Interview with Jordi Mora, head of unit of Control of management of the Incasòl - Institut Català of the soil

It should also take into account that industrial zones have, in most cases, environmental mismanagement and suffer from problems such as traffic congestion and pollution, as well as poor management, poor development of capacities and a slow technological update. Thus, the project partners Mitke, Sprilur head, considered that regional and local authorities have to find new ways to support the BAIP and revitalize them as spaces that could lead these areas towards innovation and sustainable growth. Mitke responds to these issues and brings together 11 partners from 10 regions to focus on the exchange of good practices, knowledge and experience in the management and renovation of industrial territories.

And Incasòl is one of them so from Interempresas wanted to learn more about what was being done on a project of this type, what experiences are collected, what provides a public entity such as the Institut Català of the soil and how may reverse all the knowledge in the Catalan industrial zones. Jordi Mora, head of management of the Incasòl control unit, gave us more details.

As Manager of polygons the Incasòl has no competition. So far, in the 30-year history of the Institut, yes we we have dealt with all things related to urban issues, from the planning, own urbanization, sale and transfer to the administration. Throughout this time we have worked to offer quality industrial sectors with access to all the necessary services and thus will continue, clearly aligned with the concepts of sustainability, mobility, etc.

The fact that we are walking in the territory, is the industrial estates to suffer throughout the years some degradation or that somehow certain sectors are not sufficiently updated to adapt to new technologies. And on the other hand, especially now that we are in times of crisis, the Incasòl want to help as a 'driver' of economic activity in Catalonia. Especially in those sectors that are strategic, the ambition of the Incasòl is to be able to make this a reality; which companies can be competitive, with added value, and we are talking about services for companies, for the polygon, but also for the people. In other words, to humanize these sectors. That people have in these spaces certain services which facilitate them life: day-care centres, restaurants, gyms, etc.

Exact. And taking into account that, now, our current competition is the build, we have to consider where we can carry out some sort of change towards our ambition of improving: in the planning of the sectors. This is our goal: how, from the time of planning, we can make the necessary changes to ensure that in the future, when the sector, to develop this to House a number of improvements, infrastructure and services to enable enterprises to become more competitive.

Yes, every time we try to be more environmentally friendly with the natural environment. In addition, the Incasòl has a bipresidencia and one of them is the Conselleria de Medi Ambient, so any action is clearly aimed to follow the lines of action that is being carried out from the point of view of respect for the environment.

Today, the reality is that we can only act from the field of planning. We can raise a number of services and facilities that can incorporate sectors that we have developed on the basis of a proven demand. Or a model of territorial management for these sectors. But, since territorial management itself escapes from our current powers, the only way to ensure this process is to remain in the territory, particularly in those most strategic sectors. In other words, preserving the heritage.

Here is where the debate is today. It is something totally new to the Incasòl and nor we do not have powers to do so, today, with the current legislation. At most what we can do is ensure that this can be and remain in the sector to be drivers. There are other entities or figures that can carry out the management. And from the Incasòl we can help.

In fact, when born Mitke, we just just submit the book of style of sectors of economic activity, in the Barcelona Meeting Point 2007, so it appeared when the Institut we were in full debate on it and without having defined the role which we jugaríamos.

But Mitke is an opportunity to go to other European regions, to know their reality, their good practices and what problems are being found. And Sprilur, which is who leads this process, made an initial appeal among those firms that could be interested, among which were those who were more aligned with his work. As Incasòl.

Yes, they are all of the public sphere. It must be borne in mind when you want to join the programme posed you the following question: since your position in your region can be able to change public policies in the event that you believe that there is something to improve? So, or they are public companies, either or are alienated with public bodies. They are companies that, in one way or another, can influence public policy. Of those involved in the Mitke, the Incasòl is the only one who participates only in the urban area. Others already have experience with managers. Sprilur has experience as a Manager through a series of companies that has been organizing.

So our experience in the passes Mitke by raise how, from the urban point of view, we can make the polygons competitively more sustainable.

Others do have experience in the management of industrial estate and displayed precisely these issues. For example, on the last trip we did, to Wakefield presented us a best practice in management of industrial estates from the experience of Langthwaite Business Park, an estate who had suffered business flight safety problems. The solution went through a partnership between public and private entities that allowed to carry out the investment needed for the transformation of the place with improvements in security, transport and lighting. This was a retroactive effect and many companies were again the possibility to install there.

Of course, then we came here with the presented experience but our legislation is different.

But we can be ambitious and, from all the presented realities, raise the issue and put on the table the need to take action on these issues. We have to get better in issues such as these that businesses have the perception that there is more security in the estates, but it is also true that the problem must be, i.e., that the companies pose.

What is certain is that, in most cases, the main problems that entrepreneurs are in the field of the maintenance and security.

Labein-Tecnalia, also in the Basque country.

Mitke project partners

• Sprilur S.A. Euskadi (ES)
• Labein-Tecnalia. Basque country (ES)
• Pannon Business Network Association. Pannon Western region (HU)
• Agency of regional development of Rzeszow (PL)
• Office of Marshal Lubelskie Voivodeship (PL)
• Regional Development Agency: West Region (RO)
• Soprip spa. Emilia Romagna (IT)
• First. The Wakefield District Development Agency West Yorkshire (UK)
• Shannon Development Southern and Eastern (IE)
• Udaras na Gaeltachta Border, Midland and Western (IE)
• Institut Català de soil - Incasòl. Catalunya (ES)

Once collected all the experiences, we must analyse what we see when we can be able to incorporate in our sectors of economic activity and carry out a series of discussions between all entities of the Spanish field with which to reach agreements and promote legislative changes if necessary, for example in the field of security in polygons, in order to be able to improve the competitiveness of our sectors of economic activity. In this regard, we are in contact with Sprilur, Sepes, ECE, also Pimec, the Upic, etc. In other words, as soon as we want to promote the debate we will not be alone. But for the moment we take notes and be at the time that has to take initiatives so taken.

So far we have carried out three meetings, the first of which was that of starting. The other two, more thematic, have been on the security and specialization, something which concerns the countries of the East, with estates where there are installed large-scale companies dedicated to very specific sectors and that in the one of them fails entails them serious problems.

When we travel to Parma in the month of April we will try the theme of the environment.

But we bear in mind that the European programmes are very pautados. The meetings and what to do each one, without leaving the script are marked. So the interesting thing sometimes is, apart from the meetings themselves, the relationships that you set with the participants and what you can get benefit with the different mechanisms that launches the European programme: professionals with online discussions forums, collected best practices in travel, etc.

We be taken the issue of territorial marketing.

The truth is that still not it worked. But it is very possible at the point that we are ourselves with any of them. At the moment are at a point that Yes it can be very handy for us and is as follows: in order to prove that your participation in this European programme has been successful, you must implement one of 'good practices' in your territory. To this end we have chosen two pilot tests where to implement the changes we have seen and create interesting. In our case are Lleida and Viladecans.

In the first year we have devoted ourselves to conduct surveys in pilot testing Mitke to know their problems and see what your 'virtues'; in other words, they are their needs and what are good practices. The second step consisted in the presentation of good practices by all partners in the field of management. In the case of the Incasòl related to the theme of urban planning, which is our field. In total, will be a set of 30 contributions that will be evaluated to determine what can be applied to the two pilot tests. And surely among them you will find topics related to mobility, waste management, linking empresa-Universidad, science parks... But today still not we have been able to treat it.

Incasòl seeks to develop sectors with supramunicipal influence as well as sectors that balances economic activity in the territory. With the concept of Territorial Marketing that we put on the table today, we want to be the customer who highlight us the need for development of the sectors. It has to be demand who check the address to follow from the activities that the companies want to carry out. We must be able to develop those sectors of economic activity that we are demanding enterprises, appropriate to their needs and environment.

Both architecturally and in issues as the mobility we will develop sectors depending on which insist us on the market. Polygons clearly sustainable that behave, course, a change of mentality for those municipalities that want them to hold.

Yes. In addition, if in recent decades, in order that could grow and ordered the industrial activity, they had taken 'off' the companies of the urban environment now the trend has to be humanising the environment, 'bring them' to the urban world, whether in physical form or through the synergies that can be created between polygon and urban world.

And I think that architecturally, but also humanly, there should be a change in the very important twenty-first century and that these areas of economic activity will cease to be grey and away, dark spaces, etc. I believe that this will be the big change that must take place: do companies feel comfortable and who also have services that allow them to be more competitive, talk among them, generating economies of scale.

The big change for Incasòl in the Mitke process will be when we see which of the 30 best practices we can implement. Mitke program asks us to apply it in the pilot tests, but it is also possible that some of them can be incorporated also in any other sector. I think it is interesting to be in this project: protocolariamente we will have to apply it in Lleida and demonstrate that it has gone well, but obviously we are also involved to learn and see what was being done elsewhere.

We will meet in April in Parma and try on the environment. Before summer, June or July, it will be Poland, on the subject of clusters. Incasòl will the be in February 2011, on territorial marketing. Towards the summer, May-June, go to Ireland (Networking and connections) and the closure will be on October in Bilbao.

My goal at the end is that, where we have made the pilot tests, the Incasòl has been driving, that companies have the perception that really changes can be made. Note that, following this initiative, something has moved.

In fact in Lleida, where we are achieving greater results, we met a year ago with the President of the Association of entrepreneurs of the industrial estate to present them the Mitke project and explain the intention to introduce some improvements in his estate in order to achieve greater competitiveness, added values, etc. The answer was clear "is fine but you must first meet the most immediate needs: security road, lack a directory in the polygon, signage, etc.". From here we begin a series of monthly meetings with the Council, the Association of entrepreneurs of the industrial estate and the consortium of economic promotion of Lleida, which also joined the Department of urban planning of the consistory so that they could meet the demands of employers. However, in December signed an agreement between the Town Hall, the Incasòl, the Association of entrepreneurs, the consortium which manifests that we we agree to carry out in the polígono El Camí dels Frares this pilot test. He was already a big step. And the next was in March when it called a plenary in order to bring together all the companies of the polygon and report on the progress we are making: today, of the nearly 170 companies which are part of the estate only are associated about 40; a level of very low associationism. So our first goal, and already it would be an improvement, we strengthen this partnership and at the same time make those involved in it to act. That are the drivers of the improvements.

The result of the whole, attended already some 30 businessmen, was satisfactory: have seen an increase in the number of partners from this meeting. But always bearing in mind that, further strengthen the partnership and increase the number of partners and work with the City Council to enable it to develop the series of improvements that are demanding, we are there to provide the Mitke programme-related improvements. Incorporate activities and services that enable companies be more competitive. It is important for us because, since that moment we cannot act in the field of management, we can do something like drivers of improvements.

The reality is that they are very slow processes. In October, 2011 just Mitke project but my intention is that the pilot does not end there. It should continue. If in October 2011 we have come to the approach, very well, but then it takes practice.

Achieve the results of the Mitke

Mitke project has developed three tools and basic mechanisms to achieve the objectives of the project. He is of:

• Meetings and events: visits from study, interregional workshops, seminars, conferences, etc.
• Support to the information and publicity: web sites, newsletters, brochures, press releases, etc.
• Forum of professionals at the web site where discussions are organized in line.
• Comparative regional analysis, best practices reports (including a collection of these).