The region’s economic development vision until 2025 is “Superior capacity for renewal – sustainable growth.” Key objectives include providing the best business experience, fostering an attractive industrial growth platform, enhancing innovation capacity, and promoting a sustainable, competitive economy. The Council of Tampere Region plays a vital role in regional planning and development, emphasizing vision and strategic matters. Tampere actively supports climate-smart ecosystems, circular economy clusters, and sustainable solutions through public procurement.
Focal points are:
• Ensuring competences and capabilities for the future through collaboration between companies and educational institutes
• Strengthening industrial renewal through cooperation with businesses, universities and research institutes
• Developing world-class business and innovation ecosystems and strengthening their global networks
• A proactive urban development policy and accessibility development through PPP collaboration
• Exploiting the potential of sustainable development as a competitive factor in business – in current and emerging industries
• Customised services for companies at different stages of their lifecycles, the development of cross-organisational service paths, and improved service experience for businesses

The new Strategy will be published on 20.02.2025 and will continue in the scope of the mentioned instrument.

The Smart Specialization Strategy aims to drive regional economic development by identifying and supporting areas of strategic specialization. Key features include:

Identification of Strategic Priorities: The strategy identifies sectors with high innovation potential and competitive advantage, such as green technology, circular economy, and hydrogen initiatives.

Stakeholder Collaboration: It promotes collaboration between industry, academia, and government to foster innovation, research, and development in strategic sectors.

Resource Allocation: The strategy allocates funding and resources to priority areas, supporting projects that contribute to regional competitiveness and sustainable growth.

Monitoring and Evaluation: It includes mechanisms for monitoring progress, evaluating the impact of interventions, and adjusting priorities based on changing economic dynamics and technological advancements.

This policy instrument’s goal is to strengthen investments in growth and jobs and functions as a huge economic stimulus for Austria’s regions in the next programming period.

This policy instrument also focuses on overarching programme topics such as digitalization, circular economy, eco-innovation, climate finance and environmentally friendly technologies and the development strategies to strengthen the human capital base for technology and innovation in regional ecosystems. This will have positive effects on the productivity and profitability of organizations and will furthermore secure employment.

The instrument provokes a structural change in SMEs through high-quality, innovative and target group-oriented offers and to support companies in growing and adopting new technologies through 1) Acquisition of new technologies for production and services 2) raising awareness of the importance of implementing new green and digital aspects 3) investments for new businesses or structure-improving business relocations. There shall be some significant improvements in the quality of operational services, embedded in innovative approaches.

Also, the Austrian hydrogen strategy that is currently being written will play into this objective. For sure there will be new funding programs developed focusing on hydrogen companies that will be implemented by aws, as Austria's national promotional bank, and can serve as a future good practice in the project.

This agreement is the third formalised pact in this direction and focuses on promoting the current
urban model that characterises Avilés. Specific objectives include the rejuvenation of the
demographic structure, the improvement of the city's skills, the promotion of new economic and
social projects for the city, the creation of quality jobs, the strengthening of local productive sectors
and the consolidation of Avilés as a safe city at the forefront of social innovation strategies.
It serves as a framework for the development of economic, urban and social policies in the city.
These policies are agreed by the most representative trade unions in the area, (Unión General de
Trabajadores - UGT and Comisiones Obreras - CCOO), together with the Federation of Businesses Association (FADE), which includes almost all the companies in Avilés.
AVILÉS INNOVA is led by the City Council of Avilés, which defines actions together with the social
and economic actors that have signed the agreement (UGT, CCOO and FADE). These actions form
the basis of each of the four pillars outlined in the agreement. In addition, social and civil
organisations such as associations, NGOs, foundations, citizens' councils and educational
institutions are actively involved in the process of defining actions.

The National Strategy for Circular Transition until 2030 outlines a vision aimed at fostering diversification and inclusive economic growth through circular transition. With a focus on key sectors driving technological advancement and innovation, as well as energy efficiency and green public procurement, the strategy underscores the importance of establishing stable systems and financing mechanisms to support the adoption of circular business models. Strategic priorities within the framework of the strategy include creating a conducive environment for circular transition by enhancing capacity in applying circular economy principles across all levels and target groups.

Two overarching strategic objectives are focused on enhancing the competitiveness of the economy through sustainable means such as diversification, innovation, and increased resource efficiency, and fostering an environment for circular transition. The strategy emphasizes a multisectoral approach and collaboration among stakeholders, including ministries, public institutions, universities, private business associations, and civil organizations.

The implementation of financial mechanisms will be aligned with circular economy principles, which include leveraging advanced technologies, incentivizing the adoption of renewable energy sources and efficiency measures, promoting recycling, and establishing circular value chains. Furthermore, education programs will be developed to support capacity-building efforts.