The third stakeholder meeting within the Baltic Sea Initiative 2010 (BSI) took place in Gdansk on 8-9 June. There were 34 stakeholders present representing private and public organizations throughout the region. The main discussions at the meeting involved issues on the progress, the common goals, the structure and the future process of the BSI. Discussions took place in plenary as well as in breakout sessions where stakeholders had the opportunity to exchange thoughts and ideas. The complexity of the BSI process, the assessment of the Working Groups, the Stockholm Summit, the State of the Region report 2005 and the future actions were all central topics in these discussions.

Questions about a common goal/vision, a possible policy paper and a future organizational structure of the BSI were raised and commented on by the participants. It was acknowledged by all stakeholders that the strength of the BSI lies within the shared responsibility, information and engagement. Its success highly depends on the stakeholders’ active involvement.

At the conference the working groups (WG) were given limited opportunity to report on and discuss the substance of their work. The discussion instead often circled around issues related to the BSI process, structure and work mode, which created some disappointment among the stakeholders. It was requested that future stakeholder meetings concentrate mainly on substance and that the structural/organizational issues are dealt with in a parallel approach.

The stakeholders in Gdansk also clearly expressed that there is a need for clearer guidelines and concentrated actions in the BSI process. Furthermore, participants asked for an improvement of the knowledge management and internal communication within and between the working groups.

In order to overcome the circular discussion on how to structure the BSI, the stakeholders agreed to complement the bottom-up process with a top-down element that would define a concrete vision, mission and structure for the process. Subsequently, it was decided that a strategy group should be convened to define these issues in order to move the BSI process forward.

It was decided that a strategy group representing key interests, drivers, and the existing working groups should be formed to deal with these issues. In its work, the strategy group should take into account the necessity to integrate the Eastern and Western parts of the Baltic Sea Region and how to sustain the inclusiveness of the process among stakeholders. The more concrete range of issues to deal with was left up to the strategy group to define, but among the issues suggested were:

• Identify common ground in form of a vision, mission and values. (Economic growth, competitiveness, innovation, and the Lisbon Agenda should be reflected)
• Define the organisational structure (stressing that it is an inclusive approach built up by organisations and networks based on equality)
• Establish an effective work mode to deal with:
• Identify new initiatives
• Funding of initiatives
• Frequency of meetings
  
• Inclusion
• Duration
• Documentation   
  
• Establish/appoint a secretariat
• Establish a way to finance the BSI

Stakeholders decided by consensus to ask the Baltic Development Forum (BDF) to take the initiative to formalize a strategy group according to the requirements above. The wider stakeholder group will be informed about this work. BDF is willing to further facilitate the work of the strategy group as its secretariat and prepare documents as required. The main objective of the strategy group will be to establish a vision, mission and structure document subsequently endorsed by the wider group of stakeholders and communicated at the Stockholm Summit in October 2005.

Action

• Baltic Development Forum to establish a BSI strategy group to adopt a common vision, mission, and work mode for the future BSI process.
  

Deadline

• The strategy group should produce the structural framework for the future BSI process by the Stockholm Summit, 16-18 October 2005.

Discussion on the political mandate of the BSI was also among the central topics at the conference. According to some stakeholders, BSI can not get a political mandate, it must earn it. A BSI structure can only be known and respected on its own merits. We can facilitate different processes in the region, but we will not be given the task by politicians.

There was a general agreement at the meeting that a more operational approach is needed in the BSI process. Stakeholders felt that it was important to demonstrate and reflect the achievements of the BSI, which is currently in its “trust-building” phase. It was decided that a policy paper is needed which will address regional players within business, politics and academia.   

Christian Ketels was asked to prepare a draft of the policy paper as basis for discussion from the core group, i.e. a representative from each working group.

The stakeholders discussed who the target groups would be for the policy paper. It was suggested that the target groups would be decision makers from politics, business and academia present in Stockholm. 

The stakeholders suggested a general structure for preliminary consideration by Christian Ketels:

1. Overall vision/objectives for the Baltic Sea Region (macro level)
2. Achievements
3. Opportunities
4. Actions and recommendations to decisions makers
   Micro objectives and actions
   Make the argument for:
1. Networks and cluster
2. Entrepreneurship
3. Integrating R&E
4. Branding the region
5. Common information space
   
5. Organisation
1. Process so far
2. Who are we? Stakeholders/initiators
3. Platform for BSI 2010 to be developed and communicated in the paper
   

The main purposes of the policy paper would be to provide the rationale for regional co-operation, outlining a possible structure for action and ask/urge policy makers to “commit” to/endorse/acknowledge the BSI-activities.

The policy paper should be used in other platforms/forums as well to spread the message, e.g:

• Cross-level
• International (EU)
• National
• Regional
• Local
• Cross-sector
• Business
• Politics
• Academia
• Cross-border
  

Each of the five working groups will appoint one person to the core group that will coordinate and provide input for the policy paper. It was suggested that Christian Ketels develop a template/format that will help the WGs to provide him with the right information.

Action

• Christian Ketels prepares a draft policy paper based on the input from the core group. The policy paper will thereafter be presented to the stakeholder group.

Deadline

• The final policy paper will be presented at the Stockholm Summit, 16-18 October 2005.
  

Hence, following the agreement of the Stakeholder group to document the work in a more comprehensive manner and thereby enhance our internal information management, the WG leaders were are asked to send the BDF secretariat a report from each working group of approximately 500 words by 20 June and a more comprehensive report (2 pages) by 1 September. These two documents will be distributed to the stakeholder group.

Below we suggest a simple outline of the basics for the reports, which we hope will be helpful.

Short Report

• Each leader from the WG (see below) will edit a paper of approximately 500 words. Each paper should follow the common guidelines:
• What kind of project (general description)?
• Goals
• Activities
• Status
• Future actions
• Extent: approximately 500 words

1. Cluster: Heikki Kotilainen (Tekes) and Lotte Langkilde (FORA)
2. Entrepreneurship:
1. Barriers: Christian Ketels (Harvard Business School)
2. Education: Esa Kokkonen (Baltic Institute of Finland)
3. Venture capital: Jørgen Christensen (Baltic Development Forum)
3. Integrating Research & Education: Esa Kokkonen (Baltic Institute of Finland)
4. Branding: Jørgen Christensen (Baltic Development Forum)
5. Common Information Space: Philipp Saprykin (CBSS)
   

We recommend that the three subgroups in group 2 coordinate their work.  

Long Report

• A more comprehensive report (roughly 2 pages) should be produced by 1 September
• Editing process in September between BDF and group leaders
• Stockholm Summit: The documentation could be use twofold: for internal and external use. Three opportunities to be considered: the document as a handout on the summit, for internal use and external use (input to speakers etc.).  
  

 Action

• The WG leaders will report back to the BDF secretariat, firstly with a short report and secondly with a more inclusive report.

Deadlines

• The deadline for the first report is 20 June and for the second report 1 September.

The stakeholders agreed that the BSI process has a lot of potential and therefore should continue. However, a clear structure and an organization for the future work will have to be agreed on in order to make the process sustainable. A sustainable and viable structure would also have a positive impact on issues such as funding, attracting additional participants and achieving higher commitment.

In order to attract more business/private sector representatives and political recognition, it is necessary for the BSI process to show more concrete results. A future perspective could be that BSI takes a lead in the regional implementation of the Lisbon Agenda, tracking implementation and providing analysis of the individual country reports. The first reports are to be finalized by September 2005.

It was decided that the BSI should work on a project-to-project basis, where projects should be financed and managed individually.

The next BSI stakeholder meeting should take place after the Stockholm Summit, probably in December.

Action

• The Baltic Development Forum will call a new stakeholder meeting after the Stockholm Summit, where the outcomes from the BSI sessions and the future process can be discussed and followed up on.

Deadline

• The meeting will most likely take place in December and the stakeholders will get an invitation latest one month prior to meeting.