, ICE Pristina, the Ministry for Trade and Industry and the Ministry for Energy and Mining, the Investment Promotion Agency – IPAK and the Association of road construction enterprises; as well as, in the regional framework, with ANCE FVG, Federlegno, CIA , the University of Udine, the Carnia Mountain Community and Lega Coop FVG.

Project activities:

• Institutional and economic monitoring among the main institutions and organizations of Kosovo;
• Activities of consolidation of the sub-project on renewable energies, started with the previous DKFVG project during 2007;
• Assistance to the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce to obtain ISO certification and to support ICT enterprises;
• Development of activities and interventions in the dairy sector in the Mitrovica region;
• Analysis and monitoring of opportunities arising from the infrastructure sector, with particular reference to road construction;
• Promotion of an economic mission in the wood sector during the Pristina wood fair;
• Implementation of the web site and of the Kosovo Business Guide. 

Expected results:

• Mission in Kosovo to participate at Natyura Fair 2009 and B2B meetings among enterprises; 
• Economic mission in Kosovo and realization of B2B with Kosovan companies working on the ICT sector;
• New mission to verify the opportunities arising from hydroelectric energy plants and assistance to potential investors of Friuli Venezia Giulia to participate at tenders for concession;
• Analysis on the dairy sector, study visit in Friuli Venezia Giulia of Kosovan dairy sector representatives and training activities; 
• On the field analysis of the dairy sector and construction of a local technical table;
• ISO certification for the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce;
• Updating of the business guide and of the website;
• Creation and training activities for the maintainance of SHE-ERA website.

Since 1970 Est-Ovest acted as a very privileged observatory and an open forum on the evolution of Central and Eastern Europe and of the Western Balkans. Thanks to its standing staff of economic analysts and external contributions, in the past the Review was a tool for monitoring the former socialist systems in the East, their interconnections and reform processes, later featuring the past and the on-going paths of their accession to EU, and the relevance of European Neighbourhood Policy for the relations with Russian Federation and other Far Eastern countries. After incorporation by Informest January 2008 of the "Istituto di Studi e Documentazione sull'Europa comunitaria e l'Europa orientale - I.S.D.E.E.", Trieste (Italy), founder of the Review, Est-Ovest was edited in electronic format on-line till No. 4/2009. 

As a part of the Enterprise Europe Network, the Friend Europe Consortium intended to deliver integrated services to SMEs covering North-East Italy area. Friend Europe worked to support business and innovation, to enhance their competitiveness, improve their innovation potential and promote the exploitation of opportunities arising from the enlarged internal market. This was implemented while playing a proactive role in the information and support of a wider target of local stakeholders for the development of policies and instruments coherent and complementary with the European strategy for SMEs, as outlined in the Competitive and Innovation Programme 2007-2013 and other Community actions, programmes and initiatives. The services planned by the Consortium under this proposal were therefore fully in line with local policy and tried to maximize the impact of the CIP on the target area by proactively integrating and complementing the services and initiatives already in place (private support services, regional and national policies and instruments) and intermediaries acting in Triveneto.

The main activities were:

Information and Promotion activities aimed to:

• provide first assistance, information and guidance to companies and to signpost for specialised services and assistance to the most appropriate partner or other local expert organizations;
• proactively promote the different EU initiatives and programmes;
• provide main stakeholders an up-to-date overview of EU policies, programmes, initiatives;
• act for the integration of the European dimension into the local context.

Stimulation and Participation service level was meant on one side to stimulate the participation of SMEs in EU consultations since they need edto understand their fundamental role in the EU decision making process and on the other side to stimulate the cross border cooperation and to facilitate the partners search. The Consortium Partners intended also to directly help the Commission, by providing impact assessments on EU legislation and programs, becoming in this way a link between Europe and the Triveneto area.

Assistance and Diagnosis services provided direct specialised support to SMEs, and particular attention was devoted to companies that have never participated or benefited from EU Single Market.

Project objectives:

The Montenegro Legno project aimed at fostering the wood sector growth and the regional economic development in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and Montenegro, through the creation of new investment opportunities and the transfer of good practices among the target economic actors. In particular, the project contributed to the increase of collaboration opportunities between Italian and Montenegrin SMEs, enhancing investment inflows in technology and production and the wood sector growth according to European standards.

Project activities:

• Analysis of the structural features and trade opportunities available in the Montenegrin wood sector;
• Training activities targeted at the sector enterprises;
• Organisation of study visits and B2B meetings between Montenegrin and FVG enterprises;
• Technical assistance for the granting of the forest certification;
• Promotion activities and dissemination of results.

Expected results:

• Identification and promotion of new opportunities for collaboration between FVG and Montenegrin SMEs;
• Transfer of technologies and good practices for the development of the wood sector in Montenegro;
• Forest certification and environmental-friendly management of forests;
• Increase of skilled workers able to use the transferred technologies.

Project objectives:

The project had the general objective to guarantee the presence of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in Vojvodina as a strategic choice for positioning its regional system in Europe. In particular, the project activities aimed at strengthening the economic relations between the two realities and the institutional relations between the main regional institutions and organisations, in order to implement the bilateral agreement signed by the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in June 2007.

Project activities:

• Development of the permanent Office for Cooperation and Liaison of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in Vojvodina;
• Enhancing of the benefits produced for the all system by the activities implemented;
• Development of common initiatives and projects;
• Promotion of investments and productive collaborations between the two realities; 
• Implementation and improvement of the project website.

Expected results: 

• Maintainance of institutional and economical relations between the two realities and enlargment of the partnership with other institutions and organisations;
• Participation of FVG and Vojvodina partners at common Euroepan projects;
• Economic mission in the building sector.

Objective of the project:

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 concerning the marine industry, in specific the shipbuilding and port equipments, intended to strengthen and develop the sector's scientific and technological basis and ultimately the economic growth of the regions. The project will support the performance of "regional research-driven clusters", associating universities and research centres (RTD), enterprises (industry cluster) and public regional authorities (PA), and will enhance coordination and cooperation among these regions.

Project activities:

• Establishment of an institutional cluster framework and mapping of regional development plans and RTD key actors;
• Cross regional analysis of regional development plans and RTD actors;
• Knowledge transfer through mutual learning processes and mentoring activities;
• Development of a joint Action Plan for improving the integration process.

Expected results:

• Regional reports on RTD policies, RTD financing and private and public RTD key actors and SWOT analysis;
• Regional research agendas;
• Report on maritime and shipbuilding relevant target players;
• Shared Transnational Agenda;
• Workshop and training activies;
• Joint Action Plan.

Project objectives:

The project aimed at supporting the Sarajevo Canton in its harmonisation process towards the EU standards required for the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and in particular for the enhancement of the local environment and natural resources. Specific objectives of the project were:

• To strengthen the relations between the Autonomous Region of FVG and the Sarajevo Canton;
• To propose a new model for urban management in a target area of the Sarajevo Canton;
• To transfer new competencies to local civil servants in the environment, public service and EU programming sectors, and in particular about waste management, developing the guidelines for the context analysis and the communication campaign of the recycling project;
• To strengthen the knowledge about the opportunities and risks of the target territory for the implementation of a recycling system, with a context analysis;
• To evaluate the economic and technical feasibility of the pilot project for recycling in the target area;
• To increase the awareness of the population and local stakeholders about environmental protection and waste management.

Project activities:

• Organisation of a project launching seminar in Gorizia;
• Training activities in Sarajevo;
• Research study about a target area of the Sarajevo Canton and context analysis;
• Drafting of a recycling plan and the relative communication campaign;
• Final seminar in Sarajevo to increase the awareness of the population;
• Design and publication of a DVD about the project activities.

Expected results:

• To strengthen the administrative capacity of the Sarajevo Canton;
• To improve the quality of the urban management in a target area of the Sarajevo Canton.
• To draft and implement a pilot project for recycling in a target area of the Sarajevo Canton.

The aim of the PORTUS Project was to define a common development strategy for improving competitiveness of the Adriatic maritime system, developing the connections between the main regional ports and the Trans-European Network of Transport (TEN-T). The direct target groups included ministries, regional administrations, municipal institutions, port authorities, which cooperated in the implementation of the priority scenarios identified for improving the transport and logistics of the Adriatic maritime system. The main activities of the Project included:

• fostering dialogue and cooperation for the definition of a common Adriatic policy involving transport network planning, infrastructure investments and spatial development;
• identifying and setting in motion the actions necessary to improve port competitiveness;
• defining a Road Map for the realisation of the selected priority development scenarios;
• developing an institutional framework for future cooperation on cross-border and interregional policy issues, necessary for an efficient and competitive Adriatic maritime system.

The long-term aims of PORTUS were: promoting the competitiveness of the Adriatic maritime transport system and improving the access to new global markets. This was accomplished through the development of a truly intermodal maritime transport sector. From a socio-economic point of view, PORTUS regarded the prospective of developing the intermodal transport network, as a trigger of regional vitality. Furthermore, the transport systems advocated by PORTUS will have beneficial effects for the environment due to the strong focus placed on low-impact modes, such as sea and inland water-way transport.

The project aimed at fostering the development of agricultural economy in the area, by acting on the skills of the involved people, on the infrastructure of the region, and on the organisation and rationalisation of the production.

This has been achieved through the following tools:

• A technical assistance to the regional development agencies and to the producers that will be gathered in the cluster. The focus of the technical assistance was the promotion and certification of local products
• The investment in a small fruit processing plant, which is one of the infrastructures which are necessary on a region-wide level
• The creation of a cluster of fruit (apple) producers, with a recognisable commercial brand and the realization of a marketing plan to promote the initiative all over the target territory

The following activities were performed:

• management and organization, horizontal for all the project duration.
• Needs assessment and identification of instruments in order to identify the priorities and involve specific experts and partners.
• Technical assistance to increase the competences of local institutional actors, farmers and other stakeholders in the management of the economy, aimed at implementing the development and competitiveness of the local area.
• Institution of a small processing unit to provide a concrete support to agricultural production and Incentive for future farmers' investments
• Institution of an agricultural cluster and commercial brand
• Dissemination of results

The following results were achieved:

• Acquisition of know- how in the procedures to get certification for local products and to constitute associations and joint- ventures; acquisition of skills in developing marketing strategies;
• Realization of a pilot action consisting in the establishment of a cluster in the agro food sector among local (Croatian) agricultural operators and the acquisition and promotion of a commercial brand;
• Creation of a network among the operators involved in the project and reinforcement of the existing networks

Project Objectives:

The project aimed at fostering technological and business collaboration among SMEs from EU and Asian countries in the sector of food processing and food packing technologies. The project thus aimed at:

• Enhancing the sector development in the Asian partner countries which need technological support to grow in the European market and development aid in their own regions;
• Fostering the development of the food technology industry clusters in the EU partner countries, in order to create business opportunities in the related sectors of the Asian partner countries.

Project activities:

• Collecting the market facts and figures;
• Design of the project web portal;
• Organisation of two matchmaking events in Europe and Asia;
• Organisation of two workshops concerning food safety in China and intellectual property rights in Italy;
• Realisation of B2B meetings.

Expected results:

• Improving the competitiveness of the Asian SMEs thanks to the adoption of international standards, know-how and best practices exchange;
• Increasing the international business exchanges in the sector considered;
• Contributing to the improvement of the quality and safety of final products in the sector considered for the sake of consumers.

Project objectives:

The objective of this project was to increase domestic and foreign direct investment (FDI) through the further institutional development of the Investment Promotion Agency and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Project activities:

• Institutional and capacity building of the Investment Promotion Agency; 
• Establishment of a twinning agreement between the MTI/IPA and two EU economic development agencies; 
• Policy development to support domestic and international investment; 
• Planning and implementation of activities that attract FDI and promote Kosovo exports.

Expected results:

• Training activities;
• At least 2 twinning agreements between the MTI/IPA and two EU economic development agencies;
• Two international events in Kosovo or the EU to enhance the country’s participation.

Project objectives:

The project aimed at developing cross-border cooperation, through the analysis and the feasibility study concerning the implementation of a joint-ventured operative structure in charge of investment promotion in North-Eastern Croatia. This innovative body shall support and provide high value-added services to the economic actors and enterprises of the agro-food and logistic sectors. The project contributed to the setting up of new highly innovative enterprises in the agro-food sector, providing services for innovation and internationalisation processes in Croatia.

Project activities:

• Analysis and study of the territory;
• Research of models for enterprises in the agro-food sector and the advanced technology distribution;
• Activities for the creation of the enterprise supporting system;
• Common services and process to transfer know-how;
• Workshops and research activities for local enterprises;
• Partnership for the setting up of a joint-venture in the county;
• Drafting of a plan for financial/fiscal incentives targeted at the Italian and Croatian production systems and in particular at SMEs to foster the industrial development of the target area.

Expected results:

The project allowed for the single entrepreneurial ideas collected during the dissemination activities to become real investments for the economic development of the Vukovar County and its agro-food sector in particular, also due to the analysis of the technical and economic structure of the County, of the available financial opportunities in national, European and international resources, in the agreed framework of the incentives for enterprises.

Project objectives:

AMAMO aimes at enhancing economic growth generated from rural tourism by making more of endogenous resources of the territory in maritime and mountainous rural areas and the increasing capacity for operational programming of local actors.

AMAMO's specific objectives are:

• To strengthen and diversify entrepreneurial activity in the primary sector and its chain of transformation and commercialisation;
• To safeguard and promote existing natural and cultural heritage, also with measures of rehabilitation and social management;
• To establish a transnational network in order to guarantee to partners and relevant final beneficiaries a permanent access to the innovation of their governance techniques;
• To promote productive cooperation among NUTS III and NUTS IV territories of the IARs and of EAC Counties.

Project activities:

• Establishment of the Transnational Secretariat, project management and networking of the implementing units;
• Definition of selection criteria for the experiences of integrated operative programming (IOP) and of rural tourism projects implemented in such frame;
• Definition of benchmarks for the validation of good practices;
• Editing of a catalogue containing 20 experiences of integrated operative programming (IOP) and implemented projects of similar approach in the partner realms;
• Hospitality of one relevant officer from each EAC partner by a IAR partner organization for a two-week internship for deepening of IOP techniques;
• Strategies and methods for the design of Operational Programmes and project generation with local impact;
• Local SWOT analysis of the results achieved with experiences of integrated operative programming (IOP) and rural tourism projects implemented in this frame for overcoming of weaknesses and making more of success factors;
• Short term detachment of IAR experts at the premises of each 5 EAC partners for the implementation of IOP methodologies;
• Local activity of partners for overcoming IOP weaknesses and/or starting of new programming / new projects generation;
• IAR experts, relevant to the enhancement of endogenous resources pivotal in the Croatian single territorial areas, will implement short term cross-border missions;
• Relevant Croatian officers and selected entrepreneurs will participate to study visits in IAR realms;
• IAR experts, skilled in the institution building of PPP bodies, will implement 10 short term cross-border missions in the Croatian single territorial areas;
• Cross-border demonstrative pilot actions in the frame of the new rural tourism strategy.

Expected results:

• Public actors experience new working forms allowing them to acquire new competencies and new co-operative relationships, letting them mutually integrate in a permanent co-operation logic;
• Private actors will have the opportunity to experience new forms of organisation and co-ordination with public subjects (PPP) and to promote their products and services;
• Long term: Institutional beneficiaries will have experienced new and more structured working forms (strategic planning, implementation, execution and evaluation of results) turning out to be substantially important for the new community planning in the period 2007-2013 (in Italy) and in view of adhesion and related funds (in Croatia);
• Companies will take advantage of a wider, articulated and permanent network of relations throughout the Adriatic and therefore of a stronger capability of access and management of the related markets, even through the establishment of strategic alliances.

Project objectives:

The project has the overall aim of supporting the expansion process of the socio-economic structure of the target areas, developing the capacity building of the Agencies for the Local Economic Development to encourage cross-border cooperation and integrating the small and medium enterprises and their syndicates.

Project activities:

• Coordination, administrative-financial management, monitoring and evaluation;
• Analysis/identification of the existing Agencies for Economic Development on the regional territory;
• Analysis of the socioeconomic impact of the Agencies for Economic Development on the SMEs systems;
• Cross-border Network of the Agencies for Economic Development;
• Training on the Job;
• Socioeconomic animation;
• Pilot Actions - Activities BtoB;
• Dissemination activities.

Expected results:

• To facilitate the process of internationalization and metabolisation of external know-how and resources on their own territory;
• To animate the local economic tissue using specific information about the marketing channels;
• Awareness of the existing marketing cooperation opportunities, the modality used for their implementation and the tools available for financial and organizational support;
• Consolidation of the existing marketing relations and the activation of new relations;
• Internationalization and cooperation strategies to increase their competitiveness in the sector;
• The capacity of governance and the regulation of the local socio-economical system.

Project objectives:

The main objective of the SEAWAYS project was to create a model for an integrated and sustainable development of the tourist sector, strengthening the cooperation and integration of the cross-border regions in the Adriatic area. In particular, the project aimed at:

• promoting policies for economic development, supporting SMEs and the creation of new jobs in the tourist sector;
• increasing mutual knowledge of the Adriatic economic and social situation;
• consolidating the exchange of skills concerning business internationalisation processes.

Project activities:

• Study on the seaways and commercial routes in the Adriatic basin to promote this common historical and cultural heritage as a common ground for enhanced transnational cooperation activities;
• Organisation of workshops and seminars, exchange of good practices and training activities targeted at local stakeholders;
• Development of trans-national pilot actions for the elaboration of innovative tourist offer packages.

Expected results:

• Elaboration of a model for an integrated and sustainable development of the tourist sector;
• Study and rediscovery of the historical and cultural heritage of the commercial seaways and seafaring tradition in the Adriatic;
• Improvement of the professional competences concerning innovation, management and planning in the tourist sector.
• Development of a marketing plan, improvement of the quality of the tourist offer and promotion of the economic growth in the target areas.

Project objectives:

The project general objective was to assure the participation of the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional economic system to the development of Kosovo in the current transitional phase. The specific objective is to give institutional and operational support to the carrying out of the Cooperation Agreement, signed in Prishtina on 4 April 2006 between the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce (KCC), Informest and four Friuli Venezia Giulia Chambers of Commerce.

Project activities:

• Monitoring and providing news, events and investment opportunities, among which the monitoring of international tenders for works and supplies in Kosovo and their promotion among Friuli Venezia Giulia companies;
• Kosovo market analysis and strengthening of the interest of Friuli Venezia Giulia companies for the opportunities in Kosovo;
• Development of a sub-project in the sector of renewable energy in Kosovo, in particular for the hydro-electric production;
• Arrangement and accompaniment of two business missions (one in Kosovo and one in FVG);
• Support to the participation of FVG companies to auctions for the privatization of collective companies in Kosovo;
• Creation of the Business Guide Kosovo according to the pattern patented by Informest, including the training of the Kosovo staff.

Expected results: 

• At least fifty news, events and opportunities, including international tenders for works and supplies in Kosovo, monitored and fostered among Friuli Venezia Giulia companies;
• At least fifteen entrepreneurial meetings for the promotion of Kosovo organized for Friuli Venezia Giulia companies;
• At least two entrepreneurial missions on sectoral basis, one from Friuli Venezia Giulia and one from Kosovo, with partnership meetings;
• A defined and implemented sub-project in renewable energy sector, aimed at transferring FVG know-how and at evaluating possible FVG investments in Kosovo in that field;
• At least four FVG companies that show interest in participating to privatization auctions in Kosovo;
• Drafting of the new Business Guide Kosovo on the basis of Informest standard, prepared and made available to public.

Project objectives:

The project general objectives consisted in:

1. A deeper understanding and implementation capacity of EU principles and standards on sustainable local development by the target groups and final beneficiaries;
2. More added value for the productive sector of the Koprivnica-Kri�evci County by matching EU market driving principles and local civil society standards and expectations.

Specific objectives were the following:

1. To establish in Koprivnica-Kri�evci County a public-private board involving local administration, relevant stakeholders of the SME sector and NGOs of the civil society, in order to address current weaknesses in the awareness and implementation of the European culture on quality standards within the local entrepreneurial environment;
2. To support the competitive upgrading of local businesses in line with the principles of the European Charter for SMEs by the design of innovative approaches to entrepreneurial development.

Project activities:

• Mobilization of the Italian Project leader (IPL) and establishment of a regional working group PPP for the generation of new guidelines and innovative projects on local sustainable development;
• Promotion and management of 3 PPP-based focus groups;
• Organisation of 3 thematic workshops;
• Design and issue of communication tools relevant to the workshops;
• A final public conference;
• Networking on EU information and capacity building experience with other Croatian Counties on European Charter for SMEs.

Expected results:

• A standing innovation capacity of the consultative board based on public-private partnership about sustainable development programming harmonised with EU acquis in place;
• The know-how achievement for the implementation of the European Charter for SME at the regional level enhanced a pro-active participation to the pre-accession process at decentralised level, better qualifying of the County attractiveness for foreign investors and the absorbing capacity of new EU funds;
• The establishment of a long lasting network for the dialogue between the Koprivnica-Kri�evci and Friuli Venezia Giulia societies has further bridged the information gap, contributed to a better mutual knowledge and brought the players of the political and economic systems closer in view of further enlargement of European Union to Croatia.

Project objectives:

In the framework of the International Desk South East Europe, the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia promoted the organisation of the congress "Scenarios of development in the Adriatic-Balcanic Area", held in Gorizia (Italy) the 8 and 9^th March 2010. The aim of the congress was to start a multiannual collaboration between the target countries for the elaboration of a common development strategy in the Adriatic-Balkanic area. Informest, as a partner of the Region, was thus charged of the technical organisation of the congress: a two-day event, structured in three thematic tables (energy, transports and financial insurance sector) with the participation of 250 guests and institutional representatives of high level from the target countries (Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, FYM of Macedonia, Albania, Romania, Greece and Turkey).

Project activities:

• Organisation and technical supervision of the congress;
• Secretariat activities, logistics, transports and realisation of promotional materials;
• Coordination of the involved actors (institutions, public security authorities, suppliers and partners);
• Coordination and supervision of the event;
• Follow-up.

Expected results:

Organisation and realisation of a permanent Forum aimed at define the intervention priorities for the development of the Adriatic-Balkanic Area.

Project objectives:

The project objective was to put into effect the cooperation agreement between the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Perm Region, fostering the development of trade exchanges (in particular in the timber, mechanical and agro-industrial sector). The feasibility study investigatesdthe opportunity and convenience of modernizing and improving the Port of Perm in sight of the development of the waterways between the Perm Region and the ports of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Project activities:

• Analysis of the resources potentiality available in the Perm Region, which could be interesting for the regional economy of Friuli Venezia Giulia;
• Realization of the feasibility study;
• Realization of seminars for the promotion of the Perm Region in Friuli Venezia Giulia and the results of the feasibility study;
• Organization of two missions in Perm (a start-up mission and a final mission with the participation of entrepreneurs of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region);
• Organization of a mission of the Russian partners’ representatives in Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Expected results:

• A feasibility study on the potentiality of the business relationships between the Perm Region and the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region on waterways;
• Increasing of the business relationships between Russian and Italian enterprises;
• Boosting of the institutional relationships between the administrations of the Perm Region and the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.

Project objectives:

The project general objective was to give institutional and structural continuity to the results achieved by the implementation of ISSER Project - Socio-economic regional development initiatives - and to strengthen bilateral relations between the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.

The project had also the following specific objectives:

• To promote an integrated approach of the Friuli Venezia Giulia intervention in Vojvodina;
• To strengthen the project design of new bilateral projects among institutions, agencies and companies of both Regions;
• To strengthen investment promotion and economic co-operation between companies from Friuli Venezia Giulia and Vojvodina by monitoring the last phase of the privatization process and the opportunities erasing from work and supply tenders in Serbia.

Project activities:

The implemented actions concerned the following areas:

• Start-up and functioning of the permanent Cooperation and Liaison Office in Novi Sad;
• Organisation of two seminars aimed at illustrating legal, technical and financial aspects related to ongoing and future bilateral projects and aimed at generating new project initiatives between subjects of both Regions;
• Organisation of meetings to put in contact potential partners;
• Assistance to the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, other Regional bodies interested in the project, the Chambers of Commerce, entrepreneurial associations, companies consortia and other public, private and mixed bodies and companies in accessing investment opportunities in Vojvodina and support economic collaboration between both Regions;
• Design, implementation and updating of the Vojvodina Database (VD);
• Set up of a project web site with access to VD within the Informest portal www.informest.it. The website has been updated with quarterly reports about Vojvodina (Focus on Vojvodina) and with a monthly Newsletter published by Informest on the Internet.

Expected results:

• Organisation of seminars, meetings; assistance to companies and institutions that aim to start up and develop co-operation with Vojvodina;
• Three partnership events between companies, promoted by public authorities or by other Vojvodina’s development actors;
• Vojvodina Data Base design and updating.

Project objectives:

The project objective consisted in the diffusion of information and a better acknowledgement about IPA Adriatic Cross Border Cooperation Programme, through the organization and realization of five working tables, one for each thematic priorities of the programme, with a previous and a following plenary session of work. The participant countries at the event are the ones belonging to the IPA Adriatic Cross Border Cooperation Programme area: Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Serbia.

Project activities:

• Definition of the event beneficiaries on a national and international level;
• Definition and realization of promotional and advertising material about the event;
• Promotion of the event on a national and international level;
• Organization of the necessaries logistic services (interpreting, audio-video recording, rooms setting-up, billboards, catering);
• Management of orders and contacts with suppliers;
• Organizational secretariat of the event;
• Follow-up.

Results:

• 254 participants (Regional political Authorities, Regional Bodies and Agencies, Universities, NGOs, Ministerial officers);
• 78 project proposals presented;
• Realization of 5 working tables;
• Realization of a press conference.

The main objective of the project was to give assistance to the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Directorate for International Relations and Local Government Autonomies in the fields of territorial cooperation and EU structural funds, in order to enhance the Region FVG staff in the elaboration of the Operative Programmes. In particular the assistance provided concerned:

• cross-border cooperation;
• transnational cooperation;
• interregional cooperation.

Informest activities were aimed also to spread up within the target groups the knowledge of the Structural Funds regulation 2007-2013, objective and instruments, trough the organisation of seminars, events, conferences and training courses.

Project objectives:

Due to the great potentialities offered by the relationships between the SMEs of the two border areas, the project aimed at improve the relations between the two entrepreneurial systems, through different activities involving the institutional and economic players from both the territories. In particular, the project aimed at increase knowledge, competitiveness and innovation at the local level fostering institutional and economic cooperation.

Project activities:

• Economic animation and creation of institutional networks;
• Activities to strengthen cross-border cooperation between SMEs;
• Activities to support technological cooperation between SMEs in the cross-border area.

Expected results:

• Economic animation and creation of institutional networks to last after the conclusion of the project;
• Enhanced economic cooperation between SMEs;
• Information activities and support to the internationalisation process and technological development of enterprises, increasing their awareness and orientation towards innovation and the opportunities to set up new enterprises with benefits for the employment in the area;
• Further integration and harmonisation of the two areas, considering their potential economic-productive sector characterised by the presence of a considerable number of SMEs that can be positively affected by joint and complementary activities.

Project Objectives:

In the framework of the Observatory on Productive clusters, Informest has implemented a Market Intelligence Project concerning Eastern European countries and markets (New EU MS, Balkan countries and Western countries of the former Soviet Union), aiming at enhancing and leading the internationalization process of the SMEs of the Veneto Region, increasing the knowledge, the evaluation of existing business and productive opportunities and the access to these markets who make the object of a growing economic and geopolitical interest. The project thus met the need of the single enterprises as well as the whole industrial clusters to get reliable and precise information on possible local partners, consumption behaviours and the economic situation in the target countries. The project particularly aimed at:

• Fostering the growth of enterprises, identifying the best available opportunities for business and productive collaboration;
• Defining new development policies at the cluster level.

Project activities:

• Realisation of 19 country reports to analyse the structural, legal and industrial characteristics of each country;
• Realisation of 15 country reports focused on specific production sections or productive clusters, such as fashion, housing, agro-food, sport and leisure sectors.

Expected results:

The Marketing Intelligence project and the realisation of the country reports improved the competitiveness of the Veneto productive system, enhancing the transfer of products, services, technologies and training opportunities towards the target countries.

In the long run, the country reports, updated on a yearly basis, allowed a constant monitoring activity on the business cycles and trends in the target countries and economic sectors (weaknesses and strengths, threats and opportunities), representing a reliable and precise data base for Veneto enterprises to develop their marketing strategies.

The analysis was focused on a new phenomenon recently intensifying, that is the development of economic cooperation between P.R. of China and some Eastern European countries. The study, following an initial phase of data collection, aimed at underlining the typology of trade exchange, as if involving intermediate or final goods, whether the trade development flow interest mainly demand related to domestic consumption or some productive delocalisation phases, and at individuating the main trade patterns. The analytic evaluations were prevailingly focused on imports of some East European countries from China. The four relevant EE countries considered were: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia and Albania. The aim of these case-studies was the individuation of the analytic structure of trade patterns with China and of the eventual other forms of bilateral cooperation. Moreover, for this four countries, a special attention has been given to the growing exports to China, an issue destined to assume a greater importance in the medium term. The identification of the economic relations between EE countries (and specificately the four mentioned) and China was to be related with a reference framework that could be useful to Italian enterprises that are interested to penetrate Chinese market.

Project objectives:

The project aimed at contributing to the setting up of a new governance instrument in the territory of the Alpe-Adria-Pannonia, through the management of the new cross-border, transnational and interregional programmes established at the European level.

Project activities:

• Analysis of statistical and qualitative data about the socio-economic situation of the area;
• Identification of a common strategy and shared policy goals for the setting up of a formal cooperation framework;
• Setting up and coordination of four thematic working tables (Transport Infrastructure and Location Development, Spatial Planning and Development; Socio-Economic development and co-operation; Co-operation among urban centres and municipalities)
• Dissemination of results.

In particular, Informest has been charged by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region of the organization of the First Political Conference, held in Trieste on 24 January 2007, with the participation of the highest institutional representatives of the target countries, the technical experts and the project partners. Informest was also responsible for the organization of the meetings between the representatives and experts of the partners involved, as well as for the preparation of the analysis and the technical documents required for the project implementation.

Expected results:

• Improved understanding of the present situation and future trends in key areas for spatial development;
• Proposal of an institutional structure for cooperation at political and administrative levels
• Clear definition of the relations with the Alps Adriatic Community and EUROREGIOs (established or planned)
• Setting up of networks at the administrative and experts level
• Joint strategies in key areas influencing spatial development
• Pipe-line of projects to be elaborated jointly

The Project was aimed at carrying a study on the features of the local autonomies in the New Member Countries of Central Eastern Europe as in the countries of South-Eastern Europe (candidates or not). The analysis focused on the presentation of a general framework of the process of regionalization in the region, with special reference to topics as deconcentration, delegation and devolution of powers. For each considered country was predisposed a specific report, comprehensive of the legal framework in force and the perspectives of its implementation, a political comment on the process of regionalization pursued, a description of the sub-national structures and bodies close to the regional level, the procedures of local elections, a record of powers (legislative, executive) and of the competences detained. Eventually, the study containes a list of the principal contacts and addresses in loco. A final chapter of the study foresaw a mapping of existing assemblies with legislative power in the considered area related to the deconcentration/delegation/devolution taxonomy.

Project objectives:

The project objective consisted in pinpointing integrated cross border methods, systems and tools of sustainable management of agricultural and forest resources in the CADSES area, towards a shared carbon balance, taking into account the fundamental function of forests in absorbing and retaining carbon and implementing existing environmental policies according to the State commitments towards the Kyoto Protocol. The project allowed to provide concrete tools for the assessment and improvement of the capability of the grand agricultural and forest resources of  the CADSES area, to play a primary role in the global market of the carbon shares, following the application of the Kyoto Protocol.

Project activities:

• Transnational data collection and identification of CADSES cross-border territorial areas of intensive monitoring in order to determine the balance of carbon;
• Analysis of the cross border gaps and support to the description of the carbon cycle in the target areas, in order to improve the analysis of the regional agricultural and forestry resources management;
• Carbon cycle evaluation and definition of targets in order to improve management of resources in the cross border CADSES areas and increase carbon credits;
• Pilot actions for the application of transnational sustainable management principles of agricultural and forest resources, aimed at supporting the government bodies in the application of the transnational Action Plan delivered in the previous actions;
• Dissemination and exploitation for the improvement of agricultural and forestry resources management in the CADSES area.

Expected results:

• Creation of a database on agricultural and forest systems and setting up of models for the public administration to allow a better management of forest and agricultural areas;
• New strategies and technologies to improve the management of agricultural and forest systems in order to obtain the best environmental and economic results and promote sustainable development;
• Common monitoring activities at the transnational level in cross border areas to determine the balance of carbon within an integrated methodology;
• Actions to support the integration process of spatial and rural development at the regional level;
• Best practice exchange concerning the management of closed carbon cycles, which could later be implemented in other EU regions.

Project objectives:

The ACIND project aimed at enhancing the exchange of knowledge and good practices on sustainable industrial development between the two shores of the Adriatic Sea and promoting common approaches and methodologies in order to involve local actors on local development and investment attraction issues. In particular, the project focused on innovation, energy management and environmental management in industrial sites. The project also aimed at increasing the planning skills of the involved territories to realize suitable infrastructures and thus contribute to their harmonious development and the reinforcement of local cohesion, as well as to create the right conditions for the identification and planning of infrastructures for local and SMEs development.

Project activities:

• Setting up of thematic working tables and local working groups;
• Development of an "assessment toolkit" on industrial sites and SMEs, SWOT analyses about local specificities;
• Identification of good practices and their classification in Best Practise Providers (the territory where the good practice can be found) and Best Practices Recipients (actors interested in solving a specific issue);
• Implementation of pilot projects on innovation, sustainable environmental management and energy efficiency to develop industrial clusters.

Expected Results:

• Elaboration and sharing of methodologies and planning processes in order to start initiatives aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the industrial sectors and fostering bottom up approaches in setting up local development policies;
• Evolution to a new model of production, environmentally sustainable and focused on knowledge economy assets, skills and quality of productive and managerial processes, energy saving and efficiency;
• Increase of the skills in planning industrial sites and, in particular, of the capacity to plan and realize technologically advanced industrial sites, with ecological and innovative equipments and spaces and services for new business, as business incubators and technological parks.

The IDEA (Interactive Database for Enterprises and Associations) project is conceived as one of the promotion and assistance activities addressed to companies, in the framework of art. 5 of the Italian Law 84/01 regulating the Italian participation to the stabilisation, reconstruction and development process in the Balkan Area.

The Project objective, in accordance with the priorities defined by the resolution of the Italian Council of Ministries on 20/11/2003, was to facilitate the availability and the circulation of the information essential for companies development in the beneficiaries Countries, and for the attraction of foreign investments. In particular, the Initiative aimed at: 

• Monitoring, region by region, the existent supporting tools for companies arranged both by Central and by Local Authorities (at regional, county and municipal level), also pointing out if such tools are available for Italian companies and Mixed Capital Companies as well, or only for purposely established joint ventures between Italian and local enterprises;
• Monitoring, at regional and sub-regional level, the public and private organizations providing business supporting services (Service Providers), in particular to SMEs, in the beneficiaries Countries;
• Implementing, on the basis of the just mentioned monitoring activities, an interactive multilingual database, available through the Internet, containing organized information about all the private and public entities that provide services to enterprises at regional and local level in the beneficiaries Countries. In addition, the database contained information concerning the provided services and their accessibility;
• Creating a technological support system to facilitate the networking among the local development agencies, the business supporting organizations, and the companies final beneficiaries as well. The final network increased such the subjects' capacities in providing good-quality services tailoring local and foreign companies needs, especially those Italians. Thanks to the networking, the companies shall interact amongst each others and with the supporting organisations.

Project objectives:

The project aimed at training 30 young Russian professionals coming from Perm and Kaliningrad regions, through training courses, internships and study tours. The project was tailored on the needs expressed by entrepreneurs of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, who work on a regular basis in the Russian Federation and have ascertained the lack of professionalism in certain specific sectors. Managers of the following sectors participated in the initiative: furniture and wood processing, light industry, machine building.

Project activities:

• Launching of the call for applicants;
• Selection interviews for applicants in Russia;
• Organisation of the practical training in Italy: refreshment courses realised for young executives of Kaliningrad and Perm region in the following sectors: furniture and wood processing, training of trainers;
• Organisation of the internships and study tours in Italy;
• Tutoring of participants before, during and after their permanence in Italy.

The general project objective was to promote the growth of the agricultural sector in Vojvodina through technical co-operation provided by Informest and the Union of Drainage and Irrigation Consortia of the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia. The experience held by the Union, which is particularly skilled in the field of programming and construction of facilities and has relevant competence in administrative aspects and procedures when dealing with different public and private bodies located in our Region, has been of great interest to the Executive Council of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and to Vojvodina's public company in charge of irrigating and drainage water management. The co-operation with Vojvodina's Provincial Secretariat of Agriculture, the Executive Council of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and the public company Vode Vojvodine within this project thus allowed to meet the following specific project objectives:

• The development of Vojvodina's programming capacities in the field of water management, considering also that this region had been hit by disastrous floodings;
• The international benchmarking with Friuli Venezia Giulia's experience and skills in the field of drainage and irrigation, especially with regard to the classification criteria of the territory;
• Cartographic innovation aimed at a better management of the water system in general and of irrigation waters in particular;
• Identification of needed facilities in the fields of agricultural redevelopment and irrigation, with emphasis on different facility typologies, different financial sources, costs, criteria for allocating resources to the beneficiary areas;
• Strengthening of the capacity to acquire funds, also on the basis of partnership agreements between public and private investors;
• The capacity to manage with flexibility the programming instruments aimed at innovating Vojvodina's agriculture and at the harmonization of its production standards to the EU regulations.

In order to achieve these objectives, Informest implemented the following activities:

• Inception and inspection mission;
• 3 Technical assistance missions to the Executive Council of the AP Vojvodina and to the Company Vode Vojvodine;
• Internship for 3 technicians from Vojvodina at the Drainage Consortia of Friuli Venezia Giulia, members of the Union;
• Final Project Conference in Vojvodina.

Project objectives:

The objective of the project was to organize and carry out 3 seminars aimed at transferring competences and techniques for drafting Regional Operative Programmes (ROPs) to 3 Croatian partner Counties of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia within the framework of the future EU 2007-2013 programming. The need for strengthening these competences within the Croatian partner Counties was evident also with respect to the current pre-adhesion policy of the Croatian Government.

Project activities:

• 3 technical seminars of one day each organized and carried out in 3 Croatian Counties, i.e. in the County Primorsko-goranska, in the County of Istria and in the County Koprivnicko-krizevacka (Koprivnica-Krizevci);
• Deployment of short-term experts and competent FVG regional managers in the field of ROP drafting and implementation from FVG;
• General coordination of project activities, monitoring, operational and financial management.

Expected results: 

3 Croatian Counties, partners of the Autonomous Region of FVG, have acquired best practices and technical capacity for regional development programming according to EU standards and for the planning of trans-national partnerships for the implementation of the future EU cohesion policy Objective 3 for the period 2007-2013.

Project objectives:

The project aimed at favouring the transfer of best European practices in the field of development programming and entrepreneurial support as they are implemented in the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia by tje public administration and other relevant bodies. Moreover, the project supported the development of new twinning initiatives between public organisations and bodies from Friuli Venezia Giulia and Vojvodina, where the acquired experiences and best practices owned by Friuli Venezia Giulia are of primary importance for the benefeciary organisations in Vojvodina.

Project activities:

• Organisation of a study tour in Friuli Venezia Giulia for officials from the administration of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and other public organisations and bodies in charge of local development;
• Organisation of internships in Friuli Venezia Giulia for officials and executives from the administration of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and other public organisations and bodies in charge of local development;
• Drafting of new twinning initiatives between relevant FVG and Vojvodina public organisations and bodies with the technical assistance and support of their FVG counterparts;
• General co-ordination activity of the afore-mentioned iniatives and monitoring over the creation and development of new twinning programmes.

Expected results:

• Institutional co-operation between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Vojvodina stregthened thanks to a better mutual knowledge and the creation of new partnerships between public administration and other bodies in charge of local development from both Regions;
• New twinning initiatives between public organisations and bodies involved from both Regions to boost also new commercial and economic co-operation between companies;
• Generation on new local development projects for Vojvodina and strengthening of Vojvodina's competences to access international financing.

Project Objectives:

The project aimed at certifying the quality of at least 30 private SMEs from Kosovo and at supporting them in the process of accessing EU markets, especially as regards the economic co-operation with Italian enterprises from Friuli Venezia Giulia. The project also aimed at spreading in Friuli Venezia Giulia a better and more objective knowledge of the business and investment opportunities avalaible in Kosovo.

Project Activities:

• Deployment in Kosovo and in Italy of an Italian senior expert in charge of identifying at least 30 Kosovan privately owned SMEs with the support of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce and other relevant Kosovan institutions;
• Identification of a relevant number of Kosovan privately owned SMEs and selection of at least 30 of them to be involved in the project; 
• Presentation of the selected Kosovan SMEs to the enterprises of Friuli Venezia Giulia through specific events and conferences to be organised in the Region FVG;
• Organisation of one partnership event in Kosovo between selected Kosovan SMEs and Italian companies from FVG interested in building new commercial and investment partnerships with their Kosovan counterparts.

Expected results:

• Identification of at least 30 Kosovan privately owned SMEs and their quality certification;
• Support to the access of Kosovan identified SMEs to the EU market, support to the extension of commercial co-operation between Kosovan SMEs and Italian companies from Friuli Venezia Giulia;
• Spread of objective information and opportunities offered by Kosovo among Italian enterprises from Friuli Venezia Giulia through seminars, informative events and company match-making.

Project objectives:

The aim of the project was to support local economic development, rural diversification and use of alternative sources of energy in Falesti district, by introducing and experimenting agrarian crops to be used for energy purposes, through the set up of an agro-industrial process aimed at producing alternative energy from oleaginous crops (sunflower and canola).

Project activities:

• Experimental cultivation of oleaginous crops;
• Processing of oleaginous biomass and esterification of bio-diesel;
• Utilisation for motor-traction and electric power generation in demonstrative farms;
• Analysis of project results;
• Economic missions of Italian and Romanian entrepreneurs in Moldova;
• Study visits of Moldavian delegations in Italy and Romania;
• Dissemination of project outcomes.

Expected results:

Enhancement of the multifunctional role of agriculture and diversification of economy. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, especially CO2, and improvement of the environmental quality standards. Stimulation to the creation of new income sources and new jobs thanks to the introduction of experimental cultivation.

Given that, in the framework of the 2005 Italian Promotional Program for foreign trade, the Russian Federation had been chosen as the priority Country, the Project Russia of Regions was conceived in order to finally facilitate Italian economic actors and those companies interested in the Russian market, to know more about its huge regional dimension, so that the Italian investment initiatives could seize also, and even more, the opportunities deriving from these territories and their emerging economies.

The project finally led to the implementation of the First Italian Official Web Portal Focused on the Different Russian Regions supported by a database in Italian containing information about the different Russian regional markets: not only statistics and macroeconomic indicators, but also some useful services such as business opportunities and data on the most attractive factors of the single Russian Regions. The Portal Russia of Regions represented, at the same time, a real opportunity also for all the 86 Russian regions, who could promote themselves and open new collaboration and trading channels with an increasing number of Italian economic operators and Regional Administrations.

On behalf of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Informest was assigned to the project focused on the realization and publication of a review (EUROREGIO) as a mean of discussion in view of the creation of an Euroregion in the Alps-Adriatic area. The review, published in three editions (Italian, Slovenian and German), each bilingual (Italian/English, Slovenian/English, German/English), to be issued in 4 numbers, is conceived as distinct essays: the first one focused on research and innovation; the topic dealt with in the second number was the experience of cross-border cooperation in this area and the new EU institutional framework for reciprocal cooperation; the other considered themes were transports, healthcare, culture, tourism. The purpose of this review was to promote cooperation among the regions situated in an enlarged area from North Adriatic to Danube, diffusing the concept of Euro-Region.

The SEA-Bridge (Adriatic port facilities as a bridge for trans-European network) was aimed at developing and strengthening the sea transport networks linking the Region of Abruzzo (Central Italy) to the most important pan-European networks such as Corridor V and Corridor VIII. The Project aimed, in fact, at helping to increase the co-operation between the two versants of the Adriatic sea, to say Adriatic Italian regions and EACs, and at the same time, to favour and strengthen the cross-border exchanges of both people and goods, optimising their flows. Specifically, Abruzzo region's ports could become a junction point for traffic flaws originating from Lazio region and the capital area and directed to EACs. The Project's specific objectives were the realisation of two infrastructure interventions in the sea ports of Pescara and of Ortona and the realisation of a feasibility study.

The feasibility study was composed by three sections:

• Evaluation of the traffic between Italy and the Balkan countries by mode of transport;
• Role of the maritime transports in the relationship between the Italian "Mezzogiorno" and the Balkans;
• Market scenarios: external trade, economic cooperation, foreign direct investments.

Project objectives:

The action aimed at promoting integrated project approach in the implementation of Structural Funds. Its contribution to the objective was the production of innovative tools of governance and institutional models for planning and management of integrated projects.

Project activities:

The operation promoted and financed subprojects for trans-national partnerships, for the creation and testing of innovative practices in subprojects, exchange of expertise, production of methodologies for territorial subprojects, thematic projects, public private partnerships The output of GRIP_IT were subprojects, presentation of good practices, international conferences and workshops involving social and economic actors.

Informest as the mandated body of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia managed the whole deployment of civil (4) and non-civil (4) servants originated by Friuli Venezia Giulia.

In this position Informest experts dealt with activities related to all specific objectives of the programme:

• Strengthening institutional structures at central level in order to achieve, upon accession, sound and efficient management of EU Structural and Cohesion Funds;
• Preparing the Bulgarian regional authorities for effective implementation of regional development programs, thus ensuring more transparent involvement of the regions in programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of EC assistance in line with the partnership principle;
• Developing sound and effective co-ordination between central and regional institutions in order to facilitate the absorption of the future funding under EU Structural and Cohesion Funds.

Moreover one Study Tour in FVG Region was organised for relevant Bulgarian officers on the issues of the organisation of expenditures certification and payment processes in particular.

Project objectives:

• The implementation of initiatives that will favour riconversion and development of the manufacturing and industrial sectors through targeted actions on several sectors of interest for the local industry and for eventual co-operation with Italian enterprises;
• Development of trade relationship and creation of opportuntities between Bulgarian and Italian small and medium-sized enterprises in the most perspective sectors of the economic and trade relations between Bulgaria and Italy;
• Training and capacity building of 80 Bulgarian entrepreneurs;
• One-to-one tutoring of entrepreneurs and realization of 80 business plans;
• Meetings, development of contacts and trade opportunities between 80 Bulgarian and 30 Italian companies.

Project activities:

• Project promotion in Italy and in Bulgaria, collection of participation forms coming from Bulgarian companies;
• Selection of suitable Bulgarian companies that will be included in the training activity;
• Implementation of the training activity through workshops;
• Evaluation of business plans prepared by the participants during the training;
• One-to-one tutoring of the Bulgarian entrepreneurs;
• Promotion of business opportunities between Bulgaria and Italy and organization of meetings and seminars between Italian and Bulgarian enterprises.

Project objectives:

• Promotion and diffusion of the European Charter for small-sized enterprises among stakeholders, entrepreneurs, public administration at County level;
• Implementation of the Charter principles by the local administration in 3 beneficiary Counties through the innovation of policies in support of SME development;
• Spread of the importance of SMEs for the local socio-economic development;
• Generation of innovative projects also on the basis of public-privat partnership;
• Support to Croatian regional authorities in the process of innovating their policies for the local development.

Project activities:

• Project management, co-ordination and monitoring;
• Definition of a communication strategy about the principles and the purposes of the Charter;
• Technical assistance in the activity of verifying existing Croatian legislation with the principles of the Charter;
• Presentation of the relation between the principles of the Charter and the acquis communautaire relevant to SMEs with the organisation of workshops and seminars;
• Formulation of innovative proposals for the policies relevant to SMEs;
• Creation of partnerships between private and public bodies for the generation of innovative projects in support of SME development;
• Realisation of study seminars and exchange of best practices between Croatian and Italian entrepreneurs and civil servants on the relationship between SMEs and public administration.

Project objectives:

• An increased awareness of Italian SMEs on trade and co-operation opportunities in the Balkans;
• Providing Italian participants with specialized training focused on the Balkan area, on company management, trade marketing and strategies, on Italian and Community programmes and funding lines for SMEs.

Project activities:

• Finalization of project activities and creation of the Project Steering Committee;
• Finalization of the training programme, promotion of the initiative and selection of participants;
• Building-up of the virtual library in support of the training activity;
• Organization and implementation of the theoretical training activity;
• Organization and implementation of the internships in Italy and abroad;
• Final exams and conclusion of the training.

Project objectives:

• Assisting the SMEs to operate and to cope with the enlarged internal market;
• Building interactive information - communication process between SMEs and their intermediates;
• Strengthening the sustainable expert network to assist SMEs in the process of growing into the enlarged market;
• Promoting the cooperation between companies in different sectors;
• Promoting the synergies between SME organizations and strengthening the networks between intermediaries.

Project activities:

• Cooperative events, seminars, conferences;
• Preparatory training for the consultants;
• Vocational training in the enlarged Europe;
• Creation of the country/sector information tables (CSIT);
• Creation of the website.

Project objectives:

• The development of integrated economic relations between the reality of Republika Srpska and the FVG;
• The development of local support policies in relation to production systems and business clusters;
• Spreading of knowledge to the local PPP in relation to SME systems and of the system of Chambers of Commerce for the growth of SMEs;
• Raising participant's awareness and understanding of the systems for relations between companies, representative associations and territorial institutions;
• The strengthening and consolidating of the entrepreneurial Associations as well as their promotion and creation where they are lacking;
• Economic and production integration between the local and economic realities, with particular emphasis on the wood sector.

Project activities:

• Establishment of the Local Operating Unit;
• Identification and assessment of the needs of the local beneficiaries;
• Group seminars with the representatives of the organizations identified;
• The spreading of knowledge related to the principles that govern Community policies for the development of SMEs;
• The transferring of best practices related to the operation of innovation and technology transfer centres;
• The selection of 10 candidates to participate in a study visit in Friuli Venezia Giulia over a period lasting 5 working days;
• Creation of a project website and creation of an information network between the local reality and the FVG one;
• Formulation of proposals for the involvement of the companies of the Republika Srpska in activities of a trans national nature directed towards other markets.

Project objectives:

• Technical assistance in capacity building of local authorities for drafting a regional development strategy;
• Enhancement of local entrepreneurship for the implementation of regional strategy objectives;
• Creation of partnerships between the public and the private sectors in the activity of programming regional development strategies;
• Spread knowledge of the methodology and increased use of feasibility studies in the procedures related to public expenditure;
• Spread knowledge of resource programming methodology and of tender procedures methodology in disbursing of public aid to enterprises;
• Creation of public-private partnerships for the creation and the implementation of projects coherent with the adopted regional strategies.

Project Activities:

• Project management, co-ordination and monitoring;
• Training of public officials and entrepreneurs on the topic of partnership building;
• Training on the topic of feasibility studies and their implementation;
• Training on the topic of public aid to enterprises in the EU through the use of public tenders
• Transfer of best practices for the promotion of SMEs and job creation;
• Partnerships as a tool for identifying and implementing quality projects;
• Transfer of best practices for integrated local development actions.

Project objectives:

The main objective of the project was to promote regional policy as an instrument of economic growth and enhance the role of the regions in their efforts to provide and manage demand-oriented locations for business and investments, and to contribute to a balanced national development. In particular, the project aimed at fostering regional economic development in the Russian Federation, in line with EU practice, improving business and investment and supporting sustainable economic growth of the Russian economy.

Project activities:

• Establishment of three Resource Centres to provide legal and policy advice to regional and municipal institutions and to promote international cooperation;
• Formulation of Regional Development Strategies;
• Training activities targeted at regional authorities and major stakeholders;
• Dissemination activities, best-practices exchanges, implementation of the project website.

Expected results:

• Improvement of the institutional, policy, legal and regulatory framework for regional development according to EU practice;
• Efficient public management and implementation of the regional development strategies;
• A closer co-operation between Russian Federation regions and with EU regions.

Project objectives:

• Development of local networking in the County of Split-Dalmatia for the creation of an integrated system of tourist offer, coherent with the peculiarities of the beneficiary area and of its tourism potentialities;
• Promotion of an innovative tourism culture together with the promotion of a sustainable development of the area;
• Improvement of competences and skills of operators of the tourism sector in the area;
• Creation of conditions for the development of induced entrepreneurial activities linked to the tourism sector.

Project activities:

• Project co-ordination;
• Analysis of the current situation in the tourist sector in the beneficiary area through the collection of data in situ;
• Writing of a general report on the tourism situation in the area with emphasis on the identification of potentials for the development of an integrated tourism offer;
• Identification of destination management subprojects;
• Selection of 12 participants for the training;
• Organisation of the training activity, both in Croatia and in Italy;
• Writing out of a feasibility analysis of destination management subprojects prepared by the participants to the training;
• Dissemination of results in Croatia through the organisation of a public event in the end of project activities.

The general aim of the Project was intended to give a contribution to the selection of those links, in the Balkan infrastructure network, potentially more relevant for the strengthening of economic cooperation between Italy (South regions in particular) and Eastern Adriatic Countries. The strategic aim of the Project was to facilitate the cooperation between the main Italian decision-makers on transport and development policies by the identification of a set of infrastructure projects.

The co-operation with CERPEM was manly focused on development of Mezzogiorno's regions analysis, particularly on two topics:

• Balkan area development scenarios focused on the economic and political dimensions and the perspectives for the relations with Italy and the EU;
• Main gaps of transport network (links) in/toward the Balkan area. These gaps are a constraint to trade and economic cooperation development between the area and Italian regions, particularly South-Italy's regions. The negative effect on bilateral trade flows between the Italian regions and Balkan countries was estimated by means of gravitational models.

The second phase of the project was mainly aimed at the identification of the priorities and actions to be implemented in the short and medium term, in order to improve the Italian strategy and its diversification regarding both prevailing transport modes in the concerned areas and their own specific issues.

Project objectives:

• Support to the SME sector and to the local institutions through an investment programme aimed at developing the coastal areas of the Eastern Adriatic, traditionally linked with the sea and fishery;
• Construction and reconstruction of fish markets and strengthening of all logistic facilities connected with the fishery sector;
• Strengthening of the economic co-operation and trade between Croatian and Italian SMEs of the fishery sector.

Project activities:

• Preparation of a feasibility study highlighting the weak structural and infrastructural aspects of the production activities on the Adriatic coast;
• Investments for building the fish market facilities in the cities of Pula and Rijeka;
• Realisation of the fish markets;
• Training for the staff to be employed in the fish markets.

The Project was aimed to the elaboration of a comprehensive country report and to assess the business climate in the Republic of Serbia in occasion of the business summit "Italia a Belgrado 2004". In the general part the report provided an in deep analysis on the political, institutional, economic framework, while in the second part (20 chapters) provided focuses on different business sectors analysing trends and opportunities, gave the reader a complete picture of the business climate assessing different sources of risk. A special focus was given to the legal frameworks governing the sector of public procurement, concessions, foreign investments and existing incentives for foreign nationals and companies.

Informest as the mandated body of the Autonomous Region Friuli-Venezia Giulia within the consortium led by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance managed the whole deployment of civil (4) and non-civil (4) servants originated by Friuli Venezia Giulia for the benefit of the Ministry, Voivodship and Marshall offices.

In this position Informest experts dealt with activities related to all specific objectives of the programme:

• Enhancement of the capabilities of institutions involved in implementation of IROP for sound and effective management of the programme, including financial management;
• Enhancement of the capabilities of institutions involved in implementation of IROP for monitoring and evaluating the programme;
• Enhancement of the capabilities of institutions involved in implementation of IROP and potential beneficiaries for application for SF support and implementation of the projects;
• Raising awareness of institutions involved in implementation of IROP and potential beneficiaries of possibilities for receiving support from Structural Funds under IROP.

Moreover one Study Tour in FVG Region was organised for relevant Polish officers on the issues of the organisation of expenditures certification and payment processes in particular.

Project objectives:

To enhance the competitiveness of small, micro and sole proprietorship businesses situated in the border regions next to the accession countries, belonging to those economic sectors which will be particularly affected by the impending enlargement: construction and environmental technologies in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg in Germany; construction and wood in Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy.

Project activities:

• Activity A - Train the trainer seminar;
• Activity B - Selection of micro, small and sole proprietorship enterprises;
• Activity C - Preparatory seminars for SMEs;
• Activity D - Cooperation events – Fairs and business trips;
• Activity E - Individualised coaching;
• Activity F - Website and database;
• Activity G - Partner meetings;
• Activity H - Information material / Publications;
• Activity I - Dissemination.

Project objectives:

• To promote tourism interchange between Italy and Uzbekistan;
• To help increasing incomes into the country;
• To favour the development of eco-tourism in Uzbekistan in order to exploit natural resources without damaging the environment;
• To give Italian tour operators a range of possible tourism offers to be spread.

Project activities:

• Survey of all kinds of tourist resources available in Uzbekistan;
• Mission of Italian experts to map tourism state of the art in Uzbekistan, in particular by interviewing local tour operators, universities and other research and development institutions dealing with tourism issues. The research aimed at inspecting the country's tourism infrastructure, the transport system and the current situation of foreign investment in tourism infrastructure;
• Creation of a marketing plan to foster sustainable tourism in Uzbekistan;
• Organisation and management of public events to disseminate results in Italy and Uzbekistan;
• Creation of a website for the promotion of tourism in Uzbekistan containing all necessary information and documentation on the country's tourist attractions, basic information and other useful links.

The objective of this project was to develop and maintain a European online portal, serving as a knowledge exchange on business-to-business electronic marketplaces. The portal contains neutral and reliable information, which guide SMEs in selecting the most appropriate and trustworthy e-marketplaces and business partners. This contributed to making e-commerce an even more important tool for European SMEs. The portal provides interactive services and structure information surrounding electronic marketplaces, business partners and e-commerce in general. The portal is available in a number of relevant languages of the EU member states, the acceding countries, the candidate countries and the EEA EFTA states. The consortium made use of existing expertise and the established eMarket Services portal, to create a comprehensive European service, addressing the opportunities and obstacles for European SMEs and the business advisors assisting them regarding e-marketplaces. Efficient promotion of the service through trusted channels can make European SMEs aware of different Internet trading platforms and potential business partners, and enable them to evaluate, use, and take maximum advantage from participation in e-marketplaces, when appropriate. The increased use of e-marketplaces aimed at increasing the competitiveness of European SMEs in a global perspective and making trade within the European union and with other parts of the world more dynamic.

Project activities included the design and implementation of the European portal on B2B electronic marketplaces; the improvement and update a database of e-marketplaces; the production of an handbook on e-marketplaces; a set of customised services to provide personalised guidance and assistance to SMEs concerning B2B e-marketplaces; independent rating and Codes of conduct; list of events/conferences on B2B e-marketplaces; promotion of the service; meetings, reports and plan for the continuation of the project. Direct beneficiaries are managing directors, marketing-, sales- and purchasing managers in small and medium sized companies in Europe.

Project objectives:

• Assisting SMEs that operate on international markets (especially in New Member States and Eastern Europe in general);
• Informing enterprises about economic opportunities in foreign markets;
• Identifying SMEs assistance needs, in particular concerning the selection of foreign markets and partners;
• Defining innovative enterprise strategies essential to identify: new market opportunities; new foreign partners; new trans-national sources of innovation;
• Generating new development and internationalisation projects on a territorial basis;
• Extending the international network of relationships between enterprises, suppliers of consultancy, centres of excellence and innovation, bodies and programmes for local development, governmental agencies and chambers of commerce;
• Promoting collaboration with EU and foreign partners, with particular attention to those located in the new EU Member States.

Project activities:

• Matchmaking events, seminars, conferences;
• Support to specific dynamic sectors to build common strategies to approach new foreign markets;
• Mapping of SMEs in the project eligible areas;
• Opening of Information Points;
• Creation of a project website.

The overall project aimed at improving the awareness and knowledge about concerted development programming; at applying in three selected micro-regions of Croatia the Italian experience in territorial integrated programming and at analysing possible use of the tested TIP approach at central government level. On behalf of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia, between October 2004 and December 2005 Informest managed the project in the micro-region of Gorski Kotar in the Primorsko-gorenska County of the Republic of Croatia, deploying its leading staff (5) + a number of civil servants and private experts.

The main activity focused on partnership building and programming methodology for the design of micro-region development plan, that resulted as a pilot experience also for County ROP implementation. A project pipeline has been established, focussing on tourism upgrading, educational improvement, support to SMEs competitiveness in agro-food and wood-processing clusters. Moreover one Study Tour in FVG Region was organised for Croatian local beneficiaries.

The project provided technical support through the means of training to the creation of functioning managing authorities, implementing bodies, paying authority, monitoring committees and relevant partners capable to implement EU structural funds, Cohesion fund and Community Initiatives interventions on national and regional levels. The service focused on three specific objectives:

• To build up the capacity of all the institutions and partners involved in the SF/CF programme /project cycle (programming, implementation, management and monitoring);
• To apply the principles of partnership and transparency when it comes to managing and monitoring the implementation of SFs/CF;
• To raise general public awareness of SF/CF programmes and projects and to increase the quality of project proposals made by potential beneficiaries drawn from the economic and social partners at local and regional levels.

The above objectives were achieved by carrying out the following activities:

• Preparation of training materials for tailored training of the staff in the MAs/ IBs, PA, Monitoring Committees;
• Realisation of the training for 500 trainees from the MAs /IBs, PA, Monitoring Committee members;
• Organisation of 8 regional conferences, one in each NUTS III region, in partnership with the VUCs and the social and economic partners;
• Preparation of promotional materials, publication of publicity materials and SF/CF programme information on MoCARD website.

The study has been released at the eve of an important phase of EU enlargement; the product is the result of the co-work of a group of experts that focused their studies mainly on EU enlargement. The process has been approached from different points of view: main characteristics and timeline, defence, security, impact of new CAP on new members, reflex of parallel NATO enlargement, the relations with the Italian economic system and its capacities of access these markets, the evolution of European Treaty.

Chapters of the study:

• From Old to New Europe;
• Characteristics and timelines of integration processes between EU and Central and South-Eastern Europe;
• Economic integration and access to markets;
• Communitarian structural funds and labour market perspectives;
• The impact of New agriculture policy on New Members;
• NATO and EU enlargements. Reflex on security and defense policies;
• European Convention and Constitution Treaty.

The study was published in 2004 by Franco Angeli.

The project aimed to carry a feasibility study for the setting up of new maritime cargo lines between Bulgarian and Romanian ports and North Adriatic ports. The study was based on the analysis of the growth potential of both economies also in the perspective of their adhesion to the EU single market in 2007, with a special reference to the potential growth of foreign trade between the two states and the EU markets and an in-depth analysis of trade flows per mode of transport between Romania, Bulgaria and the main EU trading partners. The analysis of road infrastructure between Romanian and Bulgarian ports and some industrial districts in the hinterland together with the mapping of all the operating maritime lines offered the opportunity to elaborate a cost/distance greed for every mode of transport. These analysis guaranteed a comprehensive data base to evaluate the potential freight and the scope for a modal shift in the freight transport towards the EU largely dominated by road transport. The Marco Polo EU program funds for intermodal shift were considered as an opportunity to reduce the cost in the start-up phase of the new maritime transport service.

Parts of the project:

• Macroeconomic situation of Bulgaria and Romania;
• Potential macroeconomic development in both Republics;
• Evolution of trade flows between Bulgaria, Romania and the EU;
• Analysis of the trade flows between Bulgaria, Romania and the main EU partners (Italy, France, Swiss, Austria, Germany);
• Transport infrastructure between Bulgarian and Romanian Ports with the hinterland;
• Analysis of actual maritime lines between Bulgaria and Romania and Adriatic and Tirrenian sea ports;
• Evaluation of the potential freight for a new maritime line;
• Hypothesis of the line's route, type of ship, operating costs;
• Financial plan;
• EU funds for enhancing competitiveness of the new transport service.

Project objectives:

• To increase technical, scientific and economic co-operation between Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Chernovtsy Oblast and Botosani County, marked by the same natural richness in wood, that represents one of the major resources of the two cross-border regions;
• To stimulate the development of strategies by the local authorities on cross-border basis in order to solve common problems through joint co-ordinate actions;
• To establish a network between wood experts in order to create the basis for an Ukrainian specialized centre for wood certification, testing and professional training.

Project activities:

• Feasibility study of Ukrainian territory and local wood resources;
• Transfer of basis methodology and best practices in wood management;
• Workshops in Italy and Ukraine;
• Assistance in the start-up of joint activities between wood experts.

Subcontractors involved in the project were: CATAS (Italy) and Centre EcoResource (Ukraine). The target groups involved were: public institutions engaged in timber development activities; research centres; sawmills and wood processing SMEs; wood and forestry industry associations.

The overall project aim was to spread common awareness among Italian SMEs about business opportunities in the Balkan area and to stress the strategic importance of these markets for the future Italian economic development. The main project activity was the training of 15 young Italian operators in the field of SME assistance and consulting. The training aimed at providing a support system to the Italian SME with young and competent specialists skilled in business economics, EU, multilateral and cooperation programmes with a good knowledge of the local culture. The final intention was to facilitate Italian SMEs, especially those located in North-Eastern Italy, in establishing more business opportunities with their Balkan counterparts. In order to achieve all these aims the project foresaw the implementation of a training programme for young Italian graduates in economics and law. The training consisted of a theoretical part and an internship experience to be held both in Italian and Balkan SME support agencies and service centres. The final project objective was the integration of those human resources in Italian agencies and service centres providing support to SMEs and thus the enhancement of the development of new and high-quality services to be made available to Italian enterprises willing to develop their activity in the Balkans.

The Project aimed at training 30 Bulgarian bank managers and improving their managerial skills in order to make the Bulgarian banking system meet European standards. This action was also expected to have an impact on the approach between the Bulgarian and Italian banking systems with a consequent strengthening of the Bulgarian credit system and an increase of trade between the two countries. Finally, the project was expected to exerce a remarkable impact on the openness of the Bulgarian market for major economic cooperation with foreign economies. The first step of the project was the implementation of two major surveys, one concerning the needs of Bulgarian enterprises in the field of credit management and the other focusing on the needs of the Bulgarian banking sector and on its strong and weak points in the international banking relationships. The training process was structured keeping in consideration the results of the two surveys. Once the contents of the training was set, the project team selected the criteria for the screening of candidates and afterwards made the selection among Bulgarian banking managers working especially on investment and international matters. A total number of 30 participants took part in the theoretical training in Italy. The classes were followed by internships in Italian banking facilities. All participants, during their internships, wrote a report on the possibility of co-operation between their local and hosting banking institutes. The scripts produced by the participants were then analysed, processed and summarized in a final report transmitted to all the parties involved in the project and to other authorities.

Informest as the mandated body of the Autonomous Region Friuli-Venezia Giulia within the consortium led by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance managed the whole deployment of civil (5) and non-civil (6) servants originated by Friuli Venezia Giulia. In this position Informest experts dealt with the following activities:

• Coordination and partnership mechanisms;
• Information and publicity;
• monitoring and evaluation including indicators and programming + financial control and paying procedures;
• Annual and final reports;
• Project generation and selection.

Moreover one Study Tour in FVG Region was organised for 8 Czech beneficiaries focused on the presentation of methodology and case studies on FVG absorption capacity in the frame of its Ob. 2 SPD. Special importance was given to the establishment of integrated territorial development initiatives and to the use of state aids for entrepreneurial local development in the framework of Structural Funds programming.

The TABLUM Project aimed at improving the quality level of utilities, especially in the fields of planning and management of water supply and waste removal services, in the Municipality of Banja Luka. This purpose was reached by providing the local administration with all the necessary knowledge and technical assistance. The task have been carried out under the supervision of a long-term Italian expert assigned to Municipality of Banja Luka for the entire duration of the project. He was in charge of constituting an Operative Unit at the Municipality where officers and other Municipality staff have been trained with the assistance of local experts. Prior to the training, the Operative Unit had to analyse the needs assessment of the services provided by the Municipality either with interviews, either with a questionnaire. After that, the Operative Unit identified the level and the quality of competences held by Municipality services. Consequently, it defined the beneficiaries and the contents of the training. Afterwards, a 15-day theoretical training programme was held at the Banja Luka Municipality and followed by a study tour to some Italian Public Utilities Companies, with particular regard to some significative aspects, such as the tarification criteria, the staff training, information to customers and the equipment. The project aimed at establishing contacts with Italian Public Utilities Companies in order to put into reality various forms of co-operation between the Banja Luka Municipality and Italian Public Utilities Companies.

The Project aimed at implementing an online information tool on the internet, i.e. a website that shall provide both the public and the enterprises with information concerning the state of accomplishment of the Italian Law for the reconstruction, the stabilization and the development in the Balkan area together with the EU development programmes and programmes of other international donors. At the same time the website acts as a conveyer of information originating both from institutional sources (Italian Organization for the Foreign Trade, Informest, Chamber of Commerce system, Ministries) and specialized international and Balkan area sources in order to establish a sole point of reference for the enterprises willing to operate in the whole area.

The main project objectives were the followuing:

• The realization of a support system for SMEs of the Balkan area through the concentration of all available information concerning the Balkan countries (real time news, researches, surveys, statistical evaluations, business guides, risk assessments, business opportunities, information on tenders, etc.) with the aim of backing the competitiveness and the bringing up to date of the Italian economic system in the Balkans.;
• To qualify the offer of information by referring to a vast network of Italian and international sources regarding the Balkan area;
• To build up an e-community on Balkan reconstruction issues through the diffusion of newsletters and the setting up of discussion groups, online forums, etc.

The main aim of the project was to promote economic growth and stabilization in Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Bulgaria, to create a favourable context for the development of local SMEs and to foster co-operation with Italian enterprises by further developing  the existing support network for SMEs in the beneficiary countries. The project main activity was the training of 15 persons already working in the SME support system in the three countries in order to improve the range of services available to entrepreneurs and thus encourage their international competitiveness. The first project activity was the implementation of a detailed survey regarding the existing SME Support structure (i.e. agencies, centres) in Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Bulgaria. This activity has been carried out by the local experts in each of the beneficiary countries. The local experts and the promoter afterwards detected and analysed the training needs of the SME support structure and the overall needs of local SMEs in terms of assistance services. Once the picture of the current situation was clear, the suitable training programme for the operators dealing with SME assistance was set. The 15 most receptive and motivated candidates for the training were selected from a list of significative organizations screened in the very beginning of the project. The participants have been trained in Italy and then took part in internships in Italian development agencies and other SME support and assistance organizations. In the final part of the project the participants have been given on-the-job assistance provided by an Italian expert in order to guarantee the correct implementation of newly acquired skills. Finally, an Intranet service was implemented as a useful means of sharing experiences and problems.

The overall objective of the project was to contribute to the economical and social cohesion of all the population groups in Serbia through promoting regional development strategies. The technical assistance supported the development of public - private partnership for programming in the selected regions, the diffusion of a collaborative culture between various actors, and the enhancement of the capacity of local institutions to promote social-economical activities, including integrated approaches to territorial local development. The established partnership structures, assisted by the project team, were steering, implementing and monitoring the whole range of project cycle. In parallel, to facilitate the partnership building process, the preparation of Regional Development Strategic Plans for each region was performed through the contribution of public and private stakeholders based on partnership principles. Other specific objectives of the project included the enhancement of local government capacity to improve the territorial infrastructure of the regions in order to secure the provision of adequate business services and the creation of favourable conditions for the development of entrepreneurship in all productive sectors of regional importance with particular emphasis on tourism development. The project also aimed at encouraging local productive initiatives. The experts have been also engaged in co-operation with local actors in designing an integrated programme in order to foster the development of human capital in the region, to promote the local socio-economic development and to create pathways to employment for vulnerable groups. The consortium also assisted the beneficiaries in designing and implementing a pilot regional development fund, taking in due account EU best practices, structural fund principles and the EU Practical Guidelines for local development.

50 civil servants of different departments of the Regional Administration have been selected for the participation in a training activity focused on the EU Internal Policy and related programmes. The training cornerstones were:

• role of action programmes or the EU Internal Policy implementation;
• EU communication policy and information tools; in-depth analysis of the EU internet sites;
• understanding principles and reading ability of the new EU Budget;
• partnership establishment for European projects generation;
• methodology of the successful project drafting; Project Cycle Management;
• reading the call for proposals; Logical Framework Analysis;
• partnership based projects drafting and management;
• public - private projects administration.

All items have been supported by the presentation of selected case studies and success stories. 24 hours of collective training repeated in two different seats for a total of 8 teaching days have been organised, plus four days of distance-learning supported by a telematic help-desk managed by the EuroInfo Centre IT388 - Friuli Venezia Giulia, hosted by Informest. A Technical Scientific Committee supervised the training implementation and evaluation of training results.

The project aimed at identifying emerging industrial clusters and at fostering their socio-economic development through accurate economic analysis and regional planning activities. Based on the Italian experience of local development through cluster economy enhancement, the project included the following activities, performed in close contact with a local network of selected institutional stakeholders:

• The economic analysis of the local productive and industrial specializations and the identification of three pilot areas showing the typical features of emerging industrial clusters;
• The identification of local development players interested in taking part to the project testing and to the dissemination of inter-companies relationship and territorial development of good practices topical for a cluster approach;
• Training and technical assistance to experts belonging to the Russian partner organization;
• Training - provided by Italian experts - of key local development players that will take direct care of the field piloting of the practices, and that will monitor the needs of local businesses;
• Final analysis of the collected data and preparation of a final report (concept) summarizing the cornerstones of innovative governance for making more of industrial clusters specialisation to the Russian relevant authorities at federal and local level.

The results of the project have been presented to the Russian authorities during a final conference, where experts representing the Italian districts with specializations similar to the ones piloted in Russia have been invited, in order to promote mid term twinning among similar clusters in the two countries. The project also included the design and implementation of a multi-lingual web site, where details regarding project, partners, experts, best practices, pilot areas and actions, contacts and links are available (http://www.progetti.informest.it/edef/).

The aim of the project was to promote networking and co-operation links among SMEs and sector associations in EU border regions and their counterparts in Accession Countries and EU non-border regions, in order to identify the opportunities generated by the enlargement process in terms of wider markets and integrated economies. The project focused on three EU border regions - Friuli-Venezia Giulia (IT), Carinthia (AT) and Anatoliki Macedonia-Thraki (GR) - where priority sectors have been selected according to the specific characteristics and needs of the regional economic systems and the innovation potential of the sectors. The projects involved also four Accession Countries regions [Vratsa (BG), Budapest (HU), Cluj (RO), Koper (SI)] and two EU non-border regions [Murcia (ES) and Puglia (IT)]. The main project beneficiaries included: (i) small companies (up to 50 employees); (ii) crafts companies; (iii) SMEs which are leaders in their manufacturing sectors; (iv) sector associations and specialized development agencies; (v) SME service providers. The project main activities consisted in the organisation of three large partnership events - one in each EU border region - and included promotional, organizational and follow-up actions for more than 250 participants as enterprises, business associations and local development agencies.

The project "Russian Managers in Nord-Eastern Italy - III and IV", deeeply up-to-dated in comparison with the two previous editions, aimed at providing training in Italy to Russian young managers in the framework of the "Programme on Training managers and executives for the enterprises of national economy of the Russian Federation" (PMTP). The third and fourth editions aimed at training young Russian managers through a distance learning course followed by internships in Italy for the best performing participants, as in the two previous editions. The choice to use an e-learning methodology represented not only a logistic and economic advantage, but also allowed the Russian managers to use advanced computer tools. Informest designed and delivered e-learning courses on business management, particularly focused on four different subject areas: (i) international marketing; (ii) quality management; (iii) tourism management; (iv) business support services. Informest also organized internships within Italian companies for a 4-week period. All the project cycle implementation has been supported by a project interactive web site (http://www.progetti.informest.it/managerrussi4)

The aim of the study was to analyse the situation of transport and energy infrastructure in Eastern Balkan countries, t. i. Bulgaria and Romania. It also represented a complementary similar work of the study previously dedicated to the Western Balkans. The examination foresaw a description of the legal framework in force, the main characteristics of local construction enterprises (this part has been realised thanks to the cooperation of Impregilo and Todini), the situation of transport and energy infrastructures in the area, and some final considerations and speculations on potential effects if the foreseen transport infrastructure projects would be carried on.

The main chapters of the study were:

• Legal construction framework;
• Features of construction enterprises in eastern Balkans;
• Regional macroeconomic framework;
• Transport infrastructure system;
• Energy infrastructure system;
• Potential economic effects of the projects referred to transport infrastructures.

The study was published in 2004 by Franco Angeli.

The project aimed at promoting co-operation between business clusters of some EU Member States and SEE accession and pre-accession countries whose stabilisation through economic integration is of increasing importance for the European Economic Space. The emergence of information society is currently the most significant phenomenon reshaping the territorial competitiveness: therefore the decision was to set up a project for improving and extending ICT networks over the Adriatic - Danubian area of CADSES providing ICT tools for SMEs match-making on the basis of clusters identification and networking.

Achieved results brought also to effective exchange of good practices among clusters managers of the partner countries involved into INDE and the creation of an effective platform on the web (http://www.inde-network.net/). Though recently the ACs have experienced a remarkable catch-up process as far as extension and use of ICT are concerned, it was clearly visible that the diffusion of this technology into the more remote parts of a country required a bundle of supporting strategies ranging from the provision of infrastructure facilities to adequate training supply.

This project raised awareness and supported local, regional and national actors in making use of ICT opportunities and developing the potentials offered by the information society in order to promote entrepreneurship and sustainable spatial development. Local and regional governments, other decision-makers in the public sector, regional development agencies, Chambers of Commerce, all these institutes needed support in the development of an efficient market information system. Within the CADSES regions there will be new internal border regions that will gain attractiveness due to the enlarged market size and to the better prospects for infrastructure investment. The project examined regional prerequisites, communication needs, business models, competence for sustainable operations and other factors that affect the full exploitation of ICT potential. This project assessed how digital technology can actually lead CADSES Countries toward regional development and growing transnational business in a wired world, making more of experience provided by skilled existing players of European development like Euro Info Centres, their host organisations and other agencies.

Structural Funds Caravan was a national tour of information seminars addressed to all national and local stakeholders. Its aim was to raise awareness of organizations involved in preparation and implementation of development strategies at regional or local level on concepts and financial instruments of regional development in EU and Romania and to stimulate companies to apply for funding. The project included:

• Preparatory activities, i.e. the preparation of a guide for regional and local development actors, containing basic information on Structural Funds adapted to target group's objectives, i.e. preparation of local or regional development strategies, creation of local partnerships, use of opportunities offered by the Structural Funds. The guide, available in the official project web site http://caravanafs.ccina.ro/, also includes focuses on specific issues and references to successful experiences of Italian and European projects;
• The Structural funds Caravan national tour, with seminars organized in 8 Romanian towns (Constanta, Galati, Iasi, Baia Mare, Brasov, Bucuresti, Rm. Valcea and Timisoara);
• The preparation and on-line publication of a guide addressed to businesses and business service providers, focused on the advantages that structural funds offer to agriculture, industrial, tourism, trade and service sector companies and on the strict rules that govern the regional and SME aid at European level. A relevant section of the guide is dedicated to the presentation of case studies, both sectoral or highlighting relevant issues regarding structural fund strategies, advantages and regulation.

Dissemination seminars have been targeted to companies to stimulate them to take advantage of the business opportunities offered by the structural funds.

The study focused on the importance of the role of Corridor 5 in the development of West-East and Italian trade exchanges. A particular attention was given to the present infrastructure situation and the inefficiencies and delays in implementation that hinder the traffic flows and even deviate them North of Alps (mainly through Austria), an alternative but also concurrent directrice from Germany.

The project aimed to evaluate social and economic consequences of the enlargement on EU bordering regions, in the specific case on the territory of the Italian bordering region Friuli Venezia Giulia. The analysis was multisectorial in his general approach. The first part of the study addressed the impact of the enlargement on some specific sectors (industry, agriculture, crafts, tourism, trade) while the second part focused on the consequences on the labour market in different sectors (customs, transport) as well as on migrations flows and cross border workers. One part of the study aimed to determinate the impact in terms of changes in eligibility to the European Structural Funds, in particular Objective 1 and 2 Funds in the bordering territories of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Slovenia.

PRELUDE (Promoting European Local and Regional Sustainability in the Digital Economy) was an IST accompanying measure funded by the European Commission to boost regional and local innovation supported by information and communication technologies. PRELUDE was particularly concerned with the building of ERA (European Research Area) with a large participation of researchers, high-tech SMEs and public administrations, as enablers and users of ICT applications, addressing needs of citizens and local economies.

PRELUDE was engaged in the following activities:

• Dissemination of EU programmes that are part of the eEurope 2005 Action Plan and the new instruments of 6th Framework Programme of RTD with special regard to the Information Society Technologies (IST) thematic priority; 
• Creation of a large European web community through the web portal and services in order to put forth the local and regional dimension of research, technology and innovation in the European scenario;
• Creation of European Clusters for Innovation, which are designed to be public-private partnerships built through a constituency process aiming at mainstream initiatives. The use of EU funding schemes to support research, technology and innovation was instrumental;
• Preparation of a Societal Learning Model for cluster-based approach to regional RTD and innovation and drafting of Policy Guidelines;
• Preparation of a set of Thematic Guides in the key application areas of European Clusters of innovation;
• Definition of a roadmap proposal for future interregional cooperation among PRELUDE Regions and partners supported by the three European networks.

The project provided technical assistance and training to organizations and their officials dealing with economic development, entrepreneurial and management training in Kaliningrad Region. The aim of the project was to produce more local endogenous resources, especially for:

• Regional policy making innovation through benchmarks with EU territorial approaches from the structural funds programming methods;
• Business and investment opportunities identification and development;
• Promotion of the economic relations between the Kaliningrad Region, Italy and the EU.

The project provides an internet web site for information and promotion of Kaliningrad Region in English, Italian and Russian languages (http://www.progetti.informest.it/kaliningrad).

The Project aimed at supporting the transformation and economic development of FRY - Republic of Serbia, fostering co-operation between Italian and local companies. This objective was pursued by means of: 

• Technical Assistance to the Ministry of International Economic Relations of the Republic of Serbia for the identification in Belgrade and Novi Sad areas of local SMEs belonging to the following sectors: agro-industrial, wood, building and mechanics. This assistance was focused on industrial reorganization and consequent relaunching of local SMEs through a rapid acquisition of technical and economic standards from the point of view of international integration;
• Theoretical and practical training of 20 managers coming from Serbian SMEs in Italian companies, suitable for the transfer of technical and economic know-how;
• Drawing up of a feasibility study to establish a Service Centre for the support to Serbian SMEs and Italian enterprises willing to co-operate with local SMEs.

These objectives have been met through the implementation of the project activities as follows. Phase 1: Start-up and "Qualitative analysis of the economic and territorial structure of SMEs in the areas of Belgrade and Novi Sad". Phase 2: Dissemination of the available opportunities for cooperation with Serbian counterparts. Phase 3: Selection of candidates from the Republic of Serbia and their training. Phase 4: Follow up for the development of the cooperation. Phase 5: Feasibility Study.

The main objective of the Project was the establishment and promotion of a wood Industrial Park in Brezoi, Valcea County (Romania).

The project activities included an on-the-field evaluation of the endogenous resources available in the area and of their potentialities, as well as the analysis of the demand for raw materials and semi finished products in North-Eastern Italy in order to implement planned dislocation activities.

The second phase of the project consisted in a feasibility study about the implementation of a wood industrial park in Brezoi, with special reference to the legal, administrative, financial and town-planning aspects involved in the set-up of the park and establishment of the enterprises with partial Italian shares. Promotional events have been later organised about the development of the industrial park. The implementation of the operational program identified by the feasibility study was conditioned to the interest of new investors in the Brezoi area and to a local environment easing the collaboration with foreign actors and the competitive collaboration among local players as in the virtuous model of the Italian industrial clusters. During this phase, the Italian enterprises, who were interested in delocalise in Breszoi, set-up joint-ventures o directly invest in the area, have been identified and the profiles of the potential local partners have been presented to the Italian entrepreneurs.

In the following project phases, training  activities and study tours in Romania and Italy have been implemented for Romanian entrepreneurs and business technicians from Brezoi. The final phase concerned the implementation of five enterprises from Nord-Eastern Italy in the Brezoi industrial park. The targeted enterprises have been provided with technical assistance on all the aspects related to the set-up of the new businesses.

The two main specific objectives of the project were the following: 

• Improvement of Regional Advisory and Information Centres (RAICs) / Business Innovation Centres (BICs) sustainability by strengthening their position among SME sector through high quality consultancy services and training courses provided by the professional staff and associates;
• Further development of the SME support network of RAICs and BICs and its activities.

Project Activities:

Assessment Activities (related to both specific objectives no.1 and no. 2):

• Analysis of current mix of services offered by RAICs / BICs and assessment of their current operations and training needs analysis of SME advisors and trainers;
• Review of the present monitoring and evaluation system of RAICs / BICs activities and benchmarking of SME support systems.

Activities aimed at achieving objective no.1 (Improvement of RAICs / BICs sustainability by strengthening their position among SME sector through high quality consultancy services and training courses provided by the professional staff and associates):

• Design of an appropriate package of services to meet the needs of the project beneficiaries: SMEs in the area of counselling and training;
• Design of a Central Training Programme for SME Advisors;
• Organization of a Training of Trainers and Pilot Training for SME Advisors;
• Development of an Accreditation System for SME Advisors and Trainers and for Public Support.

Activities aimed at achieving objective no.2 (Further development of SME support network of RAICs and BICs and its activities):

• Formulation of effective recommendations concerning minimal requirements for operation and staffing of an institution to be a member of the NADSME support network;
• Design of an up-to-date system for monitoring and evaluation of RAICs / BICs performance.

Organization of Study Tours for Slovak managers in Slovenia, Italy and Spain (related to both specific objectives no.1 and no. 2).

Activities aimed at awareness and consensus building: organization of Workshops, Seminars and Conferences.

Project Objectives:

The main aim of this project was to sustain agricultural production in Balti and Ungheni districts through the optimization of crop rotation, irrigation and fertilization techniques, according to an environmentally sustainable approach and to an integrated co-operation among public institutions and scientific centres.

Project Activities:

• Agro-ecological analysis of the territory;
• Set-up of productive models for integrated crop production systems based on research/experimental and application activities;
• Training courses and study visits in Italy and Romania.

Target groups involved in the project were: (a) local farmers and producers, (b) public institutions involved in rural development initiatives and (c) agrarian research centres. In the framework of this project, a visit to Romania and Moldova has been organized. A group of Italian entrepreneurs in agribusiness sectors, such as wine- and grain- producers, as well as a group of Italian representatives of local public authorities visited several companies in the agri-business field in the Romanian counties of Iasi and Bacau and in the Moldovan districts of Balti and Ungheni. Aim of these visits was the identification of investment and co-operation opportunities. A mission of Moldovan entrepreneurs in Italy was carried out in the last months of 2002 in order to foster the matchmaking activity.

The study was at first aimed to tackle the legislative framework in the former Yugoslavia countries (Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and FR Yugoslavia) in which operate the building enterprises, with particular regard to public procurements, concessions and foreign investments laws. This part has been realised in cooperation with Impregilo, one of the most important construction enterprises. Impregilo has also prepared a description of the building system in former Yugoslavia. The analysis followed with a brief
update of the regional macroeconomic framework, and a study of the state of West Balkans transport infrastructure - by country, with a focus on the necessary interventions to implement road and rail networks, and the potential economic fall-out of infrastructure projects. A brief prospect of the state of energy infrastructure was also given. Another part of the study dealt with the main directrice accesses to former Yugoslavia, and specifically the infrastructure of priority Italian interest (Corridor 5 and branch C, the Trieste-Rijeka motorway, Corridor 8, the Bar-Beograd rail line) and the opportunity of intervention.

The work is composed by the following parts:

1. Legislative framework and potential of enterprises of infrastructure sector in former Yugoslavia countries;
2. Economic aspects, transport and energy infrastructure framework;
3. EU and access to former Yugoslavia.

The study was published in 2002 by Franco Angeli.

Informest, as the mandated body of the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, within the consortium led by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (former Ministry of Treasury) and in collaboration with the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Basilicata Region, the Emilia Romagna Region and Piedmont, participated to the project named "Regional Preparatory Programme for the Implementation of Structural Funds Regulations (RPP)", presented by the Hungarian Government to the European Commission in the framework of the Phare Twinning Programme for technical assistance to the Public Administrations of the Candidate Countries to the EU.

The project particularly consisted in four components:

• regional development;
• programming and management of the Structural Funds;
• capacity building, for the development of entrepreneurship and services to enterprises as well as horizontal themes (public procurement, state aids, environmental sustainability, equal opportunities);
• training structures.

Within this project, Informest was appointed of the co-ordination of one out of the four project components, i.e. Capacity Building. In this position Informest experts dealt with partnership building methodology for projects generation, regional information systems integration, making more of endogenous entrepreneurial resources, public procurement, environment and equal opportunities principles implementation in the SF programming, feasibility studies methodology and the SF information strategy. Tourism as a pattern of territorial integrated approaches to sustainable economical growth has been a pivotal subject in all activities aimed to project generation, entrepreneurial development and absorption capacity enhancement. Special importance was given to the establishment of integrated territorial development initiatives and to the use of state aids for local development purposes in the framework of Structural Funds programming.

Programme objectives:

• Institutional building in support of local authorities in Eastern Slavonia in order to strengthen interethnic relations in the region;
• Implementation of activities in support of economic and social growth in the beneficiary region;
• Enhancement of the value of human resources;
• Revitalization of the local economic system and its development trying to utilize the best Italian and regional entrepreneurial practice;
• Creation of suitable conditions for the return of refugees;
• Protection of vulnerable groups of the population with particular emphasis on mothers and children.

Programme Activities:

• Analysis of the needs and selection of assistance and consultancy services that are required by the potential clientele, both Croatian and Italian;
• Seminars and workshops on Italian experience in dealing with major economic problems;
• Transferring know-how, experiences and methodologies on the establishment and the growth of SMEs from the Italian experience, national and regional;
• The training directed to local organizations;
• Visiting of Croatian entrepreneurs to companies in the Region FVG;
• Creation of the website.

The project met the need, expressed by the Government of the FRY to the Italian Government, to receive support in the transition process and, more specifically, technical assistance in managing the difficult privatization process. A Team Leader acted as Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Economy and Privatization of the Republic of Serbia, designing and implementing promotion and dissemination activity. In parallel, workshops and seminars were organized in Italy with the aim of promoting investment opportunities in the FYR in the following sectors: agri-food industry, chemical-pharmaceuticals, car-making, textile, electronics, tobacco industry, building materials, tourism. The project included activities such as preparation (prospectus publication, selection of method), implementation (tender, auction, restructuring) and monitoring (investment, social, environmental and protection programs). The initiation of the privatization process is based on a letter of interest from potential investors. Tender procedure (for 150 entities) consisted of: preparation of the privatization program, tender documents, public bidding, evaluation and selection of proposals, negotiation and contract. Sectors for tenders were: pharmaceutical, chemical, mechanical, wood industry, agro-industry, paper production, construction materials and others. Auction procedure (for 7,000 entities) consisted of: public announcement, privatization program, documentation, public invitation, public auction, contract. Issues tackled included: legal status of Serbian Companies (social ownership and non-corporate status, documentation of titles and land registry, licenses for operations and intellectual property protection), financial status (indebtness -credits, tax arrears, utilities- poor representation/significant deviation from IAS, declining operating results in 2002), social status (overstaffing).

The project consisted in the design and implementation of various activities aimed at the internationalization of enterprises and entrepreneurial associations in the Autonomous Region Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

The main activities were the following:

• Operational secretariat of the Regional Task Force North-East for monitoring regional, national and international programmes and projects aimed at the internationalization of enterprises and for promoting the participation of beneficiaries in such activities;
• Assistance to enterprises and entrepreneurial associations for the participation in exhibitions and other promotional events;
• Assistance to enterprises for the participation in international tenders;
• Development of business opportunities for enterprises through the organization of meetings and missions, particularly in the Balkans.

Project objectives:

• To establish an European Information Correspondence Centre in Pristina (Kosovo).
• Project activities:
• To prepare a detailed business plan for the establishment and operation of the EICC;
• To recruit and train the local staff to run the EICC;
• To equip the EICC office with essential equipment;
• To prepare detailed operation manuals;
• To establish relations with relevant local and international organizations / institutions (EC headquarters in Brussels, UNMIK, etc.);
• To define the services to be provided by the EICC.

By doing this, Informest, who hosts the EIC IT388, provided its experts competence and backstopping to the team leader on the field. The outputs of the project are considered as a good practice in the EAR operation and in Kosovo in particular.

The project originated from the requirement of promoting professional updating of Russian operators in the marketing and commercial fields in order to provide them with the fit competence to support the productive sector through the trading of Italian products in Russia. The initiative consisted in the training of 30 Russian agents, using both classical training (lessons and internships in Italy) and e-learning courses, in order to create a distribution network in Russia for supporting the development of commercial relations between Russia and Italy. The project was meant to give the following results: to increase the bilateral exchanges between Russia and Italy; to improve the Russian SME sector thanks to the commercial network created by the project; to contribute to the creation of a new professional role (commercial agent) that is nowadays still quite unknown in Russia. The project consisted in the following phases: 1. candidate selection; 2. distance learning training; 3. elaboration of the feasibility study after the training period and the achievement of results.   

The aim of this training project was the creation of new professional profiles - Euroconsultants - able to manage with EU and IFI programmes and with opportunities for the internationalization of SMEs. Within the learning process special emphasis was given to the Structural Funds programming methodology, ICT ability for the management of complex data-bases and business administration for the enhancement of the capacity of institutional bodies dealing with the social and economic development of the territory. Moreover the course aimed at making Euroconsultants able to access national and international financial instruments, to identify the opportunities of bi- and multilateral co-operation, especially with Central and Eastern European countries. The pattern of this pilot training course was adopted by the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia as reference for the new professional profile ?Euroconsultant? within the programming exercise of the ESF in the region.

Following the decisions made by the Steering Group of the 5th Conference on the Environment in Oporto on 4th-5th November 2000 and in Trieste on 14th April 2000, the Regional Administration of Friuli-Venezia Giulia organised and implemented a European Forum on "Co-operation in the field of environment between regional authorities in the EU and in candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe", aimed at defining a common strategy and at developing joint inter-regional initiatives. Informest and the Euro Info Centre IT388 hosted by it supported the Regional Administration of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in the organization of the Forum by implementing the following activities:

• identification of relevant regional authorities in the candidate countries;
• design and organization of the event (planning, mailing, promotion, press releases, logistic arrangements, etc.);
• networking with EU organizations relevant to the Forum objectives;
• meeting with the DG Environment for the presentation of the event;
• selection of case studies and good practices in the field of environmental policy to be presented during the event;
• preparation and presentation of a report on the EU action programmes aimed at the development of inter-regional co-operation in the field of environment;
• organizational arrangements for the event;
• preparation of the working material for the Forum and of the final report and documentation.

The Project aimed at the elaboration of Country Business Guides for each one of the countries of Central and Southeastern Europe.
In their general part the guides provided an in deep analysis on the political, institutional, economic, foreign relations framework, while the second part (divided in 20 chapters) provided sectorial focuses to give a comprehensive picture of the business climate, sectorial trends and opportunities, sectorial legal framework, and existing incentives for foreign nationals and companies.

Organization of a study tour including both training sessions and visits/meetings on: financial instruments for economic and entrepreneurial co-operation between TACIS countries and Italy, export strategies and procedures, international transport, etc. 40 entrepreneurs from the Gomel' Region in Belarus participated in the study tour.

The feasibility study in the intermodal transport sector covered various areas:

• partner search;
• market analysis;
• economic and financial analysis;
• analysis of the regulatory framework.

The joint venture was created in the area of Gliwice and Warsaw.

The Project aimed at:

• making the operative standards of the two banking realities - Italian and Czech - as common as possible;
• facilitating trade and production relations between Czech and Italian enterprises.

A mutual dialogue between the Czech and the Italian credit institutions was fostered and a professional updating activity was performed, addressed to two professional levels, respectively Managers and Top Managers belonging to the International Divisions of the Czech banks. As a result of the project, the following documents were also published:

• The efficiency of a bank
• Cash flow analysis and bank goals - theory of compatible targets
• The impact of the euro on the structure of European financial markets
• Costs and benefits of the EMU.

The Project Partner was the Bankovní Institut a.s. This Institute was established in Prague in 1994 to allow Czech officers and financial bodies to have access not only to economic and legislative mechanism of the national banking system, but also to the international procedures. Czech commercial banks, the National Central Bank (CNB), the Association of Banks are among the members. The Institute diffuses information and transfers knowledge by organizing training activity and internship in Czech Republic and abroad, seminars and conventions, by publishing books and reviews, by testing the quality management (Certification according to the standards EN 45012 and ISO 9000).

Project objectives:

Creation of a Service Centre for the promotion and development of small and medium-sized companies in the Brcko area.

Project activities:

Informest acted as sub-contractor for the implementation of the following inputs:

• TA to the establishment of the information unit of the Centre;
• Creation of a database concerning SMEs of Brcko area;
• Experience sharing on Euro Info Centre establishment and management according to the setting up of EIC IT 388 hosted by Informest itself.

Project objectives:

To develop a strategy for the promotion of the cross-border co-operation among businesses and intermediaries in the Slovenian border region with Italy and technical assistance to Small Business Support Institutions (SBSI) in the Slovene border region.

Project activities:

• Creation of an awareness, promotion, information network;
• Selection, mobilization and training of human resources;
• Survey on CBC SME environment;
• SBSI business planning and sustainable activities;
• SBSI staff training and services upgrading;
• Strengthening SBSI networks and projects;
• Formulation of SME Strategy;
• Promotion of SME co-operation;
• Project drafting and management.

Project objectives:

• Emerging industrial districts of SMEs identification and dissemination of best practices for strategic territorial planning in the partner countries.
• Features of bottom-up development of endogenous resources benchmarked on the pattern of the Italian industrial districts development, suitable also for tourism clusters development.

Project activities:

• Identification of a number of present/potential local productive systems (LPS) of priority interest for the partners;
• Survey of needs and expectations of entrepreneurs of the elected productive clusters;
• Documentation on legal operational frame and record of civil servants cultural approach to SME development needs;
• Comparison between entrepreneurial expectations and operational competence of relevant regional and local authorities;
• SWOT analysis in the selected LPS and forecast of productive clusters related development;
• Assessment of innovative solutions in terms of strategic territorial planning for productive clusters development;
• Comparison of best practices and exchange of experiences on strategic territorial planning for the clustering of productive activities;
• Dissemination of best practices and demonstration effect of project results through an Internet catalogue (http://www.progetti.informest.it/vicli/);
• Development of a concept on the issues of LPS development for the general interest of CADSES further programming.

The transnationally organised project PREPARITY aimed to prepare policy makers of the regions located on the Central European border of the European Union for the enlargement of the European Union. Based on scientific analyses relevant decision-making aids were developed in preparation for the accession of Central and Eastern European countries to the European Union. PREPARITY  delivered the basis for a draft of a strategic concept for economic regional development and planning for the border areas of the Central European border of the European Union. Geographically, the study concentrated on the Austrian, German and Italian regions on the border of the European Union. Five neighbouring Central European states (Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary) were included in the analyses.

The interdisciplinary approach of the project (economics, regional planning, geography) provided a variety of instruments in the area of policy consulting for decision-makers and a highly operational final draft. The results of the country-specific analyses were tied together in a transnational final report presented in 2001 at the conclusion of the project.

The study focused its attention on following topics:

• The general framework of regional instability;
• The perspective of the evolution of the Federal republic of Yugoslavia;
• The after Dayton scenarios;
• The definition of eventual global alternative scenarios for the area;
• The definition of possible scenarios of economic integration;
• The Italian interests in these scenarios, in a framework of gradual European integration;
• Conclusions on Italian actions lines in the economic field.

Informest hosted the Euro Info Centre EIC IT388, which was part of the EIC network, created by the European Commission in 1987 to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and co-financed and managed by DG Enterprise and Industry. The network was active in 42 countries with more than 250 Euro Info Centres (EIC) in the Members States and Candidate Countries, Euro Info Correspondence Centres (EICC) in third countries. In addition the network had 26 Associate Members and 340 relay points increasing the geographical reach of its coverage.

The activities of the EIC were:

• to provide information and assistance to SMEs on European matters;
• to actively promote European policies;
• to notify the Commission of any problems connected with European policies encountered by companies;
• to promote the participation of companies in on-line consultations launched by the Commission;
• to provide information and assistance aimed at encouraging business relationships and co-operation among companies.

In January 1999 Informest signed the contract with EC - DG XXIII for the status of Euro-Info Centre Associate Member (IT 939) for its specific competences in the relationship with countries in transition. Since January 2000 Informest has contracted, as Euro Info Centre IT 388/ Friuli Venezia Giulia, with the headquarters hosted by Informest in Gorizia and operational relays by the Chambers of Commerce of Udine and Pordenone. In addition to the operational budget, EIC had access to additional funding to implement specific actions and projects.

The first two editions of the project consisted in a training programme in Italy targeted at young Russian managers in the framework of the "Programme on Training managers and executives for the enterprises of national economy of the Russian Federation" (PMTP).  The project aimed at the theorical and practical training of the Russian managers through courses in Italy and internships within Italian enterprises from the same sector of the Russian participant. The project consisted in the professional upgrading of 144 young managers selected in the whole Russian Federation. Informest designed and delivered training courses on business management, particularly focused on four different subject areas: (i) international marketing; (ii) quality management; (iii) tourism management; (iv) business support services. Informest also organized internships for the trainees within Italian companies, with the aim of improving their capabilities in applying EU and multilateral instruments and fostering economic co-operation between Italian and Russian companies. All the project cycle implementation has been supported by a project interactive web site (http://www.progetti.informest.it/managerrussi4).

The project consisted in opening and managing an information service aimed at entrepreneurs interested in market and business opportunities in Slovenia. The project included the preparation of a Business Guide containing information on the Slovene economic system and the creation of a "Telematic Information Centre" on Slovenia.

The Project main components were the following:

• Desk Slovenia: a "one stop shop" for economic information on the country and for assistance to enterprises;
• Assessment of the Slovenian market attractiveness through interviews with enterprises dealing with the Slovene market on the strengths and weaknesses of such market;
• Dissemination of the Business Guide Slovenia;
• Telematic animation of the project through the application of multimedia tools;
• Networking of the service providers in the field of business information and assistance related to the Slovenian market;
• Organization of events promoting partnerships between Italian and Slovene enterprises;
• Organization of seminars for managers of Italian-Slovene Joint Ventures;
• Provision of support to the Know-How Transfer Centre (KHTC) of Sezana.

This action is aimed at improving the effectiveness of the KHTC as a service centre for the Italian enterprises interested in transferring or selling their technology to Slovene partners.

The analysis described the static and dynamic characteristics from a social, economic, infrastructure point of view of the regional processes of political and economic integration, in an area of about 500 km from Trieste in length, which can be considered as a potential catchments area for the Science Centre. The study also considered the flows of visitors linked up to generic tourism flocking in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region also due to the Science Centre and its ludic, communication and multimedial events. Even if the dimensions of the flows were analytically described and, if possible, perspective elements of evaluation were supplied, the research presented only a first concise indication on the consistence of potential tourist flows connected to the Science Centre coming from the examined region.

The project aimed at facilitating and developing relations between Italian and Slovenian banking systems by organizing a training course for executive managers of some Slovenian banks. The projects consisted in 2 phases: the former regarded the selection of participants among the main Slovenian banks and their training; the latter concerned the organization of a workshop attended by main Italian and Slovenian bank representatives and the Italian Minister of Foreign Trade.

The study examined the relations between Italy and Danubian-Balkan area countries, focusing on the access routes to these markets. Specificately, the main objective of the work was to stress the effects that the West-East transport and connection system displays on Italian geopolitical and geo-economic interests, such to value the opportunity of cooperation that could concur to accelerate the process of redressing of directrices and trade flows in the European integration with Eastern Europe.

The study is composed by two parts:

1. Italy and Central-Eastern Europe: European Union enlargement process toward East and Corridor 5 perspectives;
2. Italy and the Balkan area: the development of access routes in a scenario of onward stabilisation.

The study was published in 2001 by Editori Laterza.

Project objectives:

Creation of new professional profiles - the Euro-consultants - able to manage business planning, EU programmes participation and project cycle management for the internationalization of SMEs.

Project activities:

• Class lessons to manage and control SME access to national and international financial instruments;
• Laboratory lessons to know and use overall available data banks;
• Seminar at ICE and EC in Brussels to identify the opportunities promoted by European Union and by multilateral co-operation organizations;
• Practical internship to carry out SME development projects oriented to international markets.