Urbact – unic – Local Action Plans

Urban Networks for Innovation in Ceramics
WORKING DOCUMENT ON
“ADVANCING WITH CITIES LOCAL ACTION PLANs”
Version 3 – following the meeting of Stoke-on-Trent


Introduction:
The goal of this Working Document is to provide information to each UNIC city partner, about the priorities and actions that each city contemplates for the development of its local action plan.
The purposes are twofold:

• 
  on one side, to promote synergy and common interests among cities and allow for possible joint initiatives
  

• 
  on the other side to allow the project experts to identify good practices in the fields of interest for the cities, that may be presented in the thematic meetings or under other form
  

Even if its not its main purpose, it may also serve as an indicator of progress and achievement for each city in the development of its local action plan.

To achieve such purposes, the document will be permanently updated and made available to all partners in a common workspace. It include a “snapshot” of each city intentions as regards the LAP at the time of revision, plus a “bird’s eye view” of all planned activities for all cities grouped by themes, with an index of good practices already presented.


Limoges
As lead partner of UNIC, Limoges is involved in all 5 working groups of UNIC, and intends to include proposals related to every thematic into its Local Action Plan, with the following objectives:

Objectives

1 – PROMOTION OF INNOVATION: Increase the economical impact of hi-tech ceramic R&D activities.

2 – INDUSTRY STRENGTHENING: Increase the qualified employment in the ceramic sector BY 15%

3 – CREATING A CERAMICS ATMOSPHERE: Increase the use of ceramic materials in urban public spaces in town centre, with the goal to achieve interventions in up to 20 % of the most significant public spaces.

4 – CULTURAL POTENTIAL: Attract 10% more visitors to tourism events and cultural places.

5 – URBAN IDENTITY: Improve the image of the city in relation with ceramics. Making the name « Limoges » more attractive in national and international terms.

In order to implement these objectives the following actions are considered for inclusion in the LAP:

Action:	Closely follow the implementation and development of the new European Ceramics Centre – a new ceramics cluster bringing together the university, laboratories, and companies, and located in the science and technology park in Limoges « ESTER Technopole ». Consider the implementation of local support measures to stimulate entrepreneurial innovation in the ceramics sector.