EU: Danube Strategy and Regional Innovation

The programme was designed for 20 Chinese experts from several provinces and took place from 04.-13. November 2013. The training started with a briefing session in Beijing.

On arrival in Europe, participants undertook field visits to Bavaria (Munich and Passau). The Free State of Bavaria is one of 16 German federal states (Bundesländer) located in the southeast of the Federal Republic of Germany. By the end of 2011, its total population was 12.59m, approximately 15.2% of national total. Its capital city is Munich. Bavaria is not only one of the most innovative regions of Europe, but also a key player in the Danube Strategy of the EU.

After the working visits in Germany, participants were transferred to Rome (Italy), capital of the Lazio region. With about 5.7 million residents and a GDP of more than 170 billion euros, Lazio is the third most populated region of Italy, and has the second largest economy of the nation. The regional innovation system is strong especially as regards the public components: universities, national research institutes, government.

Finally, participants were able to visit Linz, the capital of Upper Austria region. With an area of 11,980km² and 1.3m inhabitants, it is the fourth largest Austrian state by area and the third largest by population. The R&D sector in Upper Austria is mostly private. The share of business expenditure on R&D amounts to 89.7% compared to 69.5% on the national average (2009). The Upper Austrian industrial structure is characterised by the presence of many major industrial sectors, concentrated around the cities of Linz, Steyr, and Wels, and high research intensity.

The technical report includes summaries and pictures: CETREGIO Report October 2013