Study visit in the capital of Tolna County, Szekszárd was organized in the frame of the INNOV-AL platform between 5 and 7 November, 2018. The delegation of 3 Brazilian states visited Tolna County aiming to launch a mutually beneficial dialogue around decentralized development and innovation policies. The organization and the implementation of the study visit was supported by HETFA.

The INNOV-AL platform is an EU funded project to promote cooperation and decentralized innovation policies in the field of territorial cohesion. The project is supported by the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) of European Commission. The main aim is to share and disseminate EU regional policy experiences and best practices between EU countries and Brazil.

As part of the project, executive officers and professionals of three Brazilian State (Pará, Paraná and Pernambuco) visit three chosen European regions to learn about the experiences of the implementation of smart specialization strategies and launch common projects, purposing development.

Tolna County with the support of HETFA became one of the three regions chosen for the change of knowledge and experience. As a result, between 5 and 7 Nov 2018, Brazilian delegates visited Szekszárd. Virág Zsár, coordinator of the International Office, was invited to facilitate the communication between partners and introduce the experts. During the visit, territorial and regional developments carried out by the county, international projects with the participation of the regional innovation agency, as well as local wine producers were introduced. The closing session took place in the headquarters of the National Office for Research, Development and Innovation in Budapest.

The freshly launched platform for exchange of experience and knowledge will be followed by several online sessions, an online platform as well as a closing conference in Brazil.