Knowledge economy represents both a new opportunity to be seized by the insular regions and a threat in terms of risk of a widening gap with respect to the more developed regions in Europe. For this reason, it can be argued that a first challenge that insular regions are facing is the development of a coherent strategy for building and sustaining a knowledge-based economy and society building on their regional distinctiveness.

The IN.TRACK project:

• Builds on the special characteristics, strengths and constraints of 4 insular European regions (Canary Islands, Madeira, Crete and Sicily)  to supply a tailor-made methodology based on regional foresight methods. IN.TRACK will promote the formulation of knowledge-based regional policies, ensuring the support of local actors and stakeholders.
• The foresight methodology will not be only used in the insular regions separately, but it will extend across the four insular realities. Cross-insular cooperation will help in reaching a consensus on a common vision about shared issues and barriers. By the involvement of  experts throughout the insular regions, Inter-regional Networks will be established and new opportunities for development will be created.
• IN.TRACK will coordinate the 4 islands efforts, foster the learning from each others’ experiences and build upon each others’ achievements. Sharing not only a common vision on knowledge-based development but also resources, tools, experiences, methodologies and models will enhance the Regions of Knowledge policy goal  of the 4 insular regions involved in the project .
• IN.TRACK will lay the ground of a change of paradigm in the regional policy-formulation since it will connect the existing results and outputs of the regional initiatives to new regional policies and plans of action  focused on the Regions of Knowledge concept.
• The development of the Knowledge Economy in itself is a means for achieving various goals and opportunities: improved regional competitiveness, enhanced job prospects and job security, greater social cohesion, better quality of life. Eventually, IN.TRACK will develop a blueprint that will be adopted by the 4 insular regions to seize the opportunities and the goals offered by the fast-changing knowledge-driven world.
• Furthermore, an extension of the blueprint to other European Islands (Balearic Islands, Azores, Sardinia, Corse, Highlands & Islands) is also envisaged for trans-national transfer of the model developed.

IN.TRACK will adopt a three level strategy as shown in the figure below:

Coordinator:  

Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, S.A. (ITC)

Web: http://www.itccanarias.org
e-mail: intrack@itccanarias.org

Partners:

• Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas (FORTH), Science &
• Technology Park of Crete (STEP-C)
• Consorzio Catania Ricerche – Media IRC
• Centro de Empresas e Inovaçao da Madeira –CEIM- (BIC Maderia)