• Since our region is unsurpassed with regard to the number of people working in high tech jobs, we consider it crucial to stay abreast of the newest developments in research and technology.

RICARDA

funded under the Sixth Framework Programme: Coordination Action

Although current regional RTD policy has focussed heavily on cluster policies the methodological base to assess and develop the heterogeneous outcome of these efforts is surprisingly underdeveloped. There is a lack of approaches to capture and develop intellectual capital - especially intangible structural and relational assets - that lie at the heart of these RTD policy interventions. On the organizational level Intellectual Capital Reporting (ICR) has been developed as a management tool to capture these innovation relevant intangibles.

RICARDA aims to transfer ICR on the level of regional RTD networks or clusters. It will therefore contribute to the improvement of regional RTD policy by the development and application of a methodology for ICR for collaborative research activities in European Regions.

ICRs will be drafted in a joint effort of regional institutions, cluster managers and specialized research institutions for pilot-clusters in each of the participating regions, identifying opportunities for an improved private and public engagement in R&D activities. Potentials for establishing an ICR based policy learning framework within each region will be explored with regional RTD-stakeholders. The findings in the four participating regions will be discussed within an international comparison and finally lead to a refined methodology for the introduction of ICR within regional RTD policies.

http://www.difu.de/projekte/2006/regional-intellectual-capital-reporting-development-and.html