Ethical issues around the future usage of artificial intelligence (AI) have helped turn it into a polarising issue in society. From techno-optimists to people derided as luddites, many have an opinion on the ethics of AI. Later this month, AER’s event Artificial Intelligence: Are Regions Up to The Challenge? will bring together field experts, academics, artists, politicians, … [Read more...]
The AER creates spaces where knowledge transfer and peer learning can take place on a wide range of topics, to support policymakers to innovate policies and practices
Human Culture in a Digital World
Future artificial intelligence (AI) programs promise to alter our understanding and experiences with human culture. From the music, to language, to art, AI will play a more prominent role in human culture in the years to come. AER’s event Artificial Intelligence: Are Regions Up to The Challenge? will bring together field experts, academics, artists, politicians, and … [Read more...]
Skills and Competences in an AI era
In the next decade, it is a virtual certainty that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will begin to replace increasing numbers of labourers. The outsourcing of labour to machines will alter the skills and competencies which are valuable in a competitive labour market. At AER's event on Artificial Intelligence, speakers will address this topic, highlighting the challenges and … [Read more...]
Join the Committees’ Presidiums!
AER is looking for candidates to fill out newly vacant positions in the Committees' Presidiums. It includes Vice-President positions and various representative posts inside all three AER Committees. Join the Committees' leadership and get a profound involvement into AER decision making process! What's a Committee Presidium? The AER Committees are the backbone of our activity. … [Read more...]
Committees elect new members in their Presidium
At their Spring Committee meetings in London, AER members elected new members for their Committee Presidium. Congratulations to the new representatives! Committee 1 for Economy and Regional Development President Jean-Luc Vanraes Brussels-Capital (BE) (will be confirmed at the General Assembly) Representative for Equal Opportunities Sıla İlgi Akkaş Izmir … [Read more...]
Quality networking starts here
The AER Committees are a lab for innovation in the public sector. They enable vivid interregional cooperation, sustainable partnerships and mutual learning between regions in Europe. In short: quality networking. Sustained networking In order to make this true in the longer run, continuous and targeted exchanges need to be facilitated for AER members between plenary … [Read more...]
Committee elections in Izmir
The AER Committees were in Izmir from 7-10 November for the Autumn Committees Plenaries at which time elections took place for the open positions. We would like to congratulate Mr Martin Tollen (Östergötland-SE), Mr Kenneth Johannesson (Värmland-SE), Mr Michiel Rijsberman, (Flevoland-NL)and Mr Damir Zobenica (Vojvodina-RS) for their election. The Committees are now composed … [Read more...]
AER’s Committees meet in Izmir for talks on sustainable mobility
“Sustainability is key for all development and the regions have an important role to play in this” AER President, Dr Hande Özsan Bozatli, said in her opening speech. “Regions are diverse, as are the problems we face when working towards sustainability. That is why cooperation between regions all over Europe is important” she said an pointed out that Izmir sets an example for … [Read more...]
Draft procedures for the political election committee
AER Election Committee Procedures Adopted by the AER Executive Board 25 October 2016. Article 1 – Objectives Established by the AER General Assembly in Västra Götaland 2015, the AER Election Committee’s objectives during the year prior to an election are to a) Gather nominations from AER members before the next General Assembly; b) Nominate one candidate for each … [Read more...]
Transparency: a tool for change
Remember the picture? United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon holding a report which outlines the actions of States and Regions with regards to climat change. Because regions are implementing a variety of initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, AER is joining forces with the Compact of States and Regions to encourage regions across wider Europe to make … [Read more...]
Migration & culture: call for action
Culture as an inclusion strategy Europe is facing a gigantic mission right now and for the coming years: how to handle the current migration trends? How to include newcomers and their families? What can AER members do to contribute in the face of this challenge? During the 2016 Spring plenary meetings in Timis, RO, the seminar "Communication and Actions in Times of … [Read more...]
Connecting Europe Facility Calls for Proposals 2015
Through its 2015 multi-annual work programme, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) has launched two calls for proposals for projects in the transport sector with deadline on February 16th. The funds available are divided between allocations coming from the Cohesion Fund and a general call, totalling €7.6 billion (€6.47 through the Cohesion Fund and €1.09 through the general … [Read more...]
Who is the mother of invention?
Society has changed, what about the public sector ? Why does the public sector need innovation ? How to reinvent not only the services delivered but also the way they are designed ? The AER plenary meeting in Hampshire was an opportunity to look at how regions have drastically changed the way they were working in order to improve cost efficiency, provide effective leadership … [Read more...]
A Mutual-learning Community
Since its inception in 1985, the AER has always had at its core to facilitate experience exchange and policy learning. The community the AER creates between its member regions, which have both very diverse contexts and shared challenges, is an essential element for mutual learning to happen. Facilitating the knowledge flow Knowledge in the AER is incremental and never … [Read more...]
What has become of them? Former winners of AER Innovation Award!
Health care in Noord-Brabant (NL), cluster policy in Lower-Austria (A), youth entrepreneurship in Wielkopolska (PL), Industrial policy in Västra Götaland (S), open innovation in Tampere (FIN), public sector modernisation in Slaskie (PL). 5 countries, 6 regions, 6 policy areas where innovation has made the difference and that the AER was the first to acknowledge as pioneers. On … [Read more...]