Creating Local Innovation through a Quadruple Helix
CLIQ focuses on the role of local authorities in medium sized cities in driving innovation to support the Lisbon goals for jobs and growth. Developed by the Eurotowns network it builds on previous research evidence highlighting the importance of local quadruple helix partnerships to bring together universities, business, civil society and local authorities. CLIQ partners will exchange, explore and disseminate best practice in ways to promote innovation and improve competitiveness within the specific context of cities with populations of 50,000-250,000. CLIQ has 16 partners from 10 countries, all representing or based in medium sized cities. The CLIQ partnership includes 9 local and regional authorities as well as representatives of other innovation stakeholders such as Chambers of Commerce, Research institutes and Incubators, to reflect the different roles, competencies and perspectives within the Quadruple Helix.
The objectives of CLIQ are: to research and exchange good practice between regions on supporting SMEs to innovate,  to define and benchmark medium sized city local authorities' roles in driving innovation, to create a set of transferable tools to improve local authorities' innovation policies,  to integrate innovation, entrepreneurship and internationalisation processes to improve competitiveness, to develop close links between quadruple helix partners at local level, to exchange models of civil society engagement in innovation and to disseminate findings and results. CLIQ interregional exchange will include Study Visits, Masterclasses, Round Tables, Network Meetings and a micro pilot. Each partner region will engage local stakeholders through consultation events and develop case studies for print publication and dynamic use online. Existing research will be built upon to create an innovation benchmarking methodology and an Innovating Medium Sized Cities Toolkit for local authorities.
The CLIQ network will operate as a live open innovation system and disseminate processes and results throughout the lifetime of the project at relevant events and through its website, using innovative multimedia tools. It will be promoted by a DVD to raise profile with local level stakeholders and engage them in learning.  Findings will be presented within and outside partner regions on an ongoing basis through regularly updated, multi lingual Powerpoint presentations to a range of relevant sectoral, national and EU agencies involved in Innovation policy. A final event will showcase CLIQ's successes, including the Innovation Toolkit and benchmarking methodology, to the Eurotowns network with a Mayors' Summit and to EU and regional policy makers through related networks such as ERRIN (EU Regions Reseach & Innovation Network), Eurocities, the European Business Network & the European Universities Association.