1.POLITICAL DIALOGUE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Chairpersons:

Ms Kristi Raik, Researcher, Finnish Institute for International Affairs

Mr Kaj Lindholm, Mayor, City of Karjaa

Estonian-Finnish (Helsinki-Tallinn) cooperation in the context of the EU, actors in cooperation

The role of the regions and local authorities in the enlarged EU

Analysis of support, inspiration, motivation inside the region and possible resources from the EU

Ms Kristi Raik will review the cooperation and competition between Helsinki and Tallinn from two perspectives. First, the two national capitals are the central fora for inter-state relations and for formulating EU policies of Finland and Estonia. Second, we are speaking about two cities of the European Union that are international and European actors in their own right. Thus, the relations between Estonia and Finland form the context of inter-city relations, but at the same time, the cities of Tallinn and Helsinki are developing international and European activities of their own. She will present some ideas on how to promote the development of Helsinki and Tallinn as twin-cities in the future.

Mr Kaj Lindholm will review some actors in the region. There are mainly universities, polytechnics, vocational schools and adult training institutions. Counties and municipalities participate in projects lobbying for improving infrastructure and better environment. He will speak about the tasks of counties and municipalities. Counties and municipalities offer venues for political contacts and networks. Economic growth, work places, better infrastructure and good environment are the aims of municipalities and counties. There are also politicians devoted to the mission of a “Joint Europe” or a “Prosperous Baltic Sea Region”. The content of the political dialogue is to pave the path for close cooperation between countries, counties and municipalities, to exchange experience and disseminate examples of best practice.

Are these enough stimuli for benefiting from the political dialogue?

2. DEVELOPING SCIENCE TWIN-CITY

Chairpersons:

Ms Merle Krigul, Project manager, Helsinki-Tallinn Euregio

Mr Hannu Hanhijärvi, Director, Life Sciences, The Finnish National Fund for Research and Development (Sitra)

Entrepreneurship and innovation: obstacles and options

Innovation system and cooperation in higher education

Science and research – cooperation or competition?

The working group focuses on trends of cooperation between Finland and Estonia (Ms Merle Krigul), joint research (Mr Mart Saarma), creation of research centres, cooperation in international innovation-intensive business (Mr Priit Kogerman and Mr Kai Krohn), clusters creation potential (Mr Linnar Viik), Finnish support schemes and Sitra’s participation in developing innovative knowledge intensive entrepreneurship, indicating possibilities of Estonian researchers to get part of this system in cooperation with Finnish scientists and entrepreneurs (Mr Hannu Hanhijärvi).

As a result of the workshop some suggestions of how to further science-twin city and knowledge region should be presented.

3. STRUCTURAL CHANGES AND EMPLOYMENT STRATEGIES

Chairpersons:

Mr Erik Terk, Director, Estonian Institute for Future Studies

Mr Peter Boldt, Expert, Finnish Central Labour Union (SAK)

1. What will be the structural changes and economic trends in the coming years?

2. How will the structural changes influence the employment and mobility of labour force in Estonia and Finland?

Mr Erik Terk will speak about how the economies of Estonia and Finland have developed on quite different roads, but have by now reached a situation, where both differences and similarities can be observed. Which are in that situation the prospects of economic relations between the two countries? First of all, trade, then Finland’s investments in Estonia (Estonian investments in Finland exist as well, but are so far too limited for a serious analysis). The movement of labour from Estonia to Finland (large-volume) and from Finland to Estonia (smaller, but nevertheless significant), the resulting influence on wage levels in either country, Estonia as a living environment, as well as learning environment of improving quality, yet remarkably cheaper than Finland, tourism between the two countries, whose pattern is changing, the formation of common production clusters. Competition and partly cooperation for providing services to the Russian markets. The involvement of both countries in common regional services networks (e.g. the routes of the Baltic Sea cruise ships).

Mr Peter Boldt will speak about promoting structural change in a changing world.

Main economic trends:

Networks

Homeless capital

Enlargement and structural change

Globalisation

How and why the labour market partners have tried to speed up rationalisation and productivity in Finland?

Labour mobility (occupational and geographical) in Finland

Is social security and an Active Labour Market Policy a prerequisite for a positive approach to structural change?

4. LIFE-LONG LEARNING AS A TOOL FOR GROWTH OF REGIONAL EXCELLENCE

Chairpersons:

Mr Mati Heidmets, Rector, Tallinn Pedagogical University

Mr Jyri Manninen, Research director, Palmenia Centre for Continuing Education, University of Helsinki

How to become a learning region and knowledge society?

Bologna process – what is in it for me?

Local government level and higher education – any interaction?

Mr Mati Heidmets will review the political context of life long learning from the point of view of Lisbon process, Estonian strategy – SE21 – towards knowledge based society, and the European year of citizenship through education. He will discuss the opportunities and barriers related to life long learning.

Mr Jyri Manninen will discuss:

- which type of learning region we are aiming at?

- what kind of lifelong learning we would like to promote?

- should we promote life wide learning instead of lifelong learning?

- how to make a learning region a reality?