AMANN

Sylvia

AMANN

Ad-Hoc Expert

Generic Skills

B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:

I am director and owner of inforelais – an Austrian consulting company providing tailored services in the field of the knowledge economy and culture. Since 2000, we support a wide range of local and regional clients to develop sustainable innovation projects – most of them financed by EU funds. In addition, European institutions and agencies became important customers of inforelais. Since 2011, I had also several assignments from URBACT. My experiences in integrated and sustainable urban development includes inter alia local creative industries strategies, supporting Danube area wide incubator and university networks, the development of cross-sectoral concepts for the better use of creative innovation and crowd funding. Furthermore, I was involved in urban cultural development strategies, in Europe-wide cultural cooperation activities including the European Capital of Culture. I am member of the expert group of EU Member States on Creative Industries, of the Advisory Board UNESCO Media Art Ciy Linz and of the European Capital of Culture Expert Panel of the European Commission. After graduating with a Commercial Science degree, I lived in France and later in Belgium for further studies and work in the European cultural networks. Coordinating a regional cultural network brought me into intense contact with strategic cultural development. Due to my background in economics, I specialized further in the creative economy.I can rely on more than 20 y of professional experience

B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:

Transnational cooperation is of considerable added value especially to generate learning effects and to contribute to European integration. This fact was a motivation for me to engage in European cooperation and to support related projects with my know-how. I coordinated transnational activities involving local and regional authorities from almost all European countries within several different European networks/projects. In these projects, I was responsible for animating strategic debates, for the development of models for the exchange of experience and good practice as well as for the coaching related to local activities. In 2014 and 2015, I was in charge for the development of a new Austrian funding scheme for transnational cooperation in culture and local innovation which was launched in October 2015. I am also experienced with the transnational URBACT II programme: In 2011, I was integrated in the URBACT II pool of thematic experts for the topics “Improving Innovation and Knowledge Economy” and “Inclusion”. As a member of the External Assessment Panel for the URBACT II call in 2012, I could gain practical experience in project evaluation as well as in hearings with Lead Partners and Lead Experts. In the year 2014 was completed the URBACT II study “Learning through transnational cooperation – methods, results and indicators” for which I was a member of the study team. In 2015 and 2016, I was member of the URBACT External Assessment Panel.

B.3. Proficiency in English:

I have extensive experience in speaking and writing in English: I am a frequent speaker in international conferences and workshops and wrote reports in English inter alia on behalf of the European Commission and related agencies. My mother tongue is German. I speak and write also fluently French.

Thematic expertise:

Theme / Policy:

Research, Innovation and Knowledge Economy

Summary Thematic expertise:

I am a thematic expert in the knowledge economy with a special focus on the creative industries. Having worked in many transnational programmes (like INTERREG, URBACT) and strategies (the Danube Strategy), I have a deep understanding regarding the feasibility of transnational project approaches within these programmes. My work as INTERREG IVC capitalisation expert on Creative Industries included the in depth analysis of innovation needs of the creative sectors and the elaboration of related targeted policy recommendations for local and regional policy makers (topics: innovation ecosystem incl. stakeholder processes, CCI in Smart Specialisation, incubators). As content-manager for the INTERREG IVC project CREA.RE I supported the partnership (including cities from ES, PL, IT, FI, RO) to develop their local and regional creative industries policies. In the ongoing Europe-wide research on the innovative financing tool “Crowdfunding”, I am part of the research team working on behalf of the European Commission and in charge of elaborating case studies. Since 2011, I am a member of the Europe-wide cultural and creative industries OMC experts group of EU Member States. In 2016, I became the co-chair of the group.

Theme / Policy:

Arts and Culture

Summary Thematic expertise:

As an arts and culture enthusiast, I decided already during my studies to focus on cultural tourism for my master thesis. After several professional activities in the regional and European cultural networks, I decided to found my own company in the year 2000. I would like to highlight the following recent consulting projects in the field of culture: The consulting provided for the Austrian Federal Chancellery – Culture Section included inter alia the designing of potential cultural heritage related support measures in the new AT ESI-funds programmes (2014-2020). A stakeholder process allowed for a wider inclusion of the culture sector and beyond. In 2015, the European Parliament nominated me as a member of the expert panel for the European Capitals of Culture. The assessment and monitoring of the European Capital of Culture Cities allows me deep insight in the state-of-the-art of urban cultural development. This work completes previous consultant work provided for the City of Linz as well as the European Capital of Culture Linz 2009. In 2015, I was also nominated in the Advisory Board of UNESCO Media Art City Linz.