About easn
At the heart of the formation of European Automotive Strategy Network (EASN, a pan-European Automotive Regions platform), are 5 EU funded projects:
1) Automotive Regions
2) Network of European Automotive Competence (funded from Structural Funds)
3) Transnational Clustering in the Automotive Sector
4) BeLCAR (funded from INNOVA, FP6)
5) I-CAR-O (funded from Article 6, ESF)
EASN is a strategic, long term, initiative. It will develop a European Platform to support the development of Automotive Cluster policy across Europe, and will also reach out to prospective new EU members. EASN will offer broad support for the creation of added value from cross-regional co-operation in Cluster Management and support of Automotive Companies, with specific emphasis on SMEs.
It picks up a number of key recommendations from the 2005 CARS21 High Level Group report on the future policy framework for a competitive EU industry. The EASN's objectives are fully in line with the CARS21 report and the Lisbon and Gothenburg Agendas.
The main aims of EASN are to support the Automotive Industry in the EU by:
- Identifying opportunities for improving its competitiveness including the competitiveness of SMEs.
- Enabling co-operation and joint project activity amongst Companies, Clusters and Regions (e.g. particularly joint Research and Development projects, co-operation between Companies and Public Authorities).
- Making recommendations and influencing Policy development at Regional, National and EC/EU Level.
- Contributing to the development and design of suitable support instruments as well as stimulating the use by SMEs of present and new instruments.
The main themes through which EASN will achieve its aims are: -
- What are the likely Skills requirements of the EU Automotive Industry in the next 5, 10, 15 and 20 years?
- How can we bring competitive advantages to the EU Automotive Industry, from the R & D activity and Innovation developed?
- How can we ensure that any development activity carried out under the auspices of EASN benefits the EU Automotive Industry?