Action plans
This section describes the main strategic principles and the framework of specific measures that show how one is to attain the goals described. It is natural in this context to concentrate one's attention on achieving the fund's overarching goals (level 1 goals) since we are concerned here with the instrumental aspects of the strategy process. This means that the two levels, the overarching social objectives and the Competence Development Fund of Southern Norway's internal goals essentially converge in this phase.
CDFSN distinguishes between three strategic main areas:
- Establishment and development of competence bases
- Utilization of these competence bases
- Stimulation of new and existing industry and business
Establishment and development of competence bases
Competence is, naturally enough, the Competence Development Fund of Southern Norway's most important tool for achieving its goals of creating jobs (economic development) and good living conditions. In accordance with the Competence Development Fund of Southern Norway's articles of association, competence shall have a practical focus that benefits the region in terms of economic development and good living conditions. CDFSN will apply a broad understanding in its work with the competence bases in the region. In brief, competence in this context consists of four elements:
- Actual (scholastic) knowledge
- Practical skills
- Attitudes, culture
- Networks
Actual knowledge in a competence base relates to people in a professional environment and can be measured in the individuals' education, level/degree of academic achievement and scientific production.
Practical skills means the professional environment's (the individuals') ability to use their knowledge for teaching, research and development (R&D), commissions for industry and business (often characterised as technology transfers) or for founding industrial activities.
Attitudes and culture in this context mean the degree to which there is willingness to focus on cooperation with regional industry and business.
Network here means the opportunity to utilise the competence of other professional environments. This element is especially important in our region, which essentially has relatively limited competence bases that are actively being developed.
Utilization of competence bases
For effective utilization of these competence bases, the following is required
- Dissemination skills among knowledge carriers
- Recipient competence among users
- Infrastructure
Experience from other regions shows that there is no automatic correlation between a high level of competence in university/research environments and the utilization of expertise through innovation and economic growth. CDFSN shall contribute both to raising the level of skills dissemination in knowledge-based environments and the receipt or utilization of competence among users in the region. In this connection, it is important to put in place a serviceable infrastructure which in practice will take the form of arenas for interaction and networks for special tasks.
Stimulation of new and existing industry and working life
The third strategic area concerns stimulation initiatives for industry and the public administration. These types of measures may come under one of the two strategy areas described above, but may also take the form of projects or programmes directly related to individual users or groups of users. Measures may include support for the development of products or concepts, special in-house corporate competence-based programmes etc. One of the conditions for granting funding will be that one describes a competence-based project that is quantifiable at a later stage. CDFSN may choose to cooperate with other organisations in implementing such initiatives.
See separate articles about strategy and priority criteria.