E-CREATE

The project aims to increase competitiveness of enterprises, including diagnosis, evaluation and dissemination of best practices in the field of the use of ICT technology in the conduct of business by entrepreneurs from the tourist sector, on cultural routes. Main thematic areas of the project are: entrepreneurship on cultural routes, ICT technologies, tourism.

Implementation period: January 2012 – December 2014.

Source of financing: Project co-financed from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the INTERREG IVC Innovation & Environment of Regions of Europe Sharing Solutions program.

Main challenges in the project:

exchange of experiences with other project participants from various European regions in the use of modern ICT technologies in the tourism sector in order to implement them on their own ground;

preparation of implementation plans for selected good practices in each of the regions represented in the project;

development and testing of open-source applications for smartphones, tablets, laptops intended for the tourist sector for general and free-of-charge use by external users.

Partners:

The Ministry of Regional Development and Transport from the German Land of Saxony – project leader – is a regional public body from the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. The Ministry has extensive competences primarily in the field of regional development. Saxony-Anhalt is dominated by rural areas, where services related to cultural tourism are an important branch of the economy and main catalyst for diversification of economic activity, in order to reduce the dependence of regional economy on agriculture. In addition, the Ministry is founder of the European association Transromanica.

Upper Silesian Agency for Entrepreneurship and Development Ltd. (Gliwice) – conducts intensive activities for science, business and local government. It creates favorable conditions for the creation of new companies and development of existing enterprises. The company engages in international and domestic projects. Activities at the territory of: Bytom, Gliwice, Katowice and Żory, and through subsidiaries also in Rybnik, Czechowice-Dziedzice and Jaworzno.

Usti Region, Czech Republic – is a regional public body from the district of Usti in the Czech Republic. Its tasks include territorial management, regional development and economic promotion. The institution also has the task of transforming the region in which the main branch of industry is extraction of hard coal into the area dominated by recreation and tourism services, primarily through the promotion of its rich cultural heritage. The institution has extensive experience in the implementation of many international projects. In addition, it is the managing body of the European Structural Funds.

Niverlan (Nevers, France) – is a local public body formed by the district of Nièvre (Burgundy region) and the municipality of Nevers to spread the public electronic communications network in these territories. Main goal of the organization is to promote modern technologies and broadband connections in rural areas.

Province of Modena (Modena, Italy) – is a local decision maker which cares about the interests and promotes development of provincial communities. Department of Economy, which is involved in the project, deals with production activities, food and agriculture, culture and tourism. It provides assistance, assists in running local business of entrepreneurs from the above-mentioned sectors, initiates various types of activities on many levels. It promotes competitiveness of the local economy by supporting internationalization of the SME sector, research and innovative enterprises, it facilitates access to loans for small and medium enterprises, supports the labor market, vocational education and education system in its area of operation.

West-Pannon Regional Development Company (Szombathely, Hungary) – is the largest agency for economic development at the regional level in Western Hungary (member of the network of 7 national development agencies) created by 15 municipalities and the Hungarian government. It plays an important role in the preparation and implementation of many infrastructure projects in the West-TransDanubian region, which are to lead to the development of functions of the largest cities in the region and environmental protection. The organization is involved in a large number of international, national and local projects.

TRANSROMANICA Association (Magdeburg, Germany) – established after the funding period under the INTERREG III B program. It combines the Romanesque heritage of nine European regions in the form of a cultural route. Its tasks include activities aimed at increasing profitability of tourism, joint communication with interested parties and the media, researching and promoting traditional products, initiating cultural events and artistic projects, as well as technical education related to the management of cultural heritage. Another area of the association’s work is promotion of a common cultural identity of European citizens through Romanesque art. The Council of Europe rewarded these efforts with the title “Cultural Trail of the Council of Europe” in 2007. That is why representing the Council of Europe in this area is one of the most important activities of the Transromanica Association.

Lombardy Region – General Directorate for Culture (Milan, Italy) – supports the implementation of cultural and tourist systems. Tourist system works in such a way so as to achieve the following objectives: development of a new type of tourism, increase in the quality of tourist products and integration between various typologies of tourism. At the same time, with regard to culture and cultural heritage, the following activities have been achieved or are being implemented by the Region of Lombardy: conservation and restoration of the most important monuments, integration of a common area of various projects; creating a cultural heritage database. In addition, it plays a key role in promoting Romanesque architecture in the region.

VALSOUSA – Association of Municipalities of Sousa Valley (Lousada, Portugal) – is a joint venture of local authorities of 6 municipalities, which are inhabited by almost half a million people. In March 2010, the Association joined the Romanesque Culture Trail. It works with many regional development institutions from northern Portugal. Aim of the association is to promote the area as a place of Romani cultural tourism and as a source of local and regional development. To this end, local monuments and local products are promoted.

Małopolska Regional Development Agency (Krakow) – is a leading regional institution, acting for regional development, one of the most important partners of central institutions and the voivodeship self-government in shaping the policy of the region’s innovative development. MARR S.A. specializes in providing services to entrepreneurs and people intending to start their own business, providing them with comprehensive know-how and modern financial solutions. It provides services in the area of obtaining EU funds and helps to invest effectively in Małopolska.

Sor-Trondelag County Authority (Trondheim, Norway) – is responsible for regional development, local business development, transport, upper secondary education and support for cultural activities. Poviat authorities cooperate with municipalities in their area and private partners. They have a separate department responsible for the development of ICT technology in the region. Seat of the authorities is in Trondheim, which is considered to be the technological capital of Norway. Norwegian University of Science and Technology and SINTEF – the largest independent research institute in Scandinavia are located there.

Donegal County Enterprise Board (Letterkenny, Ireland) – is an agency established to promote entrepreneurship and support establishment and development of micro enterprises in the area of activity designated for it. Agency won the national prize in the field of entrepreneurship promotion, thanks to which it represented Ireland in applying for a similar award at the European level. It prioritizes leadership of new initiatives, approaches and programs related to both entrepreneurship promotion as well as supporting business development.

Castilla and Leon Regional Authority (Valladolid, Spain) – through its Council/Ministry of Culture and Tourism, it is a government body with full authority in the field of cultural heritage. It deals with the following areas: creating strategy projects and maintenance plans, it registers and organizes cultural heritage objects and guarantees their protection, it conducts reclamation projects for cultural heritage objects and finally preserves and restores them through the Cultural Heritage Center, where real estate or objects are restored. In addition, it is involved in management of the European Structural Funds.

Link to the official website of the project : http://www.e-create-project.eu/