Regional Foresight: BMW Region

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Regional Foresight BMW Region
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Shortsightedness is part of human nature, which
the wise princes have overcome through the use of
foresight, ---Macciavelli
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BMW Region

• Sparsely populated and rural
• 50 land mass, 27 population
• Outmigration
• 30 live communities gt 1500
• Agriculture, forestry, fishing

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Rationale for a Regional Foresight

• Build on an Audit of Innovation already
  completed.
• Gain agreement on priorities for future
  investment programs.
• Future funding to meet key regional needs

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Rationale for a Regional Foresight

• Stimulate debate on long-term strategic issues.
• Build consensus on how to address challenges
  facing the region.
• Involve stakeholders in deciding the future of
  the Region.

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What is Regional Foresight?

• Approach to regional strategic planning
• Long term perspectives.
• Disciplined visioning.
• Wake up call to the big issues
• Beyond more money for new road

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What is Regional Foresight?

• Incorporates global and societal trends.
• Consensus based and participatory.

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What is Regional Foresight?

• Useful to identify regional priorities and their
  fit with provincial/national strategies.
• Deal with changes and restructuring of BMW
  economy.
• Need for greater emphasis on sustainability and
  longer term regional planning.

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Objectives BMW Foresight

• To develop investment priorities for BMW based on
  long term challenges by
• Preparing a commonly agreed development program
  amongst policy making bodies.

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Objectives BMW Foresight

• Involving all relevant stakeholders in future
  development of the region.
• Public and private sectors.
• HOD of development agencies.
• Trade/business associations.
• Enabling a deeper understanding of roles,
  challenges, opportunities and benefits.

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Overview of Process BMW Foresight

• 12 month time frame.
• Facilitated by consultants.
• Steering Committee
• 4 Expert Panels
• Competitive Region
• Innovative Region
• Quality of Life Region
• Knowledge Region

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Overview of Process BMW Foresight

• Steering Committee
• Chair from Forfas
• Chairs of panels
• Helena Acheson

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Overview of Process BMW Foresight

• Wide consultation nationally within region.
• Use of web site.
• Submissions invited from interested parties.
• Local/regional/national endorsement obtained.
• experts view progress.

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Overview of Process BMW Foresight

• Background SWOT analysisBMW and Ireland.
• Panel Meeting 1Foresight training and trends.
• SWOT discussed and themes identified
• Panel Meeting 2 Defining strategic challenges
• Panel presented with scenarios

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Overview of Process BMW Foresight

• Between Meetings 2, 3
• Consulting within the region
• Panel Meeting 3 Strategic responses
• Panel considers strategic responses to the
  scenarios
• Panel Meeting 4 Reporting
• Findings discussed/refined

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The Findings

• A profile, driving forces and policy drivers for
  the region
• An overriding vision statement
• Elements of all 4 scenarios included. Innovation
  dominant.
• 10 strategic objectives, with corresponding
  measures.
• 10 additional priority projects to be implemented
  as an immediate priority.
• Implementation, monitoring and sample indicators.

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Investing Now 10 Priority Projects

• Deliver on NDP road Infrastructure Projects in
  the BMW Region.
• Implement the NSS as a Spatial Planning
  Framework.
• Provide Universal Broadband Access.
• Invest in critical public transport
  infrastructure.
• Invest in International Access to the BMW Region.

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Investing Now 10 Priority Projects

• Develop Clusters of Excellence
• Invest in Flagship Tourism Projects
• Invest in the Regions Childcare Infrastructure
  and Services
• Invest to raise the Regions Skills and Knowledge
  Capacity
• Raise the Research and Innovation Capacity of the
  Institutes of Technology

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Critical Success Factors

• Buy-in from local, regional national bodies
• Choice and motivation of expert panel members
• Well designed and executed foresight processes
• Strong links with programme planning processes
  of participants
• Endorsement by Central Government
• Credible, actionable and influential outcomes
• Fostering sense of ownership of the exercise
• Visibility of the exercise

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Visit www.busi.mun.ca/vectorchairContact
dstewart_at_mun.ca