Four EPP-led local and regional authorities (Gabrovo, Madrid, Helsinki-Uusimaa and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) were awarded the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) Award to recognise their forward-looking political vision and support for a local, innovative entrepreneurial policy strategy.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, CoR President said that the work of these local and regional authorities shows that together we can make Europe more entrepreneurial which will help overcome the devastating effects of the COVID-19 crisis on our territories.
Michael Murphy, member of Tipperary County Council and ECON Chair said "Regions and cities that are inhabited by entrepreneurial-minded people have a better chance to overcome crises and thrive in a rapidly changing world. I invite the newly awarded EERs to celebrate entrepreneurship in their territories and to strive in their efforts to build economic and social environments conducive to entrepreneurial activity."
Eva Maydell, Member of the European Parliament said "During the COVID-19 crisis, we witnessed the agility, resilience and entrepreneurial spirit of many European regions. We saw that they are equipped to rise to the challenge of a pandemic by using innovative solutions and strategic thinking. I am sure that our entrepreneurial regions will be the driving force for Europe’s economic recovery. We need to support them with investments and resources in the months and years to come. We cannot repeat old mistakes - the money we spend needs to go to regions that are willing to reinvent in line with our society’s social and environmental goals."
Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Region of Madrid said “We believe that the best way to tackle the economic and social crisis that threatens Madrid, Spain and Europe is by letting the innovative and creative entrepreneurs lead the recovery. Therefore, now more than ever, we must be close to them. We want to be the economic engine of a country leading the economic and the employment recovery at European level, as we already did in the crisis of 2000s”
Marku Markkula, President of the Regional Board of Helsinki-Uusimaa said "With this EER label, I see hope, aspiration, and commitment to a green, digital and entrepreneurial future in the Helsinki Region and Europe. The EER award is a recognition for our continued effort in promoting entrepreneurial mind-set and skills in the region. In every step of our way, the aspiration and commitment of being an entrepreneurial region is our northern star, guiding us to an innovative, safe, and carbon-neutral future."
Renaud Muselier, President of the Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur said "It is a great honour for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region to receive this award today. Being the only French region awarded and among only six in Europe proves how innovative, dynamic and enterprising our region is. Since March 2020, we have done everything we could to work side by side with our economical partners to help them get through this historical crisis. This award is the result of a coordinated job with European institutions and the European Commission in particular, who made the right choice by giving the power to the regions to implement the European recovery plan."
Tanya Hristova, Mayor of Gabrovo said “Gabrovo is committed to develop as Green, Smart and Innovative centre of Bulgaria. Our mission is founded on our territorial assets, rich entrepreneurial culture, technological traditions and innovative mind-set of the citizens. COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on business motivated us to join efforts and work for the development of an entrepreneurial strategy that will transform Gabrovo into a sustainable, resilient and digitalized actor in the region. In order to achieve this goal we will continue strengthening our entrepreneurial ecosystem by relying on the active participation and commitment of the quadruple helix actors and the involvement of citizens. The EER award is both a recognition for our systematic efforts to enhance our entrepreneurial performance and an invaluable opportunity to align our endeavours with the guiding principles and successful achievements at EU level.”
Further information
Madrid Region, Spain: Integrated into a multilevel long term development strategy, Madrid Region's recovery plan is mainly centred around collaborative elements which aim at building bridges between the public and private sector. The creation of an Entrepreneurship Council will bring together a variety of entrepreneurs, microenterprises and SMEs and set off synergies and network effects. The strategy responds closely to EU SME policy-guidelines and mobilises significant resources. In particular the interests of female entrepreneurs are taken into account.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France: The SME-strategy of the Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (Région Sud) is embedded into a broader regional development plan which aims at reinforcing the region's "Entrepreneurial-DNA" around a model of sustainable economic recovery. The region has been hit hard by the current slack in tourism and it expects to be highly impacted by climate change. In this challenging context, regional authorities try to reinvent local economic cycles and to further capitalise on its vibrant start-up ecosystem and high-tech SMEs. Région Sud's strong regional integration, particularly its economic ties into the Mediterranean area, bear a high potential to unleash multiplier effects in connected regions via a successful green transition of its economy.
Gabrovo Municipality, Bulgaria: With its rapidly growing manufacturing and processing industry, Gabrovo Municipality turned into one of the most important economic centres in Bulgaria. Strategically, the region aims at orienting its economic model towards more resilience and ecologic sustainability. This shift will go along with an investment into economic activities with higher value added. New sectors such as information technology and the service sector are raised as part of Gabrovo's smart specialization strategy. To successfully master the challenges associated with this change, the region can build on a strong record in expanding its education infrastructure in the field of engineering.
Helsinki-Uusimaa Region, Finland: The Helsinki-Uusimaa Region has a particularly strong record in the field of business education. In 2012 it was already awarded EER for its strong promotion of young entrepreneurs. Almost ten years later, the region is aiming to create the ideal environment for the sustainability-driven new generation of entrepreneurs to take the next step and put their skills at the service of a deep social and economic transformation. Endowed with a strong research and education infrastructure, the region wants to enact a coherent set of measures to speed up the development of its circular and sharing economy and bring collaborative consumption models to economic viability.