www.eurotowns.org/capture
Lead partner / Chef de File
Brighton and Hove City Council
Economic Development and Regeneration, Kings House, Grand Avenue,
BN3 2LS
UNITED KINGDOM
Contact person / Personne à contacter
Rachel Williams
Tel: 44 1273 291100
Fax: 44 1273 291123
Email: rachel.williams@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Duration / Durée
September 2004 - December 2007
Total budget / Budget total (EUR): 587.800
ERDF contribution / Contribution FEDER (EUR): 358.400
CAPTURE - CAPTURE: The Knowledge Network

Programme zone / Zone de programme :
West / Ouest

Type of operation / Type d'opération
Network / Réseau

Topic for co-operation / Thème de coopération éligibles
Objective 1 and 2 areas

Background
The idea for CAPTURE came from a group of medium-sized towns and cities which had been working together since 1991 through a network known as Eurotowns. In 2003, Eurotowns conducted detailed research into its members and found that the vast majority shared four main characteristics: first, a manufacturing sector that was restructuring or in decline; second, jobs that were of low value and low pay; third, the presence of a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and lastly, high out-migration, particularly of young people seeking opportunities in larger neighbouring cities.
Overall objective / Objectif général
CAPTURE aims to address these problems by stimulating business innovation, growth and regional economic development through technology transfer and the stimulation of knowledge-based companies within network member towns. It also hopes to promote pan-European dialogue and exchange, enabling small and medium-sized towns to strengthen their ability to contribute to regional development and social cohesion. The pre-existing network of Eurotowns will help this dialogue and exchange to be maintained on a long term basis.
Expected results / Résultats attendus
By enabling valuable information to be shared, CAPTURE is establishing the transfer of good practice among members. It is also working to establish a dialogue between small and medium-sized towns and cities on the one hand and regional development agencies and universities on the other. By doing this, it is increasing awareness among network members and regional bodies of the potential of the knowledge economy.

This improvement in communications generates in turn wide-ranging economic benefits for all CAPTURE members. The network contributes to the growth of the regional economy, increases the number of higher value jobs, attracts inward investment, increases the number of knowledge-based companies, increases human capital in the member regions and increases capacity within network members.
Partnership / Partenaires
Name of Institution, Town / Titre de l'institution, Ville Country / Pays Region / Région Contact information / Détails de contact
Girona City Council, Girona SPAIN CATALUÑA Tel.: 34 972 419 087
Email: rpicamal@ajgirona.org
City of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla FINLAND LÄNSI-SUOMI Tel.: 358 14 624390
Email: marketta.makinen@jkl.fi
Sundsvall, Sundsvall SWEDEN MELLERSTA NORRLAND Tel.: 46 60 19 21 71
Email: elisabeth.engqvist@sundsvall.se
Municipality of Eskilstuna, Eskilstuna SWEDEN ÖSTRA MELLANSVERIGE Tel.: 46 16 10 18 33
Email: gunilla.osterblom@eskilstuna.se
Municipality of Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden NETHERLANDS FRIESLAND Tel.: 31 58 233 8615
Email: aalgera@leeuwarden.nl
Town of Trinec, Trinec CZECH REPUBLIC MORAVSKOSLEZSKO Tel.: 420 558 321 280
Email: hrat@hrat.org
Association of Local Authorities of the Prefecture of Kavala, Kavala GREECE ANATOLIKI MAKEDONIA, THRAKI Tel.: 30 251 0834834
Email: info@organotechnical.gr
Klaipeda Regional Development Agency, Klaideda LITHUANIA LIETUVA Tel.: 370 46 401851
Email: rda@takas.lt
West Lothian Council, Livingston UNITED KINGDOM SCOTLAND Tel.: 44 1506 777 993
Email: john.nolan@westlothian.gov.uk
Jerez, Jerez SPAIN ANDALUCÍA Tel.: 34 956 35 94 50
Email: prov.europeos3@aytojerez.es
Vigo Town Council, Vigo Town Council SPAIN GALICIA Tel.: 34 986 810109/08
Email: ofi.rue@vigo.es
Manresa City Council, Manresa SPAIN CATALUÑA Tel.: 34 93 8782313
Email: ajorda@ajmanresa.org
Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia ITALY EMILIA-ROMAGNA Tel.: 390 522 45 62 26
Email: reggioeuropa@municipio.re.it
Telford and Wrekin Council, Telford UNITED KINGDOM WEST MIDLANDS Tel.: 44 1952 202451
Email: richard.bifield@telford.gov.uk
Hasselt Town, Hasselt BELGIUM VLAAMS GEWEST Tel.: 00 32 11 23 93 50
Email: j.vandeputte@hasselt.be
Local Government of City of Erd, Erd HUNGARY KOZEP-MAGYARORSZAG Tel.: 36 23 522 391
Email: omile@mail.erd.hu
Local Government of City of Gyongyos, Gyongyos HUNGARY ESZAK-MAGYARORSZAG Tel.: 36 37 510300
Email: saito@hivatal.gyongyos.hu
Municipality of Heraklion, Heraklion GREECE KRITI Tel.: 30 2810 391954
Email: ignatiadis@stepc.gr
Local Development Centre of Western Achaia, Kato GREECE DYTIKI ELLADA Tel.: 00 30 269 302 5300
Email: ktada@otenet.gr
City of Mikkeli, Mikkeli FINLAND ITÄ-SUOMI Tel.: 00 358 151 94 20 92
Email: kimmo.airas@mikkeli.fi
Achievements so far
The CAPTURE partnership has delivered a succsseful European wide network focusing on the knowledge economy from the perspective of smaller towns and cities. 19 towns from 11 EU countries came together to explore how to drive their own local and regional policies to compete in the knowledge based economy of the future, and rise to the challenge of the Lisbon agenda. At the heart of CAPTURE has been exchange activity to promote inter regional dialogue. This exchange was based on an initial baseline survey which identified the most important themes for towns to work on. Over a two year period almost 250 participants attended 6 Study Visits, 3 Network meetings, 6 staff exchanges, 7 Management Groups, a Forward Strategy workshop, an Incubation masterclass and a Final Parliamentary Reception. The CAPTURE website served as an information tool with pages for all activities and a project archive with all meeting documents and presentations In the final stages CAPTURE focussed on analysing impact and disseminating results. The External Evaluation and Follow Up reports formed the basis for the CAPTURE Final Report and Presentations, which communicate the results and learning about the knowledge economy in a concise way. A Reception was held in the European Parliament in Brussels on 17 October hosted by Dan Hannan MEP, and attended by the Interreg IIIC JTS Director and DG REGIO representatives, as well as many senior political representatives from the CAPTURE towns. CAPTURE partners have developed ideas to capitalise on the network's success and have submitted two new projects to Interreg IVC.