ADEuropa Foundation (ADEUROPA) is a public non profit organization integrated in the Agency of Investments and Services of Castilla y León (ADE) (which depends directly of the Regional Government of Castilla y León – Junta de Castilla y León), working mainly in the field of research, development, innovation, and interregional and international industrial and innovation cooperation. The president of the Foundation is the Regional Ministry of Economy (with competencies in economy, industry, and innovation), and all the Regional Ministries of areas related to R&D and innovation (like agriculture, infrastructures, health, and universities), are represented in the Board of Directors of the Foundation.
The common public institution ADE (Agency of Investments and Services of Castilla y León), was involved in a restructuring process during 2006 as a consequence of the regional industrial and R&D strategy and related to the improvement and development of specific competences at regional level and due to the fact that Castilla y León was no longer an Objective 1 region and from 2007 on Castilla y León was going to be one of the Competitiveness and Employment regions on the ERDF Funds. After this process the former Regional Development Agency of Castilla y León (ADE) was structured into four different but complementary institutions: ADE Inversiones y Servicios (ADE Investments and Services), ADE internacional EXCAL S.A. (ADE international), ADE Financiación S.A. (ADE financial instrument), and ADEuropa Foundation (ADE Europe).
Following the orientation of the regional strategy, ADEuropa Foundation, one of the parts of the Regional Agency, has the commitment to foster and improve the involvement of regional stakeholders (public and private), at the European level. Related to this, ADEuropa Foundation is going to carry out some of the EU projects of ADE, specially those related with R&D and innovation (Framework Programs, CIP, etc.).
Also the budget of ADEuropa Foundation is mainly covered (for the moment 100%) by ADE Investments and Services. As a result, ADEuropa Foundation and the rest of ADE institutions are directly related from a technical and administrative point of view.
ADEuropa Foundation has two main objectives:
To promote and foster the participation of public and private agents of the Region of Castilla y León in R&D&i programmes and activities, specially at the international, European and national level.
To promote the cooperation between enterprises and agents of Castilla y León and international and national public and private organizations, oriented mainly to value added projects in strategic areas, specifically those related with R&D and technological cooperation.
To achieve these objectives ADEuropa Foundation has the following functions and competencies:
To promote the participation of public and private organizations of the Region of Castilla y León in international, european and national programmes, mainly in those related to R&D and innovation, like the VII FP and CIP.
To promote all the activities needed to bridge regional agents with other international and Spanish institutions in order to build up projects in cooperation oriented to value added sectors. Activities like entrepreneurial cooperation and technology transfer at the international and European level.
To promote the dissemination of all the information related with industrial and R&D and technology programs, projects and partners at the international and European level to the different public and private actors of the region.
To facilitate the generation of new value added industrial and business projects in the region, based mainly in the collaboration and cooperation with international and European partners and investors, specially projects based in technology transfer, R&D collaborations and joint ventures, and market driven innovation projects.
The foundation is structured in two divisions, the R&D&i department and the Investments and International Cooperation department.
The R&D&i department develops programs and activities related with the following ambits:
Promotion of the participation of public and private organizations of the region in international, European and national programs.
Promotion of technology transfer activities within the region and at the international and national level, through the promotion of the bridge between universities and R&D Centres with the private sector in the region.
Development of training programs for the incorporation of R&D&i managers to public and specially private organizations.
Dissemination of all the information related with R&D&i from the European and national level to public and private actors in the region.
The Investments and International Cooperation department develops programs in the following areas:
Promotion of the industrial and business cooperation between regional public and private agents with international partners, specially oriented to value added projects and strategic sectors.
Promotion of the generation of new business projects in the region in collaboration with international agents, specially those technology and innovation based projects.