Summary objectives The background 7

4.3Sectors approach

A sectorial approach will be implemented both at a project level and also at a good practice level.

A series of specific economic sectors that may be producers or users of technology has been identified with the aim of:

• 
  Identifying specific relations existing between research and industry taking into consideration the specific characteristics of technologies as far as innovative firms start up is concerned and possible impediments preventing the positive economic and social impact of new technologies exploitation;
  
• 
  Considering the characteristics of each territory and the mixed models of economic processes of these knowledge driven regions;
  
• 
  Considering the evolution of integration models between research and industry, coupling it to the concept of “networks of centres of excellence” which is mainly based on the cluster model and on the “trade routes” concept, i.e. favouring the development of markets and trade routes that have a global reach but innovation is absorbed by high technology products and businesses developed in Europe.
  

Scientific and technological knowledge production in the partner regions is focused on some key technologies (some of which need to create new markets and trade routes), as showed by the following table:

	Karlsruhe	Lyon and Grenoble	Emilia-Romagna	Oxfordshire
ICT				
Optoelectronics				
Nanotechnologies				
Biotechnology				
Sensors and micro-systems				
New materials				

Relevant fields of industrial application in the different regions are mainly cluster based and may be summarised according to the following table:

	Karlsruhe	Lyon and Grenoble	Emilia-Romagna	Oxfordshire
Biomedical and electronic medical devices				
Industrial automation			
Automotive				
Environment			
e-learning			
Multimedia				

These tables provide an indication only. The specific sectors and fields of technology application on which the partners will focus will be defined jointly on a yearly basis according to regional priorities.

The sectors dimension should also be introduced at a practice level with the aim to:

• 
  identify how the practice responds to specific sectorial needs and features
  
• 
  identify methodologies and working mechanisms directly linked to the sectorial dimension
  

5General working mechanisms

The storming, norming, performing approach

The aim of the storming, norming, performing approach is to set a dynamic and efficient process in the identification and analysis of regional features and also in the complex and multidisciplinary process of transferring good innovation practices.

The storming, norming, performing approach can be applied both at the level of the overall project and at the level of good practices. This approach enables, in fact, to start investigating and understanding the regional context where activities, and good practices in particular, are developed, and to define working mechanisms allowing the transnational co-operation in view of producing concrete outputs.
Figure 3 – Storming, norming, performing approach