Under the auspices of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a prestigious three day conference, ‘The Week of Innovative Regions in Europe’ (WIRE), will take place in Cork from 5 – 7 June this year.

The WIRE2013 Conference will see up to 500 delegates from 20 countries coming together to focus on regional aspects relevant to the final stages of the design and legislative process for the European Union’s next funding programme, Horizon 2020. As a result, European regional policy and regional development will be influenced by this conference.

The theme of the Conference is ‘Regions: leading the way’ and will include high profile speakers such as Sean Sherlock TD Minister of State for Research and Innovation and Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science. Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn will also award the winners of the first European Prize for Innovation in Public Administration. Nine local, regional and national authorities across Europe will be awarded €100,000 for their initiatives that benefit citizens, firms or education and research to scale up their winning initiatives. The prizes should highlight efficient public spending and inspire others to follow their example.

Organised by Enterprise Ireland, the Conference will directly engage with and include the business community, SMEs and multinational corporations, bringing them together with regional, national and European stakeholders – including public organisations, policymakers, research communities and enterprises – to address, develop and progress the strengthening of regional ecosystems in the areas of research, technological development and innovation.

Financed by the European Commission, the WIRE Conference series is recognised as a key element in promoting regional development. The Conference will aim to identify what role there can be for regions in the Horizon 2020 programme as well as challenges, niche opportunities to add value, how to exploit opportunities as well as providing a platform to benchmark, network and establish future partnerships.

Commenting on Cork hosting this important conference, Minister of State for Research and Innovation, Seán Sherlock said he is delighted that Cork has been chosen to host the WIRE2013 Conference.

“The rapid transformation of Ireland from an agriculture based nation on the periphery of Europe to a competitive, high-tech world player is typified by the Cork region. The South West Region has a highly dynamic industrial sector with many of the world’s leading multinational corporations having their European headquarters in the area.”

Speaking on behalf of Enterprise Ireland, Dr Imelda Lambkin, National Director FP7, said one of the key objectives of the WIRE Conference will be to contribute substantially to regional policy development in the areas of research, innovation and learning, and to enhance policy formation for effective regional development.

“One hoped-for outcome of this Conference is that innovation is recognised as a key central theme within all regional policymaking, public investment programmes and in public procurement,” Dr lambkin said.

The WIRE2013 Conference will take place in University College Cork on 6th and 7th June and industry site visits are planned for the afternoon of Wednesday, 5th June.

Dr Michael Murphy, President of University College Cork, said he is delighted to welcome this landmark WIRE2013 Conference to University College Cork and to the Cork region.

“UCC is recognised internationally as having been one of the first universities to embrace a strong regional dimension to its role. UCC’s vision statement, ‘connecting the region to the globe’ has been copied widely and it is apt that this conference on Innovative Regions in Europe should be hosted by a University that embraces this critical social and economic agenda.”