The Nonagon Association was present from June 4th until 6 at the fifth international meeting of partnerships of the “Islands of Innovation” project in the Saaremaa Island – Estonia.

This meeting was attended by some European Union islands partners such as the Province of Friesland (Netherlands), Guadeloupe (French Outermost Region), Samso (Denmark), Kuressaare (Estonia), Aegean North (Greece) and Madeira (Portugal), who, during these three days, learned about some of good innovation practices that are being developed on the Island of Saaremaa.

The programs included a variety of visits and meetings to present the on-going projects to SCC – Small Craft Competence Centre (Tallinn University of Technology), to NPO Kuressare Edukontor, to Sandla Puit and Alunaut companies, to the Koplimae Ecological Grain Farm, to NPO Piidivabrick “I Land Sound” (Festival of Experiences) and to Rausti Vegetables Farm.

This meeting also had a panel of speakers who had the intervention from Professor Han Brezet, from Delft University, in the Netherlands, who is one of the experts associated to this project alongside his leader partner Professor S. Tijsma, from the Province of Frieslands, and also Dra. Idil Gaziulusou, from Aalto University, in Finland.

The meeting ended with a group work dynamic between everyone who attended the fifth meeting of partners in this “Islands of Innovation” project from Interreg Europe.

The “Islands of Innovation” project is an articulated regional project with the Intelligent Specialization Strategy – RIS3 and also with the agenda for Innovation of the Azores and for that reason this meeting is also an opportunity to evaluate its implementation in the various islands regions where it develops.

The project, which runs until 2021, aims at identifying, listing, systematizing and introducing improvements in innovation policies, enhancing entrepreneurship and new activities and products in partner regions, on which it promotes the Exchange of good practices between and within the regions.