DG Regio Invitation to special program: Mind the Gap! Innovating for Regional Cohesion and Smart Growth (Salzburg, 17-22 May 2014) To help Member States benefit fully from 2014-2020 cohesion funds to deliver the Europe 2020goals, DG Regio invites focal points and practioners to a special program hosted by Salzburg Global Seminar (www.salzburgglobal.org), at historic Schloss Leopoldskron in Austria (17-22 May 2014). The interactive program focuses on practical conditions for competitiveness, the transition to a low carbon economy and key tools for innovation, human capital development and the creation and financing of SMEs. It will showcase ways in which EU regional development funds can stimulate overall growth locally and at transboundary level. Participants will straddle different sectors, business and government levels from EU and third countries, and the EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn will deliver a key note address on 20 May. Travel and accommodation costs are supported by the European Commission (DG Regio). Salzburg Global Seminar, established in 1947, has expertise in strategic convening and catalysing new leadership. This program provides an outstanding professional development and networking opportunity, particularly for rising younger staff. For the draft agenda and more information, please visitwww.salzburgglobal.org/534 or contact Karin Velez Rodriguez , Program Director, atkvelez@salzburgglobal.org. To register and arrange travel, please contact Bernadette Prasser, Admissions and Program Officer (bprasser@salzburgglobal.org). Confirmed speakers and resource specialists include: Johannes Hahn ,European Commissioner for Regional Policy Bernardus Rahardja Djonoputro, Secretary General, Indonesian Association of Planners, Indonesia Christian Hartmann,Head of Research Group, Technology, Foresight and Planning, Centre for Economic and Innovation Research, Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Graz, Austria Dimitri Corpakis, Head of Unit, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission, Brussels Alexander Kainer,Principal, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants Emilia Paiva, Director and Vice-President, Minas Gerais Government, Brazil Madeleine Mahovsky, Deputy Head of Unit, European Commission Madlen Serban, Director General, European Training Foundation, Italy Nahuel Oddone,Specialist, International Trade and Industry Unit, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-ECLAC), Sub regional Headquarters in México Pat Colgan,Chief Executive, Special EU Programmes Body Ronald Hall, Principal Advisor, DG Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission Rudiger Ahrend, Head of the Regional Economics and Governance Unit ,OECD Rudolf Lichtmannegger, Director, Economic Policy, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Wolfgang Petzold,Head of Communications Unit, Committee of the Regions, Belgium Eduarda Marques da Costa,Professor, Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisbon, Lisbon  More +  RegioNetwork