> Dutch
	Or do you believe that regional authorities are rigid and that companies are flexible? Such generalisations are seldom fruitful. Yet fruitfulness is what is needed: building innovation competencies is indispensable to continue to be competitive, both for companies and for regional authorities. Essentially, innovation of products, services and processes means that a company withdraws money and talent from today’s organisation in order to guarantee tomorrow’s prosperity. The indispensable detection and implementation of new developments require co-operation between public authorities and companies. ‘Think globally, act locally’ Globalisation, ICT, technological developments and shorter product cycles constantly appeal to a company’s innovation capacity. This requires generic national policy, but also specific actions on a regional level. An increasing number of European regions have therefore been developing targeted innovation strategies. They are strengthening their economic structure by means of specific programmes. The region acts as a starting point for the better organisation of services and preconditions, applying the slogan ‘think globally, act locally’. Regional innovation programmes are more and more designed using a bottom-up approach. They often focus on SME needs and take into account ideas and requirements of all parties concerned. And, once again, the following applies: companies and public authorities working together are stronger than each of these actors on its own.