GUIDE_PRATIQUE_DEV_ECO_EN

16 / 40

Cross-border
economic
development 16 Practical guide : building partnerships
Identifying economic sectors
with cross-border potential
The first step in drawing up a cross-border economic development strategy is identifying economic sectors with
cross-border potential. The aim is to determine in which areas the establishment of cross-border connections
(partnerships between clusters, or between universities or technology centres and businesses on both sides of
the border, exports or provision of services on the other side of the border, etc.) could create value added.
The economic fabric is dynamic
and changing, which makes it
necessary to regularly renew the
search for complementarities.
Economic sectors with cross-
border potential have been
identified in some cross-border
territories, such as for example,
materials and processes in the
Greater Region and life sciences
in the Upper Rhine.
E x a m p l e s :
In 2013, ahead of the
drawing-up of its Euroregional
Innovation Strategy,
the Pyrenees-Mediterranean
Euroregion commissioned
an assessment of the ecosystem
of innovation of the territory. The
focus was on three strategic
sectors: water, e-health and agri-
food. Interviews were conducted
with institutional players and
economic representatives from the
four member regions to identify
complementarities. The regional
innovation strategies
of the four regions were compared,
notably to pinpoint competing and
complementary areas, strengths
and weaknesses and avenues for
collaboration for the three targeted
sectors.
More details may be found in the factsheet on
the project.
The cross-border Strategic
Workforce Planning (SWP)
exercise for the ports of Strasburg
and Kehl integrates the issues of
complementarity of the economic
fabric (businesses) with those of
employment/training (employees).
The cross-border SWP is aimed
at pooling jobs and skills between
sister companies and helping
businesses to develop a better
knowledge of the issues at stake in
their own development. Interviews
were conducted with some 30
“network heads”, both institutional
and private, in the ports of
Strasbourg and Kehl.
More details may be found in the factsheet on
the project.
Drawing up cross-border economic
development strategies
Once economic sectors with
cross-border potential have
been identified, it is possible to
work on drawing up a cross-
border economic development
strategy. This is done through
political negotiations, seminars
or thematic workshops,
consultations with stakeholders
(chambers of commerce and
industry, employer and worker
representatives, clusters,
universities etc.). In most cases,
for this exercise it is necessary
to find common ground between
regional and local economic
strategies on both sides of the
border.
E x a m p l e s :
At the end of 2013, the
Upper Rhine institutional
players drew up a 2020 Strategy
for the Trinational Metropolitan
Region. This strategy is the
result of political consultations
between elected representatives
in this territory and thematic work
seminars between the technical
departments. It defines ten priorities
for the four components of Upper
Rhine cooperation (sciences,
economy, civil society and policy).
Economic development is therefore
intertwined with the other aspects
of the territorial development of the
Upper Rhine.
At the end of 2014, the Aquitaine-
Euskadi Euroregion finalised
its 2014-2020 Strategic Plan.
On the basis of a euroregional
assessment, the strategy can
be broken down into four core
areas and some 40 initiatives to
be conducted with cooperation
players: euroregional citizenship;
the knowledge-based
economy, innovation, business
competitiveness; sustainable
territory; and open governance.
To draw up the strategy, a call for
papers was issued to Euroregion
players (territorial authorities, cross-
border structures, chambers of
commerce and industry, clusters,
etc.) who defined their priorities and
cooperation projects.
In addition, personal interviews and
working groups helped to channel
their views and wishes.
More details may be found in the factsheet on
the project.