Increasing attractiveness of Next2Met regions with soft digitalisation measures

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Next2Met is an interregional exchange project with a clear challenge and some proposals for policy related solutions. The challenge is how to increase attractiveness, for knowledge, opportunities and capital, of territories located close to metropolitan areas. These areas have insufficient tools to keep experienced SMEs and well-educated people in the region and the critical mass of RDI is not sufficiently strong compared to the capital region. Proposed solutions can be broken down into 3 parts: strengthening capacity of priority sectors (RIS3) to differentiate regional offer; using innovation in soft digitalisation measures to support capacity of priority sectors to attract knowledge, opportunities and capital; ensuring cooperation along the innovation chain, to develop and apply soft digitalisation measures in priority sectors. Next2Met engages 6 regions that share this challenge and hope to implement proposed solutions, with an expert Advisory Partner to support them. Partners have selected 4 ERDF OP and 2 local instruments, with which these can fund and support strategically proposed solutions. Interregional learning includes partners and the whole regional value chain. They will consider innovation chain engagement related to: digitalisation, application of digitalisation in priority sectors, attracting capital and leveraging funding. Exchange results will lead to improved policy instruments at an early stage and Action Plans building on improvements and taking them further. Next2Met project will create a policy framework in participating regions that focuses financial resources and innovation chain activities on promoting regional attractiveness. It creates the conditions to design, develop and commercialise digitalisation products and services that help regional priority sectors to become the unique selling point of these next to met areas.

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