Participants:
Per Unckel, Nordic Council of Ministers (chair)
Adam Kanne, Baltic Development Forum
Christian Ketels, Harvard Buisness School
Claudia Hakanen, BaltMet Inno County Administration Board of Stockholm
Dorthe Elise Svinth, Nordic Council of Ministers
Jaanus Pikani, Scanbalt
Jari Tamistu, City of Helsinki
Jens-Erik Lund, NICe
Johan Danielsson, Council for the Stockholm - Mälar Region
Jörgen Christensen, Baltic Development Forum
Jörn Bang Andersen, Invest In Denmark
Leif Håkansson, Swedish Trade Union
Ola Yndeheim, Nordic Council of Ministers
Peter Egardt, Stockholm Chamber of Commerce
Peter Frank, ScanBalt
Petri Peltonen, Tekes
Phil Saprykin, CBSS
Pontus Lindberg, Baltic Sea Chambers of Commerce Association
Susanne Karringer, Öresundskomiteen
The Agenda:
1. BSI report of activities
The main activities in the frame of BSI was presented by representatives from BSR-Innonet (Jens-Erik Lund), Nordic Council of Ministers (Per Unckel), ScanBalt (Januus Pikani), Baltic Sea Chambers of Commerce Association (Peter Frank and Pontus Lundberg), CBSS (Phil Saprykin) and Tekes (Petri Peltonen).
The headlines for the activities during 2006 have been:
- Cluster Development
- Marker driven innovation
- Research Corporation
- Removal of boarder barriers, especially within the business sector
- Branding the Baltic Sea Region
Stakeholders are welcome to contact Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) in order to make suggestions for changes or new input in the BSI report. The report is going to be submitted to the Baltic Development Forum (BDF).
2. Structure for the future
With background from the BSI Core Group meeting in Tartu on the 21 of September 2006 the NCM, after consultation with BDF, suggested the following proposal for a future structure;
- BSI continues to be a network of network
- BSI continues to be open for all with commitment to work in and for the Baltic Sea Region
- The stakeholder group meets twice a year, one for a two-day dynamic and interactive working seminar. Another meeting of stakeholders is organized in connection with the BDF annual summit. Additional meetings should also be possible if there is a need for it.
- BDF has the responsibility for BSI, supported by 2 or 3 partner organizations who take responsibilities for specific activities
- A group of wise man/women is appointed.
The stakeholder group agreed on the suggestion for the future structure.
The NCM will be responsible to organize the first stakeholder meeting, a working seminar in Copenhagen in spring 2007. The NCM will circulate a suggestion with regard to themes and time.
3. The State of the Region Report
Dr Christian Ketels finally gave an exclusive and instructive presentation of the 2006 State of the Region report.
The biggest challenges for the Baltic Sea Regions competitiveness according to the report are;
- Investment
- Lack of top universities
- Labour market
- Branding the region
