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CDR1262-2013_00_00_TRA_TCD
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EU local and regional authorities contribute to the mid-term review of Europe 2020
Assessment of the flagship initiative
An industrial policy for the globalisation era
Almost three years after the launch of Europe 2020, the Committee of the Regions has launched a broad assessment of the Strategy in preparation for its mid-term review, expected in 2014.
As part of this assessment, the replies to this questionnaire on the state of play of the flagship initiative An industrial policy for the globalisation era will be discussed at a conference to be held on 10 April 2013 in Brussels.
This conference will be the third in a series of CoR events and monitoring initiatives on the Europe 2020 flagship initiatives, preparing the mid-term review in 2014. More news on this conference can be found on the CoR website[1]. By participating in this survey, you will:
- ensure that your views are taken into account in the debate held during the conference;
- contribute to the CoR's consultative activity over the coming months, to include an opinion drafted by Claude Gewerc, President of Picardy Regional Council (PES/FR), scheduled for adoption at the CoR plenary session on 10-11 April 2013;
- contribute to the fourth CoR Monitoring Report on Europe 2020, to be published in October 2013;
- contribute to the mid-term review of Europe 2020 in 2014.
If you wish to participate in this survey, please complete this questionnaire in any eu language, using the spaces provided, and return it in text format to:
1 March 2013
The questionnaire will be available in all languages in mid January
For more information on this survey and for details on how to join the Europe 2020 Monitoring Platform, go to:
Contributor information[2]
Name of sender: / Ing. Tibor Mikuš, PhD.Contact details: (address, telephone, email) / Trnava, Starohájska 10, +421 335559100,
On behalf of:
(name of local or regional authority) / Trnava Autonomous Region
Type of organisation / City/Town/Municipality Region
County/Province Association of local and/or regional authorities
Other (please specify)
Country: / SR
Member of the EUROPE 2020 Monitoring Platform: / YES NO
Current policy challenges and responses at regional and local level
1) What are the main challenges faced by industry in your region/city?Please answer with respect to competitiveness (market trends; positioning in the market; competitors) and employment (finding the necessary workforce with the right skills; ability to create new jobs).
One of the problems where industry is concerned is the high dependence on the region's flagship companies, with low diversification making the region more vulnerable to the crisis. Foreign investors are also reluctant to develop their R&D capacity in the region and there is an imbalance between labour supply and demand in industry. Supplies of the right kind of labour to meet industry needs could also gradually dry up. The capacity for growth in industrial development is also threatened by competition from countries in eastern Europe, which have the advantage of a cheaper labour force and are a competitive alternative for foreign investors. Likewise, the progression of the economic crisis and the situation on global markets is affecting companies and will have a big impact on the decisions they make.
2)Do these challenges differ from those faced in 2010 (when the Europe 2020 strategy was launched)?If so, in what respect?
Please make a distinction between structural problems and problems resulting from the impact of the economic and financial crisis.
The problems remain the same from the regional perspective, though of course the global impact of the economic and financial crisis is feeding into the decisions of industry players. The prevalent view among those surveyed in the region is that the problems have not changed much, but that it is only gradually becoming clear over the long term how big the consequences of the crisis are.
3)How are your regional/local policies addressing these challenges?
Please make clear whether you are (i) working on the basis of a local/regional industrial strategy; (ii) providing direct support to firms and networks/clusters; (iii) encouraging stronger relationships between firms, universities, public and private research institutions; (iv) improving the business environment, including through administrative simplification; (v) undertaking a proactive industrial policy, focusing on certain activities or sectors; or a mix of these actions.
Please provide examples (or at least web references[3]).
As well as including individual areas in its core strategic plans, the region is carrying out the activities below.
The following collaboration with flagship enterprises is in place in education, where the region is responsible for secondary schooling:
Collaboration with the flagship companies in the region – PSA andSamsung – currently focuses on two areas. One of these is giving pupils practical training in the companies themselves. The most active schools in this sphere include: Trnava Vocational Secondary School of Automotive Technology, Galanta Vocational Secondary School of Trade and Services, Galanta Vocational Secondary School of Technology, Piešťany Vocational Secondary School of Technology, Trnava Vocational Secondary School of Electrical Engineering, Trnava Secondary Industrial School and Trnava Secondary Industrial School of Transport. The second area is close collaboration on a contractual basis to improve the skills and qualifications of the employees of these companies. The schools signed up to this are Trnava Vocational Secondary School of Automotive Technology, Trnava Secondary Industrial School, Trnava Secondary Industrial School of Transport and Hlohovec Vocational Secondary School of Technology.
Among companies of strategic importance are some that are long established and had close links with the public education system in the past. In Trnava these include ŽOS, a.s., which has an arrangement with the city's polytechnic vocational secondary school. This covers specialist assistance, knowledge sharing and coordination in vocational training and business. These are contractual arrangements mainly involving:
- students in certain vocational and academic disciplines (for which they were recruited) undergoing training in the workplace receiving free workclothes, footwear, basic tools and a suitable agreed hourly rate.
- students from selected vocational and academic disciplines receiving a subsidy from the company to acquire qualifications in training courses provided by the school
- the company providing an instructor to act as organiser
The secondary engineering school (SOŠ) in Skalica andthe INA Skalica company have a tradition going back half a century in working together to train skilled workers for the company. Pivotal moments in the quality of training came in 2003, when a training centre was set up in the company, and again in 2007, when the company helped set up a workshop in the centre for programming CNC machinery in connection with the purchase of SinuTrain software from Siemens, which is used in most of the company's machines. This collaboration involves providing work experience for students in which they get to know the work environment, equipment and materials over time, with the emphasis on quality standards in the work process and what employers now require from today's education system in terms of technical and vocational education. In the course of their second, third and fourth years students undergo training under experienced instructors on machinery in different manufacturing phases and in quality control and the training centre, where they acquire valuable hands-on experience.
Cooperation with our schools also attracts interest from companies in neighbouring regions. One example is the flagship company Volkswagen Slovakia a. s. Bratislava, which proposed a very successful collaboration involving providing training premises for GbelyVocational Secondary School of Electrical Engineering and for Senica Vocational Secondary School.
Collaboration between employers and educational establishments in the Trnava region is expanding and improving. This is helped not only by communication between the two, but also the understanding both have of their shared problems and needs. A knock-on effect and additional benefit of this collaboration is that those taking part find work immediately on leaving school with one of the employers where they did their work experience.
Collaboration with higher education institutions is about concentrating on preparing vocational secondary school students for university or for scientific research. Trnava Secondary Industrial School and Trnava Secondary Industrial School of Transport work with Bratislava's Slovak University of Technology on a training centre ("trades' campus") to reskill newly recruited staff for the PSA Slovakia s.r.o. car plant, as well as for other companies interested in the work of the training centre.
Trnava region is also co-founder of a number of clusters (automotive, electrical engineering, energy – West Slovakia Energy Cluster, Centrope; tourism). Their main roles include implementing and drafting projects and seeking new opportunities.
In 2012, the automotive cluster (ACS) implemented four projects (AC Centrope – OP Austria-Slovakia crossborder cooperation; Autonet – OP Central Europe; Autoclusters – OP South-East Europe, and Innovmat – Austria-Slovakia crossborder cooperation).
It was project partner in a number of calls in 2011 with the authorisation process taking place in 2012. Two of these were successful: the Fast in Charge project, to be funded under the 7th framework programme, and the REACT project, funded under the Slovakia-Austria crossborder cooperation programme.
In addition to projects with EU fund support, the automotive cluster was also involved in the "automobilová akadémia", collaborating with the Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak Republic (AIA SR) (which provides education and courses for companies in the automotive industry) and workshops for industry subcontractors.
The Centrope international energy cluster has worked with Trnava region and an Austrian partner on two projects of the Central Europe operational programme: Introduction of Regional Energy Concepts (CEP-REC) and Demonstration of Energy Efficiency and Utilization of Renewable Energy Sources through Public Buildings (CE-C5). Other activities involved consultancy services, organising workshops (in collaboration with Trnava region) on the findings of local energy studies in the ITE-Intelligent Energy project and meetings with affiliated members.
The West Slovakia Energy Cluster worked with the region on the following projects:
ClusterPoliSEE Project - Smarter Cluster Policies for South East Europe in the South-East Europe operational programme and REACT, ATMOS Code N00149under the Slovakia-Austria crossborder cooperation programme.
The West Slovakia electrotechnical cluster is involved in the following projects:
DUO**STARS crossborder cooperation project between Lower Austria and Trnava region.
This project was approved in 2008 andwork was begun end 2008/beginning 2009. It focused on three main areas – innovation, business environment, and training and digital platforms for tendering and finding orders for companies. It resulted in a large number of outcomes on the business environment and training in 2010. Further project activities, including workshops, continued in 2011. The concluding workshop was held on 23 May 2012 and brought together many of those involved in the project from the public and private sectors in both countries. In the same year a collection of papers on the project was produced and a number of concluding events were held to evaluate and publicise the project.
Project to train employees of Jasplastik s.r.o. Matúškovo
The project is designed to improve the skills of the company workforce, which supplies plastic components for the electrical engineering and automotive industries. The modules focus on manufacturing skills, IT technologies, languages and soft skills for office and management staff. The project was approved in mid-2010 and implemented in 2011, with reporting and publicising of the final report following in 2012. Managers provided the company with expert advice.
Development project for JAS-Automotive
This project, which is being carried out in collaboration with one of the largest German companies in this branch, is being run in Galanta and addresses new forms of production in the plastics industry. Involving plastic pressings for the automotive industry – in particular Volkswagen, and companies in Slovakia and in Hungary –, it will create almost 300 new jobs. The preparatory phase is ongoing and the managers of the cluster have provided expert advice, particularly on securing public funding.
Intelligent Energy project
This was funded from the Slovakia-Austria crossborder cooperation programme 2007–2013, adopted in 2009 and begun end 2009/ beginning 2010. It focused on education, research and support for the use of renewable resources and intelligent forms of energy and had a budget of EUR 850 000.
Since 2009, Trnava Autonomous Region has been implementing the RECOM SK-AT project as part of the Slovakia-Austria crossborder cooperation programme 2007–2013. Here entrepreneurs have the opportunity to take part in meetings to launch new project bids. The project enables potential applicants for non-refundable subsidies – including in the private sector – to get advice. Advice on the technicalities of applications for subsidies and on other mandatory forms used by eventual recipients (including the private sector) throughout the life of the project is covered by the technical assistance project entitled "Multiannual Framework of Technical Assistance for Trnava Region", which is also part of this programme.
The RECOM SK-AT project held a seminar in Trnava in June 2010 entitled "Innovative activities for small- and medium-sized businesses" in connection with the European Commission's SME Week. Companies have been able over the past few years to establish contacts across the Slovak-Austrian border and also find out information on priority cooperation areas through the Partnerská burza matchmaking event attended by representatives from Lower Austria, Burgenland, Vienna and Bratislava.
Trnava region has also been involved in other projects relevant to industry, such as improving infrastructure, education and international cooperation.
BOX 1 – An Industrial Policy for the Globalisation Era
The Europe 2020 flagship initiative An integrated industrial policy for the globalisation era, adopted by the European Commission on 28 October 2010, sets out a strategy that aims to boost growth and jobs by maintaining and supporting a strong, diversified and competitive industrial base in Europe, offering well-paid jobs while becoming more resource-efficient[4]. The flagship initiative highlights ten key actions for European industrial competitiveness:
- "competitiveness proofing" i.e. analysis of the impact on competitiveness of all policy proposals;
- "fitness checks" of existing legislation aimed at reducing the cumulative effects of legislation in order to cut costs for businesses in Europe;
- making it easier for SMEs to access credit and facilitating their internationalisation;
- a strategy to strengthen European standardisation;
- more efficient European transport, energy and communication infrastructure and services to serve European industry;
- a new strategy on raw materials creating the right framework conditions for sustainable supply and management of domestic primary raw materials;
- addressing sector-specific innovation performance with specific actions, in such areas as advanced manufacturing technologies, construction, bio-fuels and road and rail transport, particularly with a view to improving resource efficiency;
- actions to improve framework conditions and support innovation in energy-intensive industries;
- a space industrial policy creating a solid industrial base and covering the whole supply chain;
- reporting on Europe’s and Member States' competitiveness, industrial policies and performance on an annual basis.
You can find more information on An industrial policy for the globalisation era, seen from the point of view of local and regional authorities, in the Committee of the Regions' publication Delivering on the Europe 2020 Strategy. Handbook for Local and Regional Authorities)[6]. General information on Europe 2020 can be found on the strategy's official website[7].
How is the Europe 2020 flagship initiative An industrial Policy for the Globalisation Era relevant to your city or region?
4)With respect to industrial policy, how would you evaluate the support your city/region has received from EU policies so far? Was it sufficient in view of the challenges you are facing in this area? As concerns EU-financed investments, in which area has more added value been created (e.g. infrastructure, skills, innovation, etc.)?Please answer with reference to the various existing strands of EU policy (Europe 2020 flagship initiative "An industrial policy in the globalisation era", Structural Funds, 7th Framework Programme, Competitiveness and Innovation Programme, etc.).
Please comment both on the policy tools used and on funding.
Support from EU policies has helped improve matters with regard to both the impact of the crisis and the problems mentioned in response to previous questions. Increased added value has been most apparent in mitigating these adverse consequences and EU support policy will continue to be important for further industrial development in the new programming period. As far as industry is concerned, it will continue to be necessary to foster and develop innovation and support businesses and cooperation between various entities in the pubic, academic and business worlds. The use and effect of the various instruments has been set out in more detail in the reply to the previous question, which also lists projects benefiting from EU support. +
5)The Europe 2020 flagship initiative An integrated industrial policy for the globalisation era (see Box 1 above), as reviewed by the Commission Communication A stronger European industry for growth and economic recovery[8] of 10 October 2012, sets out a "renewed industrial policy" based on the four pillars presented in Box 2 below.
Which of these pillars are more relevant to your specific local/regional situation?
All the pillars are important. In terms of the needs of industry in the region, innovation and human resources would be the priorities to choose. Access to funding and capital is also important (especially to cater for SMEs).
BOX 2 - An industrial policy for the globalisation era: 2012 update
The flagship initiative on industrial policy, as reviewed by the Communication of 10 October 2012, places more emphasis on short-term, growth-enhancing measures resulting from the economic crisis and its impact on EU industry. The flagship initiative is based on an extensive consultation of stakeholders carried out in the first half of 2012, which highlighted the impact of the crisis in terms of job losses, the decline of industrial production and very low business confidence. Those short-term problems go hand in hand with EU industry's structural competitiveness problems. The European Commission's response is based on these four “pillars of the reinforced industrial policy”, to be addressed through partnership involving the EU, its Member States and industry:
Investments in innovation, with a focus on six priority areas with great potential (advanced manufacturing technologies for clean production; key enabling technologies; bio-based products; sustainable industrial and construction policy and raw materials; clean vehicles and vessels; smart grids).
Better market conditions, both in the internal market, with special reference to goods, entrepreneurship and the protection of intellectual property rights, and in international markets.
Access to finance and capitals, through better mobilising and targeting of public resources, including from the EIB, and by unlocking private funds.
Human capital and skills, to promote job creation and better anticipation of, and investments in, the skills needed to promote industry's competitiveness.
Are your country's policies relevant to your city or region?