The first meeting of expert group
The first meeting of the expert group took place on August 13, 2019. 53 members of the expert’s group on Cherkasy region development strategy for the period of 2021 – 2027 participated in the event. The representatives of Department of Regional Development of Cherkasy regional state administration, Cherkasy Regional Development Agency, Cherkasy Local Governance Development Center and Petro Mavko, an expert of the “U-LEAD with Europe” program have joined the meeting as well. The event was divided into two parts: theoretical and practical.
“Today we enter the active phase of Strategy preparation. The experience and theoretical developments of the expert group will become the part of Strategy’s project”, – says Serhii Danylenko the Deputy Director of the Department of Regional Development. He presented the results of socio-economic analysis of Cherkasy region which can later be used in the formation of the SWOT analysis of the region. Serhii Danylenko has also noted that the cooperation between business circles, scientific institutes, regional authorities and the public is very important.
During the whole month the Department of Regional Development made the subscribers of its Facebook, Instagram and Telegram pages acquainted with the main tendencies of socio-economic development of the region over the last 6 years.
Moreover, expert group discussed the concept of SMART-specialization S3 (RIS3) and how to integrate its principles into the Cherkasy region development strategy.
“We have to remember that the main aim of developing such strategies is to concentrate funds on research and innovations in the priority areas. As a result, it stimulates the cooperation between small and medium business, between business and scientific institutes. So, it can be called “investment into knowledge” through implementation of projects”, – says the director of Cherkasy Regional Development Agency Liubov Ropalo.
Later, she showed the examples of SMART-specialization of other European countries, such as strategies of Bavaria and Saxony (Germany), of Basque Country (Spain), of Podlaskie and Masovian Voivodeships (Poland).
“To identify regional SMART-specialization, it is necessary to analyze the statistic data according to this concept’s methodology, to outline the competitive advantages of the region, to conduct the entrepreneurial discovery process. The last process is the most difficult but very important. It includes dialogues and consultations of business, scientific institutions, authorities, the public”, – added the director of the Agency.
The question “What is the new “hybrid” strategy” was answered by Petro Mavko, the expert of “U-LEAD with Europe” program.
He said that it is called “Hybrid” strategy because it will have the goals of both: standard development strategy and SMART-specialization”, – the expert explains. “Now all regions of Ukraine create one development strategy up to 2027. Though, European countries have two strategies: separate regional development strategy and separate SMART-specialization”.
The issue of possible scenarios of Cherkasy region’s development up to 2027 wasn’t left without attention.
“The scenarios of regional development are more or less the same all over Ukraine. They can be general, inert, or optimistic”, – explains Gregorii Pererva, the advisor on regional development issues of Cherkasy Center of Local Governance Development”.
During the practical part, the participants worked on forming a strategic vision of Cherkasy region, as well as on SWOT analysis of the region. Work on these issues will be continued during the next meeting.
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