REGIOSTARS Awards 2008

There were four categories under two themes for the RegioStars 2008:

1. Regional Economies Based on Knowledge and Technological Innovation
   • Energy efficiency and renewable energies
   • Environmental technologies
2. Sustainable Economic Development
   • Supporting clusters and business networks
   • Technology transfer from research institutes to SMEs

For the 2008 awards were:

• Innovative character of the project in the regional context
• Potential impact on the regional economy
• Expected sustainability of the project
• roject's results in enhancing local, regional and interregional partnerships

Mr Pasqual Maragall, ex-president of Cataluña

Mr Martti Huolila, Senior Technical Advisor in Tekes

Mrs Marjorie Jouen, Member of Cabinet of President Delebarre (Committee of the Regions)

Mrs Natalija Kazlauskienė, Director, European Commission

Mrs Elzbieta Książek, project manager of the Innovating Regions in Europe Network Secretariat

Prof Örjan Sölvell, Stockholm School of Economics

For the first RegioStars, 71 eligible applications were submitted from 18 Member States.  Following the jury's consideration, 26 of these were chosen as shortlisted finalists:

On 25 February 2008 five projects from Alsace, Øresund, Wales, the West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber received awards as winners of the first RegioStars Awards for innovative regional projects. Two other projects, from South Aegean and Niederösterreich, received a special mention from the Jury.

Press Release