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The ERRIN network – 10 years of growth

In 2001 the European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN) was set up as an informal network of regional offices in Brussels discussing research and innovation opportunities within EU programmes. Ten years on, the network is now an established, dynamic and successful Brussels-based network of 90 regions, engaging regional representation offices across Europe.

At this COST Seminar, Richard Tuffs, ERRIN’s director, narrated the ERRIN journey through the years. He also presented its twelve working groups, the EU projects that it is involved in, as well as the key issues relevant for regions within the EU policy discussions in 2011 – such as Innovation Union and Smart Specialisation and the consultation for the next phase of the EU Framework Programme.

Richard Tuffs has been director of the ERRIN network since October 2010.

Following his Bachelors degree in geography and social sciences and Masters in town planning, Richard started his career in town planning but then moved into language training in Paris. He returned to the UK to complete a Masters in Applied Linguistics which brought him back to mainland Europe to the Institute of Phonetics at the Free University of Brussels (ULB). While at the ULB, Richard started part-time tutoring for the British Open University in social sciences and then took the post of Coordinator of the Open University Brussels Office.

After six years at the Open University, Richard joined the Kent Brussels Office as Deputy Director. He then moved to the West Midlands in Europe as European Policy Manager.

Richard has lived in Brussels for more than 20 years and his interests at the EU and regional level are the Lisbon and Europe 2020 Strategies, and the EU’s cohesion, research and innovation policy.

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