Ambitious plans for the future

In November 2008 Kiel and Kolding, jointly with the UBC President, the General Secretariat and the Commission's Secretariat, launched an initiative to activate the Business Commission. Following an application by the cities of Kiel (D), represented by Kiel Business Development Cooperation (KiWi), and Kolding (DK), represented by Business Kolding, on 13 March 2009 the UBC Executive Board resolved, that Kiel Business Development Corporation will take the chair of the Commission in 2010 and hand it over to Business Kolding in 201 1.Kiel and Kolding already received positive reply from several UBC member cities. The Action Plan for 2010-2011 envisages regular meetings of the commission in order to animate the ambitious working programme. The following measures are planned:

Systematic cooperation with partners in and outside BSR
In conformity with the UBC strategy, a concept will be developed with the Executive Board jointly, for international UBC cooperative ventures. For this purpose the first stage will be to present the existing structures and organisations in the BSR and Europe. The second step will be to identify potential key partner organisations. These will be proposed to the Executive Board as possible partners. As a further step potential areas of targeted and long-term cooperation with the organisations concerned will be defined. Contact will be made with the selected partner organisations at local level, to evaluate the possibilities of targeted and long-term cooperation. The aim will be to conclude and successfully implement cooperation agreements. Initial contacts already exist with the following organisations: Arco Latino, Region Cote d'Azur and Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. These contacts will be expanded and systematically developed without delay.

Science Parks
An international conference will be organised on the topic of science and technology parks to exchange examples of good practice. The conference will throw light on current issues and challenges, such as financing and marketing, as well as the consequences of technological change towards knowledge economies, and will develop solutions.

EU-supported projects
The Commission has already become a network partner in the planned EU "User-Driven Information" project to gain improved knowledge through active participation and to ensure that information is available to the UBC member cities. It is the aim of the user-driven innovation project to establish and expand the available expertise in the region, and finally to bundle it in a German-Danish Centre, which can offer well-founded services for SMEs and entrepreneurs of the region. Moreover, the centre will also be offering its services outside the region, to make the region more attractive for inter- national enterprises.