EUROPEAN COMMISSION
PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, 31 March 2014
RegioStars 2014: top awards
innovative regional projects
for
Europe's
most
Europe's most promising and innovative regional projects will be in the spotlight tonight as
Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional Policy presents the RegioStars 2014 Awards.
Together with the Jury chaired by former Committee of the Regions President, Luc Van
den Brande, Commissioner Hahn will present the Awards in four categories to the winning
projects from Paredes in North Portugal, Cornwall and West Wales and the Valleys in the
UK and the Polish region of Gdynia. The winners have been chosen from 19 shortlisted
projects co-financed by investments from the European Regional Development Fund and
the European Social Fund.
This year's event comes at a crucial time as Member States are finalizing their strategic
investment plans, the so-called "Partnership Agreements" on how to spend the European
Structural and Investment Funds over the next seven years. The Awards Ceremony will
showcase the first projects that reflect the reform of Cohesion Policy.
The Award categories for 2014 are:
 Smart Growth – SME Innovation;
 Sustainable Growth - Green growth and jobs through bio-economy;
 Inclusive Growth - Creating jobs for the younger generation;
 CityStar - Investment projects in sustainable urban public transport.
Commenting before the event, Commissioner Hahn said, "These 4 winners chosen by the
jury show Regional Policy in action. They and all the finalists are an inspiration for other
regions and cities around Europe and I congratulate them all most heartily. They
demonstrate innovative and dynamic approaches in the use of Structural Funds for
boosting growth and creating jobs embodying the spirit of our reform. The projects
address the biggest current challenges like tackling youth unemployment, combating
pollution and climate change, promoting sustainable transport and supporting SME
innovation. They demonstrate that EU Regional Policy relies above all on the energy and
creativity locally."
Reacting to the winning project from Cornwall co-financed by the European Social Fund
and the European Regional Development Fund, Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Commissioner László Andor said: "To be prosperous the tourism sector requires a skilled
workforce, which is precisely the aim of the Fifteen Cornwall project. Creating jobs for the
Contacts :
Shirin Wheeler (+32 2 296 65 65)
Annemarie Huber (+32 2 299 33 10)
For the public: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 or by e-mail
IP/14/349
younger generation is an area of particular importance for the new generation of European
Social Fund investments. Together with additional funding from the Youth Employment
Initiative, European regions will be able to use the Social Fund to finance concrete projects
and actions to make a real difference where unemployment is the most acute. I would like
to congratulate all the participants, finalists and winners who are making the EU's
Cohesion Policy a reality."
In this 7th edition of RegioStars, the Jury singled out 19 finalists from 80 projects on the
basis of four key criteria: innovation, impact, sustainability and partnership. The finalists
come from regions and cities in 17 Member States: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Background
The winners of 2014:
Smart Growth - "Art on Chairs" – Paredes/North Portugal
The furniture industry has been one of the most important economic activities in the
northern Portuguese city Paredes with the highest concentration of chair factories in
Europe accounting for 65% of national furniture production. Although the industry was
once highly productive, its image is now seen as old-fashioned and conservative. Art on
Chairs has breathed new life into this traditional industry by bringing them together with
the designer world to transform chair making into an art. This cooperation has boosted
creativity in this industry, enhanced productivity and an increase in international exports.
“Sustainable Growth” - BEACON – West Wales and the Valleys (UK)
The BEACON project faces a major challenge for Europe: developing new technologies to
meet the growing demand for energy and resources. The project focuses on biorefining: a
process using non-food crops to create biomass to be used in products instead of crude
oil. By producing renewable products from biomass, BEACON represents a green
alternative to polluting fossil fuels, helping Europe to cut its greenhouse gas emissions.
This pioneering initiative is attracting investments to one of the UK poorest regions
creating vital jobs and developing advanced know-how.
“Inclusive Growth” - "Fifteen Cornwall Apprenticeship Programme" – Cornwall
A passion for cooking is transforming young lives in one of the poorest parts of England.
Inspired by the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, the Fifteen Cornwall restaurant is part of a
public-private social enterprise, which offers a chance to disadvantaged unemployed 16 to
24 year olds the opportunity to train as chefs. This ground-breaking project has trained
almost 130 young people, many of whom are dealing with serious challenges such as
criminal records, substance misuse, mental illness or disability. Each year, the project
invests around €1.2 million back into the local economy supporting local suppliers and
high-quality food production.
“CityStar” - "Ecological Transport" – Gdynia (PL)
Thanks to a new eco-friendly urban transport system with innovative and accessible
electric trolleybuses, the city of Gdynia has less traffic congestion, fewer accidents and
lower levels of pollution. The modern vehicles have improved the comfort of passengers,
reduced their travel times and brought benefits to the local economy of the Tricity area Gdynia, Gdańsk and Sopot – in northern Poland.
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More information:
 RegioStars 2014 Awards
 Video footage and portraits of the winning projects
 Twitter: @EU_Regional @EU_Social @JHahnEU @LászlóAndorEU #RegioStars
 European Social Fund
Contacts :
Shirin Wheeler (+32 2 296 65 65 - +32 460 766565)
Jonathan Todd (+32 2 299 41 07 - +32 498 994 107)
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