<p>On Tuesday 21 January, a delegation from the Norte region of northern Portugal visited the ThermoPlastic Composites Application Centre (TPAC) in Enschede. The visit was dedicated to joint activities in the field of advanced materials and digital technology. From Oost NL, Ingrid Meijer and Christa Pieffers took part in the consultation to further explore cooperation between the two regions.</p><h3>Cooperation with European regions &nbsp;</h3><p>During the meeting, it became clear that Norte and East Netherlands already cooperate on various levels and themes. Ingrid Meijer who explained current interregional cooperation indicated: ‘’Both regions are active in the Vanguard Initiative, which focuses on cooperation between industrial regions in Europe. We are also working together within ESRA (European Semiconductor Regions Alliance) on the theme of semiconductors.’ &nbsp;</p><p>The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), which supports companies across Europe with networking and matchmaking activities, was also discussed. Christa Pieffers, contact person for EEN within Oost NL and nationally responsible for the Agrifood theme stressed, ‘There are no collaborations with Portugal as yet, but we see many opportunities to connect new partners precisely through this network."</p><h3>Norte Portugal: a valuable partner &nbsp;</h3><p>Ricardo Simões, head of innovation at Norte's regional development agency CCDR, gave a presentation on the Norte region. The region has made significant progress in innovation and ecosystem development in recent years. The sectors Norte focuses on show strong similarities with the Think East Netherlands themes, such as Health &amp; Life Sciences, Food &amp; Environmental Systems and Advanced Manufacturing Systems. Both regions have been recognised as innovative regions with the label ‘Regional Innovation Valley’ which underlines their leading role in Europe. &nbsp;</p><p>Other Norte partners, such as the University of Minho (Faculty of Aerospace Engineering), DTX, the Institute for Polymers and Composites, Fibrenamics, and PIEP, shared inspiring examples of their expertise. This led to concrete ideas for knowledge sharing and collaboration.</p><h3>First steps taken &nbsp;</h3><p>The visit highlighted the many similarities and shared challenges of both regions. Both Norte and East Netherlands focus strongly on Smart Energy &amp; Renewables and Smart Manufacturing. The first steps have been taken, and valuable contacts already exist within joint networks. Both regions are now working to translate these themes into concrete cooperation initiatives that contribute to innovation in both Norte and the East Netherlands.&nbsp;</p>

Exploring cooperation between East Netherlands region and Portuguese Region Norte

Norte region visits TPAC in Enschede