Regional Innovation Strategy

Evolving our approach

The first Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS) was a key element of the wider Regional Economic Strategy (RES) published by East Midlands Development Agency in 2006. This new RIS moves the innovation priorities contained in the RES forward; it is an evolution of the original RIS which takes into account:

• An independent evaluation of the first strategy

• The region's innovation performance over the past three years

• Feedback from stakeholders in the region.

The new RIS which covers 2010 – 13:

• Is positioned more clearly as the region's innovation strategy, recognising that responsibility for implementation falls to a wide range of stakeholders working to agreed guiding principles

• Aligns regional strengths with Government policy, capitalising on the main sector and technology strengths of the region, and highlighting the other innovation investments in the region

• Champions low carbon opportunities as key innovation drivers and major opportunities for the region

• Give iNets a greater role in developing regional priorities for cross-cutting and enabling technologies

• Puts technologies that cut across all sector areas, like low carbon, at the very core of the RIS, serving to widen its reach and enable all businesses, whatever the sector, to benefit from innovation

• Focuses on helping all sectors access innovation support, and to make better use of innovation facilities across the region.

A strategy for the region

This second RIS will be characterised both by the strength of commitment from stakeholders to playing a part in its delivery; and by its integration with other aspects of the RES. We will be working with partners in the region to develop and agree a set of principles for coordinating resources on innovation and, together, develop an implementation plan.

The strategy provides a framework for the use of public funding to stimulate innovation in the region. With public finances under increasing pressure, resources will be tight over the next few years. In continuing the drive for innovation across the East Midlands we will all need to strive to be smarter, more efficient and more effective in everything we do.

To download a full copy of the RIS 2010 – 13 please click here