Brussels, 24 October 2006
CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service, has launched a new Regional Research and Innovation Service, highlighting the increasingly important link between research and development (R&D), innovation and regional policies.
The new service provides information about the R&D and innovation environment in the Comunitat Valenciana region of Spain and is intended as a central access point to information about the region's research and innovation activities.
A summary of the region's general conditions, including its geographical position, its economic framework conditions and its history, provides readers with an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the specific characteristics of the Valencian Community. This general introduction is followed by a more specific list of innovation tools maintained by the Regional Ministry of Enterprise, University and Science, as well as by a number of independent organisations. It highlights Valencia's triple approach to innovation, which is intended to promote technological, scientific and global innovation for the benefit of the regional economy.
Two separate sections of the new service provide information on existing R&D activities in Valencia and the regional research infrastructure. Valencia focuses on three particularly important strategic action lines:
- encouraging, promoting and supporting new technologies;
- reinforcing business competitiveness through technological innovation;
- strengthening the competence of research and technological innovation organisations.
The Comunitat Valenciana has a well-developed R&D infrastructure working along these main strategic guidelines, ranging from universities and technology institutes to CISC centres and other research centres. The Regional Gateway summarises the general framework for research and innovation action, as defined in the 'Valencian scientific research, technological development and innovation plan' (PVIDI).
A specific section on EU R&D activities highlights the European dimension of research in Valencia. It provides a gateway to a large variety of information and services that are relevant, ranging from ongoing projects, through research results, to the CORDIS partners search service and a list of local innovation and research contacts.
Finally, the new Regional Gateway for the Comunitat Valenciana provides links to relevant regional actors, such as the regional government, a general information service or numerous agencies for economic development.
The service was designed by CORDIS in cooperation with the Generalitat Valenciana, the region's representation office in Brussels, and the Fundación Comunidad Valenciana - Región Europa.
The CORDIS Regional Gateway website for Valencia is available at:
http:///cordis.europa.eu/valencia/home_en.html