1. International Conference ‘Europe 2020:
rhetoric, discourses, policy and practice’
University of Aveiro, 5/6 July 2013
The transition to the next programming period
2014-2020: discussing the Strategy for Growth
and Innovation of Aveiro Region
Filipe Teles
Gonçalo Santinha
Department of Social, Political and Territorial Sciences, GOVCOPP, University of Aveiro

2. 1. The beginning of 2000
2. The 2nd half of the decade
3. Looking at 2020…
The path since 2000…
Cohesion Policy
2000-2006
A new partnership
for cohesion
Making
enlargement a
success
Lisbon
Strategy
Globalisation of the
economy, development of
the knowledge society
Cohesion Policy
2007-2013
Growing Regions,
Growing Europe
More and better
quality jobs,
Better governance
Renewed
Lisbon
Strategy
Regional innovation,
attractiveness and
competitiveness
Cohesion Policy
2014-2020
Investing in
Europe’s future
An investment-
oriented policy,
Territorial Cohesion
Europe
2020
Strategy
Deliver smart, sustainable
and inclusive growth,
maximize the impact of
EU funding

3. 1. From a mere redistribution of financial resources from one place to
another to a policy which fully mobilizes the potential of the regions
and fosters their endogenous development
2. From focus on opening roads to opening minds
3. With a multi-sectoral, regionally-based integrated and going
beyond borders approach
4. With a focus on societal challenges facing EU society (e.g. ageing,
climate change and energy provision, smart and integrated transport, sustainable
agriculture and bio-based economy, cities, health and wellbeing, skills)
5. From top-down, centrally-managed policies, to multi-level
governance systems involving the participation of different
stakeholders
A path with significant challenges (opportunities?)

4. A path with significant challenges/opportunities
for the region of Aveiro
1. Tradition in (recent) cooperation
2. Opportunities spurred by EU structural funds
3. Interface role of the University
4. Looking at 2020: the good news…
The possibility of regions to steer their own path
through the design of a Strategy for Growth and
Innovation
5. Looking at 2020: the bad news…
The uncertainties of the process (launch of
Partnership Contracts with low levels of information)

5. Strategy for Growth and Innovation of Aveiro Region
1. The partnership agreement established between the NUTS III
regional body, local governments and the University of Aveiro
To assure that the future financial mechanisms are well-tailored to the
specific needs of the region
2. The approach
How to take due account of the region’s territorial potential and
common resources more efficiently, to explore new ways of
reinforcing synergies between local and regional stakeholders and to
contribute to reach the determined objectives of Europe 2020
strategy?
3. What work to date shows
Recent history helps (experience, trust, degree of previous success)
EU 2020 approach, particularly S3, allowed for inter-institutional
arrangements

6. Strategy for Growth and Innovation of Aveiro Region
1. The Strategy’s approach:
– Territorial identity and Regional specialization
– Intermunicipal scale: policy and implementation
– Maximization of EU funding impacts
– Governance and territorial leadership
– Knowledge and innovation
– Tackling societal challenges
– Focus on competencies, job creation, inclusion and efficient use of resources
– 5 core domains:
• Innovation and entrepreneurial context
• Natural and endogenous resources
• Community capacitation and inclusion
• Territorial identity
• Governance and public services

7. Strategy for Growth and Innovation of Aveiro Region
1. The Strategy’s identity:
– Regional characterization
– Knowledge and innovation potential
– EU strategy alignment
– National and regional alignment
– Stakeholders involvement
– Municipal and intermunicipal existing dynamics

8. Strategy for Growth and Innovation of Aveiro Region
1. Appropriate setting:
– Common belief in the advantages of
cooperation
– Capacity for co-agenda setting
– Peer and inter-institutional trust
– Small-wins and tight schedule
– Leadership (exogenous coordination)
– Knowledge co-production
– Coherent territorial identity
– Political setting

9. Strategy for Growth and Innovation of Aveiro Region
1. Obstacles:
– Territorial conflicting policy
– Political setting
– Devaluation of formal diagnostic instruments and regional
endogenous resources assessment
– Highly dependent on political leadership
– Different perspectives on the EU2020 agenda
– Process uncertainty
– Stakeholders’ engagement priorities

10. Thank you!
The transition to the next programming period
2014-2020: discussing the Strategy for Growth
and Innovation of Aveiro Region
Filipe Teles
Gonçalo Santinha
Department of Social, Political and Territorial Sciences, GOVCOPP, University of Aveiro