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Cross-border
economic
development
Project factsheets
TTC “Top Technology Cluster” and GCS “Crossborder Cluster Stimulation”
What do the projects
consist of?
TTC “Top Technology Cluster”
It was within the framework of this informal cross-border economic
cooperation body that the “Towards Top Technology Cluster” TTC
project was implemented (2011-2014), co-financed by the INTERREG
IV A Euregio Meuse-Rhine programme.
Aimed at the setting-up of cross-border consortia of
SMEs and the development of innovative projects
in the life sciences, healthcare, innovative materials,
ICT and energy sectors, the TTC brings together
professional networks, regional development agencies
and universities to create a platform for contact and
cooperation.
Networking and stimulation of activity are brought about through a
combination of three pillars of action:
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Networking events
The networking events, which can be single-sector or interdisciplinary,
provide an opportunity for both business leaders and university and
research centre staff to meet their counterparts from the partner regions
with the aim of establishing professional contacts. These networking
tools take different forms: public forums (socialising events), meetings
between businesses (B2B matchmaking) or workshops designed to
seek out partnerships (brokerage workshops). Around fifty events have
taken place, with about 3,500 participants.
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Business development support (BDS)
Personalised support is then offered to businesses wishing to progress
their projects, find partners or establish cooperation partnerships.
Interested entrepreneurs are invited in the course of interviews to set
out their ideas for development and their ambitions, as well as their
assessment of the technical issues and market opportunities. A network
of BDS managers that covers the whole of the territory of the TTR-ETAt
region and available to entrepreneurs. These meetings enable the
project team to assess the cross-border potential of candidates. More
than 200 companies have benefited from this type of support since
the start of the project.
In this second phase, the BDS managers also developed “technology
and market roadmaps” in the cross-border region for several economic
sectors in order to identify trends and assess the evolution of the regional
economy for the next two, five and ten years. These roadmaps were
discussed in roundtable sessions with businesses. This enabled the
businesses to develop new ideas and to translate these into concrete
project proposals, particularly with a view to the GCS initiative.
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Financing tools
Lastly, financial assistance supports the development of projects and
the implementation of the SME consortia. Innovation vouchers, with
a maximum value equivalent to €5000, are designed to offer rapid
assistance to SMEs/universities/research centres in the initial stage
of their cross-border activities. The objective is to provide rapid and
concrete assistance in accordance with the needs of the cross-border
partnerships being set up. In concrete terms, a voucher gives the
right to support from a BDS manager or from another structure within
the Euregio Meuse-Rhine programme. It can be used to undertake
feasibility studies, to search for patents, or for the use of laboratories
or testing facilities for prototypes, etc. In total, out of the 31 candidates,
21 were awarded vouchers (eight for high-tech systems, seven for life
sciences, five for energy and one for innovative materials), representing
an investment of €105,000.