The registration for the European Week of Regions and Cities is open until 26 September 2016.
You can register by clicking here and searching for the sessions’ codes.
This year the RSA is a leading organiser of five University sessions:
UNIV12B99 – Moving micro-businesses towards the productivity frontier
Relatively little policy attention has focussed on productivity upgrading of micro firms. Recent research has suggested a 1:5 ratio between productivity in micro and leading-edge firms, a gap which is larger in many developing economies. In countries such as Mexico this has led to concerns about a two-speed economy and the resultant income disparities. This session will examine sustainable strategies to upgrade the productivity of micro-enterprises in developing and developed economies. Speakers will focus on policy initiatives in Mexico, the Philippines and other developing economies. Discussion will focus on the robustness of these initiatives and the transferrable policy lessons.
UNIV13A111 – Smart Specialisation Five Years on: from Design to Implementation
Smart Specialisation represents the most comprehensive industrial policy experience in contemporary Europe and it is a cornerstone in the European Union effort to drive countries and regions out of the crisis and guarantee opportunities for growth for all its territories. The next big challenge for S3 lies in the effectively translating strategies and priorities into actual projects. The aim of the session is to introduce some of the most recent reflections on the challenges posed by S3 implementation and propose possible ways forward based on selected current experiences and good practices from across Europe as well as on theoretical elaboration.
UNIV13C112 – Spatial Data Requirements for Effective Spatial Policy
Recent years have seen an increasing policy emphasis on the local dimensions of economic growth and competitiveness. Fostering the development of regional and urban economies is also an effective means of securing national economic objectives, such as an improved rate of national growth, productivity advance and trade performance. To devise effective ‘evidence-based’ policies requires a ‘fit-for-purpose’ database. While national level data are relatively rich in range and detail, the economic data available for sub-national areas remain limited in scope and range. This session will consider the state of regional and city data, and the major information gaps that exist.
UNIV13A123 – Sustained and sustainable economic growth: Balancing economic and ecological development in cities and regions
For more than 20 years the concept of sustainable development has suggested the reconciliation of economic, social and ecological goals at a global scale. However, it is obvious that the right balance has not yet been found. Cities and regions do have a certain capacity to act. How can they support particularly achieving the right compromise between some kind of economic material or non-material progress on the one hand and retaining appreciated and essential ecosystem services on the other hand? This session aims to explore this complex problem and will show ways which may solve multiple dilemmas.
UNIV11C07 – Urban Development/Territorial Policy Provisions and the challenge of creating simplified and user-friendly implementation systems
Territorial provisions (Sustainable Urban Development, Integrated Territorial Investment and Community-Led Local Development) have gained prominence in Cohesion policy as part of a shift to more place based policy approaches. These approaches are intended to engage local stakeholders in the implementation and management of ESI Funds. Member States have implemented these provisions in a variety of ways. This panel examines the challenges and opportunities of implementing territorial approaches. Particular, points for discussion are: the implications of the variety of implementation and management arrangements, the capacity of local actors in implementing territorial strategies, and issues of measuring the effectiveness of territorial approaches.
Additionally, the RSA co-organises the following sessions:
UNIV11A08 – Knowledge Pearls: how can the City-University Nexus contribute to close the innovation gap?
UNIV11B22 – The new self-employed in Europe. Do they contribute to territorial and social cohesion?
UNIV12A100 – Challenges and opportunities of climate change: focus on smart transport