European regions need to restructure their economies from traditional manufacturing industry towards a new model of development based on knowledge and innovation. The objective of the project will be the exchange of experiences and good practices (GPs) among regional partners to improve the effectiveness of regional policies in the areas of innovation, research and technological development. The project will build upon the experiences gained by the partners through their regional development programmes and former european projects such as the Interreg IIIC DISTRICT RFO to capitalise consolidated GPs and improve the partners policy capacity to:- modernise traditional manufacturing sectors through product innovation and internasionalisation strategies for global competitiveness;- foster the interaction between knowledge providers and enterprises to increase the innovation capability of firms with a focus on eco-innovation;- provide innovative financial products and services and support innovative entrepreneurship for young researchers;- develop regional innovation skills through professional training in the field of innovation management;- build regional and local strategic planning capacity in front of global transitions through foresight techniques and technological audit.The partnership will include six regional public authorities that are in charge of managing the 2007-2013 ERDF Regional Operational Programmes: Lead Partner Tuscany (IT), West Midlands (UK), Saxony-Anhalt (DE), Vastra Gotaland (SE), Lower Silesia (PL) and Brasov County (RU). This mix of convergence (Obj. 1) and competitiveness (Obj. 2) regions will increase the network’s added-value in terms of policy impact.To achieve its results the project will implement an intense schedule of interregional activities (thematic workshops and study visits, joint interregional training sessions, etc.) to exchange policy experience between more and less advanced regions. It willspecially focus on the capitalisation of GPs in lagging regions such as those belonging to new MS that are in the process of managing their first large scale multi-annual ERDF ROPs.As a miniprogramme, the project will support a limited number of sub-projects (SPs) in the above policy areas. SPs will provide an additional platform for interregional cooperation by exchanging experiences and GPs at the local level. They will involve a high number of regional and local public authorities that are in charge of managing local development initiatives (e.g., territorial or sectorial good practices) and other relevant actors and stakeholders belonging to the different regions. SPs will be selected through interregional calls for proposals and will deliver their results to the partners regional authorities.Outputs will include: GPs transferability handbook; strategic guidelines for policy-makers with policy recommendations; policy/GP feasibility studies for pilot action in target regions. Achievements: Following the kickoff in Florence and opening conference in Wroclaw in 2010, DISTRICT+ organized a C3 methodological workshop and study visit delivering the Transferability Handbook. Project partners identified 6 GPs on Innovative financial products: R&D Card (VG) aimed at improving the opportunities for SMEs to compete in global markets; SCCI SME (SA) combining several components that support innovative entrepreneurs, young startups and academic spinoffs as targeted group; Expert panel (LS) aiming to evaluate and select innovative projects; Fondo Toscana Innovazione (RT) for investments in SMEs that have identified an innovative business idea or want to set up new industrial developments; Mercia Fund Management (WM) designed to provide support for commercialization and investment in early and follow on development stages; Lower Silesia Trust Fund (LS), implemented under the JEREMIE. 2 GPs have been discussed during the 1st JITS in Brasov in February 2011, 4 GPs have been presentedduring the JITS in Wroclaw in September 2011 and then discussed during Magdeburg Conference in November 2011: as result a Feasibility study/roadmap has been produced. 6 GPs on modernisation of traditional manufacturing have been identified: Industrial Dynamics (VG) for fostering innovation activities in industrial SMEs; Low Carbon Vehicle Technology Project (WM) designed to stimulate R&D activity to accelerate the introduction of next generation low carbon vehicles into the UK economy; Product Competence Center (VG) to improve the competitiveness for the manufacturing industry in Skaraborg; Innovation poles (RT) aiming to stimulate innovative activity by intensive interactions,shared use of facilities,exchange of knowledges and experiences; Enterprising graduate students (LS) scholarships for graduate students conducting the researches in relevant fields for the regional development; Cluster Support Initiative (LS) is an open contest with the overall objective to support the development of cluster initiatives and internationalization. Moreover project partners identified 2 GPs on Interaction between knowledge providers and enterprises: the Technological and Business Incubator (BR) with the objective to increase for companies the chances to grow up and survive time; Mind your Own Business (VG) is a “One stop shop” for startup businesses.5 studies on D+ topic have been realized, 3 by VG: From validation to Incubation bridging the valley of death for R&D based ventures; Promoting innovation in SMEs– good practices and new approaches; Open Innovation – an entry point to R&D for small and medium sized firms. 2 have been presented at thematic workshop in Goteborg in June 2011. The studies “Interaction between Knowledge Providers and the Private Sector/SMEs to increase their Innovativeness in EcoInnovation” and “Modernisation of Traditional Manufacturing Sectors” realized by SA and WM have been presented during Magdeburg Conference in November 2011. After D+ Call for Subproject Proposals - lauched in December 2010 - partners organized several local preparatory meetings. The 6 SPs - approved on 28th April 2011 in Florence – after Subsidy Contracts signature started to implement their activities. A Q&A seminar on reporting for SPs, in addition to the interregional training session in May 2011 and to several local training sessions, was organized in Birmingham in May 2012 . Under C2 the project developed and updated the project website, Facebook and Twitter. The LP drafted the Project Communication Plan. 5 NLs and 5 brochures were drafted, printed and disseminated. VG organized a dissemination event to present the approved 6 SPs (40 participants). SA organized in Magdeburg in November 2011 a public Conference (71 participants). Birmingham Conference in May 2012 was the occasion to present the first results of SPs activities (45 participants).