Title: Experimentation of trans-regional foresight: the case of the ForTransRis project

Authors: Claudio Roveda, Riccardo Vecchiato

Addresses: Polytechnic of Milan, Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, P.zza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milano, Italy. ' Polytechnic of Milan, Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, P.zza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milano, Italy

Abstract: The European Union (EU) is strongly inviting member States and regions to cooperate in the field of Research and Innovation (R&I). Even if the benefits of trans-regional cooperation may be quite remarkable, there are many obstacles to its realisation. The consideration of these factors has been the basis of a project, named ForTransRis, financed by the European Commission. Its aim has been to experiment Trans-Regional Foresight (TRF) in five EU regions and to use its outputs as an input to the process for elaborating coordinated regional R&I strategies based on trans-regional cooperation. This paper describes the methodology and the organisational process that have been adopted for implementing TRF in the ForTransRis project and to highlight the criticalities that have been met in this process. The experience gained with this exercise can be helpful for defining more specific and operational guidelines in the design and implementation of TRF.

Keywords: trans-regional foresight; trans-regional cooperation; regional research; regional innovation policy; EU; European Union.

DOI: 10.1504/IJFIP.2011.043019

International Journal of Foresight and Innovation Policy, 2011 Vol.7 No.4, pp.251 - 270

Published online: 25 Apr 2015 *

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