Regional Knowledge Management: focus on TuscanyPaolo FederighiFlorence University (professor)Tuscany Region (consultant)

The question

How Tuscany Regional Government try to support the HRD

and

to reinforce the governance of transfer and absorption of knowledge

GDP per inhabitant, in PPS2001 — NUTS 2

Employment rate of age group 15–64Percentage Annual average 2002 NUTS 2

Unemployment rate PercentageAnnual average 2002 NUTS 2

Objects and subjects

Regional policies

(education, training, job, innovation, etc.)

Supply of research, education and training

Demand of research and learning

Regional Governements

Research centres Citizens, individuals, entrepreneurs

Institutional Competences of TR

Institutional competences

1. Vertical subsidiarity(devolution and complementary regulative power shared with national State)

2. Economical power(fiscal power, direct management of Structural funds, etc./for training –not education- regional investments reach 100 M of € per year)

Political options (or institutional building at regional level)

1. Horizontal subsidiarity: - decentralisation of competences and resources (counties and communes)- regional round tables- public/private cooperation

2. Coordination and integration of public policies: - simplification: one general regional law on HRD substituting previous 17

A problematic context

Within Regional Gov. Self legitimating

institutional culture Administration prevail

on policy making Lack of coherence

among regional Departments responsible for different policies

Society Weak investments in

research (around 1%) Weak investments in

HRD less than

5 days x worker x year

5 minutes a day x person

Participation in Education

Local policies on supply side (1)

Context: a basic supply of research and learning exist (problem of quality and distribution)

Focus: better connection with local demand and future perspectives of the region

Local policies on supply side: Goals and measures implemented

Social productivity of training and research : - partnership (compulsory) - new learning subsystems(post secondary and study circle)- supply of competences(regional system of competences)

Quality and competition for consumers protection and transparency in public money distribution:- compulsory certification of suppliers and operators (specific regional service)

Services and learning infrastructures for individual needs- open network of local job services- public and free distance learning regional system- local or specialised brokers for innovation and research

Learning environments in firms (systems and informal learning)- mainly under the responsibility of social partners and problematic in a context of SMEs

Local policies on demand side

Context: weak demand and unsustainable potential expansion

Focus: how to increase the propension to the consumption of research and training among citizens and firms to make them more autonomous

Local policies on demand side: Goals and measures

Access- Vouchers:- for learning (till 15.000 € per person, or ILA till 3.000 pp)- for entrepreneurship (till 150.000 pp)- for young researches working in a firm (voucher/wage for 2 years)

Power of decision - individual have the right to select content, level, time, place, suppliers of education (from apprenticeship till continuous training: f.i. Study circle)

Networking among producers(associations)with suppliers of research(still a goal)

Mobility for learning -local: among systemsand work experiences- national and international: to select the best and work experiences abroad (integration with Leonardo, etc.)

A step ahead

Regional knowledge management (Reknoma) within three economical districts (textile, motorbike,navy) based on:

Integration of HRD policies and Research and innovation policies at regional level(Regional pact, Common procedures, 6 M of € to finance

the process) Integration of public and private resources

(waiting for additional money from local authorities and from private actors: banks, chamber of commerce, etc.)

Implementing Reknoma

Decision making process based on: Institutional decisions

(needed even if the lack of consensus can block the process, involving local authorities)

Concertation with social partners (external control on institutions but risks of contamination concertation/management)

Partnership among real actors (function of public real leadership, real interest of partners: local firms, associations of E/E, banks, centres of research)

Partnership as goal for Reknoma

To find right goals

To guarantee complementarity of resources

To define an effective process

A European research on Reknoma

To understand better the possible answers

Tuscany Region

Vastra Gotaland Region (Sweden)

Vejle Region (Denmark)

Are working together on a European research project (DG Research Knoreg program)

open to a new partner from Eastern European countries