<p>The Styrian Economic Development Act 2001 aims to strengthen the Styrian economy by securing and improving the infrastructure and the employment situation, as well as the competitiveness of companies, while taking into account the economic, ecological and technological characteristics present in the region.<br />
Particular focus is placed on supporting the establishment and growth of SMEs as well as the creation of qualified jobs. Further points:<br />
• promotion of knowledge and technology transfer<br />
• support of local supply chains<br />
• support of regional initiatives and networks<br />
• formation of networks and<br />
• support for internationalisation<br />
However, as stated before, there is no specific scheme directly targeting producers of goods with geographical indication. Support for companies currently depends only on demographical factors.</p>

<p>The SMEOrigin project will focus on priority axis 3 Territorial Just Transition Plan and specific objective 4 opportunities provided for regions and people to deal with social, employment, economic and environmental impacts from the transition to the Union's 2030 climate target and a climate-neutral economy by 2050. The support will be provided for:<br />
- Productive investment in SMEs, including micro and start-ups, leading to economic diversification, modernization, and reconstruction;<br />
- Investment in digitization, digital innovation, and digital connectivity;<br />
The interventions will be done through Just Transition Fund.<br />
Economic diversification is one of the main priorities for the Stara Zagora region. The region’s food industry has strong traditions, but also room for significant improvement and support of the food SMEs to grow and to meet the new challenges - digitalisation, standardisation, Original Geographical Indications.</p>

<p>The draft programme EUF for Opolskie 2021-2027 (FEO 2021-2027) has 4 priorities based on the EU 2021-2027 policy objectives. The support directed to innovation in companies of regional and regional smart specialisations are foreseen in Priority 1 "A more competitive and smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation and regional connectivity of ICT through the following the specific objectives relevant in the context of SMEOrigin project:<br />
(i) Developing and strengthening R&amp;I capacities and the use of advanced technologies:<br />
- R&amp;D infrastructure of enterprises,<br />
- regional capacity for providing support for R&amp;D at enterprises and R&amp;D consortia,<br />
- R&amp;D at enterprises and R&amp;D consortia,<br />
- eco-innovation and environmental performance management,<br />
- pro-innovative business organisations services for SMEs (i.e. vouchers),<br />
(ii) Reaping the benefits of digitalisation for citizens, businesses, research organizations and public institutions:<br />
- ICT implementation at SMEs,<br />
(iv) Developing skills in smart specialization, industrial transformation and entrepreneurship:<br />
- identification of new R&amp;D areas under EDP,<br />
- networking of universities,<br />
- identification of regional specializations/new smart specializations,<br />
- clusters initiatives and development,<br />
- capacities of business organisations, i.e. innovation centres,<br />
- monitoring of regional specializations.</p>

<p>Priorities are 1) Citizen-oriented participatory service development and wellbeing of inhabitants. 1.3. Developing countryside and livelihoods related to rural areas including the revitalisation of Savonlinna market place as a showroom for local products and widening the participation of 3rd sector organisations 2) Business friendly city; better accessibility of business counselling, promotion of all year round tourism business. 3) Development of educational opportunities including higher education and activation of R&amp;D activities. 4) Accessibility: promoting flights to SVL airport, 5) Promoting clean environment and the utilisation of locally produced food. Participation and activation of SME in the European Region of Gastronomy 2022-2024. Promoting the exploitation of lake fish stocks and development of fish products. In SMEOrigin, the partner will primarily address priority 5. concerning the valorisation of local food as a resource. For priority 3, goals for developing R&amp;D activity supporting food sector is relevant Policy change regarding priority 1.3. as well as improvements for priority 2 area also envisaged.<br />
The City of Savonlinna (including Savonlinna Development Services involved as SMEOrigin partner) is the policy owner responsible for the implementation and management of policy and possible policy revision. The first policy revision was implemented in April 2022 due to breakout of war in Ukraine.</p>

<p>Under Policy Objective 1 (PO1) “A Smarter Europe”, the policy instrument for the period 2021-2027, among others, aims to enhance the competitiveness, resilience and extroversion of companies in the areas of smart specialisation of the region, to enhance the quality and extroversion of local products, and to support the adaptation of companies to the modern environment.<br />
Strategic Objective 1 (SO1) focuses on improving competitiveness in production, strengthening entrepreneurship in terms on innovation, extroversion and digital support<br />
SO1 is linked to PO1 and sets as main priorities for the RWG the systematic increase of productivity and of extroversion and the closer connection of production with technology and innovation. The systematic implementation of business discovery process and ongoing two-way communication with productive and research entities will highlight and specialise the needs and opportunities for collaboration between the research community and businesses, the digital transformation, the growth and competitiveness of enterprises, the encouragement of start-ups and extroverted entrepreneurship and the human resource development<br />
Specific Objective 1iii aims at enhancing the sustainable development and competitiveness of SMEs and job creation in SMEs, including productive investment.<br />
Specific Objective 1iv skills development for smart specialization, industrial transition and entrepreneurship.</p>

<p>Due to the importance of the rice industry in Calasparra, various collaborations have been developed between the rice sector and other municipal areas. Among these collaborations, various cultural activities have been carried out to exploit the cultural and heritage importance of the Calasparra rice through the boosting of the companies.<br />
<br />
Because of the importance achieved by this type of tourist activities, the “Local Regulation on the public price for the Calasparra Rice tourist routes” intends to regulate the public price and the characteristics of the tourist route service related to Calasparra rice, through the establishment of a fixed price and conditions for the service provided. The instrument was approved on 21st May 2021. It defines the amounts to be provided for the touristic exploitation of the territory in which the rice is produced within the wetland. The measures addressed are those related to the prices. However, the instrument does not describe the cooperation with the companies in the touristic exploitation. Nor does it describe its governance or the way it is related to enhance the product, or the synergies that can be generated with farmers and the rice companies through the creation of a funds feedback mechanism.</p>

<p>The Regional Deal for Organic Agriculture is a roadmap shared with all the organic farming stakeholders in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Initiated in 2017, its strength lies in the implementation of a multi-partner action as well as through the setting of ambitious objectives to maintain a dynamic of transition to Organic Agriculture and to promote products from organic farming. Its continuation for the 2021-2022 period was an opportunity to set new quantified objectives:<br />
- 11% of UAS in organic<br />
- 15% of farms in organic<br />
- 2.5 B€ of turnover for organic products<br />
- 20% of organic food in collective catering<br />
In this frame, Bio Sud Ouest is a public tool for the policy instrument “Pacte Régional Bio », managed by INTERBIO NA which is a regional organic branch association gathering all actors of the value chain. Our goal is to strengthen the organic sector. We created the brand Bio Sud Ouest that summons origin and organic. We promote regional production and support contractual relationships between producers and processors.<br />
Thanks to the new organic EU regulation (EU 2018/848) that allows the stakeholders to underline the origin of the raw materials on the labelling, we strengthen the notion of organic through our regional brand. There are more than 30 processors using the BSO brand, for more than 600 certified products. It concerns fruits and vegetables, yogurts, eggs, meat and aromatic or medicinal herbs. There are also grocery products like honey, jams, juices and wines.</p>