Regions for Better Broadband connection

Programme 2007 - 2013 Interreg IVC

Date of latest update: 2025-06-21

Description

Description (EN):

B3 Regions aims to improve the effectiveness of regional development policies in the Information Society area, by optimising the expert partners' good practices (mainly achieved through Structural Funds Plans 2000-2006) that are related to broadband implementation in disadvantaged areas. This capitalisation process will be achieved thanks to two main activites: 1. A transfer process which aims to share and structure in a harmonised way all the Broadband experiences around specific sub-themes (such as demand aggregation, state aid regulation) and that, through a specific Action Plan Support Tool will help the Managing Authorities involved to develop strategic action plans through Operational Programmes (OPs) 2007-2013. 2. A dissemination process that will spread the benefits achieved among the consortium to external stakeholders and that will particularly target Managing authorities and ICT agencies willing to implement successful Broadband strategies through structural funds. The consortium represents 8 different Member States: 4 old MS (Italy, United Kingdom, Greece, and Spain) and 4 new MS (Poland, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Hungary). Among the partners there are 8 Regional Managing Authorities (MAs), 5 ICT implementing Agencies, 1 Local authority and 2 ICT University Departments. The partnership composition reflects the willingness of matching less experienced with more advanced regions with regard to Broadband implementation through Structural Funds in remote and rural areas. Moreover all the Managing authorities involved have already foreseen Broadband projects in their Operational Programme 2007-2013 and will proceed to their planning phases supported by B3 Regions results. After its 24 months duration, B3 Regions will contribute to economic modernisation and increased competitiveness of Europe by having enabled the exchange of experience in a strategic domain of the regional development policy (the Information Society), thus having ensured that the identified good practices have been transferred into mainstream programmes.

Achievements (EN):

B3 Regions organised 8 workshops related to broadband policy (ICT observatory, e-government, demand-aggregation, state aid regulation, education services, access in remote and rural area, broadband search engine and PPP); moreover an additional workshop was organised on "Broadband and Integrated Portal". In parallel the partners organised 6 steering group meetings devoted to the management of crucial issues related the political aspects implied in the capitalisation process. As far as the technical activity is concerned, B3 Regions’s main outputs were represented by the 12 APs delivered by the MAs and related to broadband implementation under Structural Funds 2007-2013. The 12 action plans have been developed involving a total more than 800 mln euros out of which 468 mln euro of EU funding hereby detailed. UK:24 mln euro (ERDF); EXTREMADURA: 118,6 mln euro out of which 17 mln euro of EU financing; STEREA ELLADA: 1,95 mln euro out of which 1,46 mln euro of EU financing; PIEDMONT REGION: 71,29 mln euro out of which 32,29 of EU financing; SARDINIA REGION: 172,5 mln euro out of which 136,5 mln euro of EU financing; LOWER SILESIA: 57,4 mln euro of ROP EU funds; BULGARIA: 20 mln euro of ERDF funds; MALOPOLSKA REGION: 75 mln euro out of which 37,65 mln euro of ERDF funds; REGION OF CRETE: 6 mln euro out of which 1 mln euro of EU financing; CATALONIA: 156,4 mln euro out of which 66,4 mln euro of ERDF funds; CYPRUS: 2,6 mln euro out of which 910.000 euro of EU financing; LODZ REGION: 97 mln euro out of which 74 mln euro of ROP EU financing. These main outputs were developed thanks to the assistance provided by the experts partners (mainly by Piedmont Region and CSI, Nynet, Catalunya Region and Crete) during the study visits and twinnnings organised by the partners and focused on specific managing Authorites' needs on broadband. Another important output is represented by the Action Plan Support Tool released at the end of the project and used by all the MAs. The partners had also the possibility to be supported by on-line tools, the B3 Regions e-learning platform related to broadband lessons and to broadband e-game. In close cooperation with the Fast Track team of the European Commission, partners dedicated significant time to the dissemination of the main results of the project, outlining the key topics treated during the workshops that are deemed vital for success in broadband strategy and that are crucial for all the Regions in Europe that are developing their ICT plans. In this framework, B3 Regions had a comprehensive website hosting the reports from each workgroup theme, the APs Summaries as well as background information about the project, the INTERREG IV C Programme and each partner area. Moreover, two main conferences were organised by the Consortium in order to spread relevant information about broadband policy to non-consortium regions: one in Turin, in April 2009 and one in Lodz in June 2010. In addition, during the Regions for Economic Change conference of May 2010, partners sent a political delegation to Brussels to meet with European Commission DG REGIO officials, in order to present the eleven signed Action Plans of each regions. All these plans were eventually delivered to JTS and to the Fast Track team composed with officials of DG INFSO and REGIO. In October 2010 the LP was invited to the European Commission to sum up the Action Plans to the Geographic Desk officials of DG REGIO.

Thematic information

ICT and digital society Institutional cooperation and cooperation networks Rural and peripheral development

Partners (15)

Lead Partner: Regione Piemonte

Address: Corso Regina Margherita, 174, 10152 Turin, Italy

Legal status: n/a

Secretaria de Telecomunicacions i Societat de la Informació

Name: Secretaria de Telecomunicacions i Societat de la Informació

Address: Passeig de Gràcia 11 Esc. B 6è, 8007 Barcelona, Spain

Legal status: n/a

Województwo Małopolskie

Name: Województwo Małopolskie

Address: ul. Basztowa 22, 31-156 Kraków, Poland

Legal status: n/a

Województwo Łódzkie

Name: Województwo Łódzkie

Address: 8 Pilsudskiego Avenue, 90-051 Lodz, Poland

Legal status: n/a

ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ – Ειδικός Λογαριασμός Κονδυλίων Ερευνας

Name: ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ – Ειδικός Λογαριασμός Κονδυλίων Ερευνας

Address: KNOSSOS AVE., GR 71409 HERAKLION, CRETE, Greece

Legal status: n/a

Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, Fundecyt

Name: Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, Fundecyt

Address: C/Montesinos, 28 Edificio Almuzaffar, 6800 Badajoz, Spain

Legal status: n/a

Regione Autonoma della Sardegna

Name: Regione Autonoma della Sardegna

Address: Via Posada s.n.c., 9123 Cagliari, Italy

Legal status: n/a

CSI-Piemonte

Name: CSI-Piemonte

Address: corso Unione Sovietica 216, 10134 Turin, Italy

Legal status: n/a

Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου

Name: Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου

Address: Kallipoleos 75, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus

Legal status: n/a

Miasto Łódź - Urząd Miasta Łodzi

Name: Miasto Łódź - Urząd Miasta Łodzi

Address: Piotrkowska 104, 90-926 Łódź, Poland

Legal status: n/a

Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa Dolnośląskiego

Name: Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa Dolnośląskiego

Address: Wybrzeże J. Słowackiego 12-14, 50-411 Wrocław, Poland

Legal status: n/a

сдружение "иЦентрове"

Name: сдружение "иЦентрове"

Address: 6 Gurko Street, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

Legal status: n/a

ΠΕΡΙΦΕΡΕΙΑ ΣΤΕΡΕΑΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ

Name: ΠΕΡΙΦΕΡΕΙΑ ΣΤΕΡΕΑΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ

Address: IPSILANTI 1, GR 35100 LAMIA, Greece

Legal status: n/a

ΓΕΝΙΚΗ ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΙΑ ΠΕΡΙΦΕΡΕΙΑΣ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ

Name: ΓΕΝΙΚΗ ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΙΑ ΠΕΡΙΦΕΡΕΙΑΣ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ

Address: KOUNTOURIOTI SQUARE, GR 71202 HERAKLION, CRETE, Greece

Legal status: n/a

NYnet

Name: NYnet

Address: Douris House, Roecliffe Business Park, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, YO51 9NE Boroughbridge, United Kingdom

Legal status: n/a

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Regions for Better Broadband connection

Description

Thematic information

Partners (15)

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Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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