About ERNACT

Browse here to find out about ERNACT EEIG

European Regions Network for the Application of Communications Technology was founded in 1991. ERNACT is an international network of European regional and city public authorities that work together to access European Union digital technology programmes and funding for the benefit of their areas, companies and universities.

We implement innovative digital-age projects to improve our member regions’ digital needs. We capture opportunities by designing cooperative projects and initiatives – with support from the European Union – that recognise the global and interconnected nature of today’s digital world.

Our team has 25 years of expertise in leading interregional projects and we have a strong record of achievement in linking with other European regions. To-date, we have developed over 30 transnational cooperation projects with governments, universities and research centres in more than 150 European regions and cities, with a combined population of 50 million, across 20 countries.

Benefits of co-operating with other like-minded regions in the ERNACT network?

You will share knowledge and good practices with an experienced network dedicated to the Smart Specialisation.
Develop new partnerships to progress your own region’s Digital Agenda needs.
Active participation in ERNACT Digital Agenda projects.
Propose new ERNACT projects according to your region’s needs.
Avail of the network’s project proposal development service.
Receive regular EU Digital Agenda opportunities reports.
Attend Brussels-based Digital Agenda programme workshops
Effect ERNACT policy through management meetings
Receive assistance to liaise with the European Commission relating to the development of ERNACT and its projects.

The ERNACT network of regions has established a model for successful European cooperation. This encompasses Member Regions, Interregional Management Committee and the ERNACT office.

Member Regions: can be local or regional authorities or other public sector non-profit organisation.

Interregional Management Committee (IMC): It comprises the representatives of member regions. The IMC is responsible for overall strategy, management and financial control of the ERNACT network.

ERNACT Office: The secretariat delivers the services of the network to members and projects. The office is located in CoLab, a campus digital start-up incubator, located in the North West Ireland Crossborder digital corridor.

ERNACT has taken care over the years to retain a core team of experienced project development and management staff and partners that enable to:

Create a strong collaboration system to efficiently carry out projects and project management functions.
Project costing system especially designed for European projects.

Overall, ERNACT is increasing its use of digital media systems within its own cooperation networks to connect the regions, which is particularly important to those divided by large distance.

Please find below full details about the organisations and contact people or our member regions.

Tara Nicholas - Derry City & Strabane District Council (Derry & Strabane)

Business Officer at Derry City and Strabane District Council. She is a member of DCSDC’s experienced Business Support Team to help start-ups and SME’s grow through a range of services.

Derry City Council is the statutary local government organisation for the Derry City Council area in Northern Ireland. It has four primary roles: PUBLIC SERVICE PROVISION, Council carrying out its functions and services; DEVELOPMENT, acting as initiator/enabler/facilitator on social, economic and environmental initiatives; REPRESENTATIVE, elected members represent the Council on various Boards and other bodies; CONSULTATIVE, represents electorate on Central Government issues such as planning, water, roads and housing.

Randy Follett - Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (Newfoundland & Labrador)

Regional Economic Planning Analyst at Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada) has recently joined out network. The seat of government is at the capital city of St. John's, which is also the oldest city in North America. Newfoundland and Labrador is Canada's most easterly province.

Jennie Olofsson - ALAV (Västernorrlands)

Tf Operations Manager at the Energy Office Västernorrland. ERNACT member from Sundsvall municipality.

Kommunförbundet Västernorrland is an interest and service organisation for the seven local authorities in the county, whose main assignment is to protect their mutual interests in the area of regional strategy, regional growth, and developing and implementing new public services.

Brian Boyle - Donegal County Council (Donegal)

Brian, Chairperson of the ERNACT Interregional Management Committee (IMC), is Head of Information Systems in Donegal County Council (Ireland) and a Director of the ERNACT EEIG Board of Management. Boyle has responsibility for the development and implementation of Strategic and Operational Information Technology planning for Donegal, as well as management of Corporate Public Relations and Communications Strategies. An Accountant by profession Brian has many years experience working in the Local Government ICT arena. He has also extensive experience working on National and EU programmes in the Information Society, Telecommunications and eGovernment business areas.

Donegal County Council, as the Local Authority for County Donegal (Ireland), provides an extensive range of public services for residents, businesses and visitors services in the County. These range from Planning Control, to the provision of Social Housing, to the upkeep and improvement of Roads, to Pollution Control, to Fire, Library and Sanitary Services. The Council also plays a proactive role in the development of the County, including growing the economic welfare of County Donegal in an effort to make the County a better place in which to live, work, relax and invest.

Inmaculada Valencia - Gobierno de Cantabria (Cantabria)

Almost twenty years of expertise in European Affairs, more than 500 conferences given about the European institutional system, the story and the evolution of the European integration process, the enlargement process, regional and cohesion policy. Since 2003, she has been an external speaker at DG Communication and member of the Team Europe. She has a deep and global knowledge of all the European policies since it is part of her daily tasks as Director General of Economy and European Affairs, at the Cantabrian Government. She has also managed the Brussels' Office of Government of Cantabria since its opening in 1998.

The Cantabrian Government (Spain) is one of the statutory institutions that conform the Autonomous Community of Cantabria. This Government is the superior collegiate body that directs the politics and the Administration of his Spanish autonomous community.

Jorge Muyo López - Gobierno de Cantabria (Cantabria)

Regional Managing Director for Innovation, Technogical Development and Industrial Entrepreneurship at Cantabrian Government. Jorge is European Projects, Technology Transfer, Industry, Innovation and IPR Expert and Technology Watching and Competitive Intelligence Expert.

Michael Cooper - Derry City & Strabane District Council (Derry & Strabane)

Michael Cooper is a Sinn Fein elected representative on Derry City Council. He is also the proprieter of tour guiding company DerryBlueBadgeGuide.com and Tourism and Heritage Officer at the Gasyard Trust. A member of the Institute of Tourist Guiding, he was also a director at the 2013 City of Culture Company. Michael has a BA in Irish History & Politics, a PG in Cert Computing & Information Systems and a MA in Irish History & Politics from the University of Ulster. His aims are Community development and capacity building, Social economy development, Social justice and equality and regeneration of Derry with particular focus on tourism and the digital economy.

Stephen Gillespie - Derry City & Strabane District Council (Derry & Strabane)

He joined Derry City Council (Northern Ireland) in May 2013 as the Strategic Director for Development with responsibilities for Economic Development, Tourism, Events and Marketing, Leisure, Heritage and Community Services. Prior to taking up this post, Stephen worked for 15 years for the Londonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners as the Financial Controller and Company Secretary. Stephen is a qualified Management Accountant and in 2011 become a Chartered Director. Stephen qualified as an Accountant with Desmond and Sons Limited, a clothing manufacturer, in 1998 and since has worked in both the private and public sectors.

Rena Donaghey - Donegal County Council (Donegal)

She has been a Donegal County Councillor (Ireland) for the last 15 years and part-time IT teacher with Donegal ETB. She studied Local Government Studies at the Galway University. She has been the vice chairperson of Donegal County Council on two occasions. She has set-up many community organisations.

Andrej Kos - University of Ljubljana (Ljubljana)

Head of Laboratory for Telecommunications. Andrej Kos is one of the ERNACT members in the Faculty for Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).

Faculty of Electrical Engineering covers a wide range of interdisciplinary skills in the field of telecommunication and information technologies. It participates in the research work in the framework of fundamental, applicative and development projects. The Laboratory for Telecommunications (LTFE) with a more than 60-year tradition has significantly marked the scientific and R&D work in the field of telecommunications in Slovenia and abroad. It has developed an optimization tool for planning rural broadband access networks (BANeT) and help local authorities.

Gillian Skinner - Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (Newfoundland & Labrador)

Gillian Skinner currently serves as Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Development and Diversification with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. She has worked in other management positions with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, including Director of Regional Economic Development for several years. Her previous professional experience includes both public and private organizations such as the Newfoundland and Labrador Regional Economic Development Association. Ms. Skinner serves on various boards and committees, and recently received a Public Service Award of Excellence. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and is currently completing a Master of Science in Strategic Planning.

Euken Sesé Sarasti - Fomento de San Sebastián (San Sebastián)

Euken Sesé has experience in managing public organizations, based on: intellectual capital internal innovation, economic sustainability of organizations and networking and partnership at various territorial levels.

Fomento de San Sebastián (Spain) is a public municipal company dedicated to the promotion, economic and social development of the city through innovation, the generation and transformation of knowledge, networking and the promotion and management of projects, all in accordance with criteria of sustainability.

Gorka Díez Jiménez - Fomento de San Sebastián (San Sebastián)

Graduated in Law and Master Degree in European Law. Gorka Díez has a working experience of 10 years in European projects management: 7FP, 6FP, ICT PSP, Civitas, Interreg programmes and coordination as well as participation in different networks at the local, national and European level

Emilija Stojmenova - University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering (Slovenia)

She is an assistant Professor at University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, where she is involved in various national and European research and development projects. She is also director of the Digital Innovation Hub Slovenia, and president of the management board of the European Blockchain Hub.

Marjatta Eväsoja - Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia (South Ostrobothnia)

Director of Internationalization and Culture at Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia.

The Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia is a statutory federation of municipalities consisting of 19 municipalities. The Regional Council is a public regional authority and is able to influence regional decidion making. According to the Regional plan 2030 South Ostrobothnia is a pro-welfare region of entrepreneurship and culture that is attractive both nationally as well as internationally. The Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia sees that developing broad band connections and exhanging the good practises in this field is important for the well-being of the region and implementing the actions necessary for the Regional Plan.

Pia Kattelus - Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia (South Ostrobothnia)

Manager of International Affairs at Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia

Charlotte Sandelius - ALAV (Västernorrlands)

Ida Stafrin - ALAV (Västernorrlands)

Politician at Kramfors municipality.

Raluca Cibu-Buzac - WRDA (West Romania)

She is Director for Regional Policy and Internationalisation within West RDA. She studied Journalism and Communication and European Studies. Raluca has gained extensive experience in Regional Development and Project Management, with more than 15 years in various senior management positions within the Regional Development Agency West Romania, coordinating areas such as regional policy, regional and international projects, investment promotion, and clustering, regional innovation strategy. She is president of Tehimpuls – The Regional Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer and of Automotivest – Regional Automotive Cluster. Raluca gained extensive experience throughout the years in her positions as Director for Regional Policy and Internationalisation within West RDA, President of Automotivest Cluster, President of Tehimpuls Association and also representative of Tehimpuls within ICT Cluster.

The West Region Regional Development Authority (RDA) is directly responsible for the management of a variety EU Funds for Romania. It has acted as the Intermediary Body for the Regional Operational Programme 2007-2013, with direct responsibility for the management of more than € 458M of EU funds. The RDA is also responsible for regional policy (e.g., the regional development plans and innovation strategy, sustainable energy usage, renewable energy and eco-innovation).

Sorin Maxim - WRDA (West Romania)

Sorin Maxim is the general manager of the West Regional Development Agency (RDA West Romania), since September 2001. As the general manager, Maxim ensures the management of the agency’s activities, the programs that are administrated by RDA West as a Intermediate Body for: The Regional Operational Programme and The Sectoral Operational Programme "Increasing of Economic Competitiveness". Also, he coordinates the activities concerning regional planning, the cluster’s and regional association’s activities and participates at numerous events that are organized in different countries from the European Union with the goal of promoting the West Region and to attract new investors. Moreover, Sorin coordinates the Regional Office for Cross-border Cooperation Timisoara-Romania-Serbia border as President, and the Regional Office for Cross-border Cooperation as Vice-President.

Learn more about our experienced staff.

Colm Mc Colgan - General Manager

Colm has been designing and delivering international digital tech and Digital Transformation projects across a variety of EU innovation programmes for over 20 years. He previously held a number of information systems development positions in the private sector, including Coca Cola. He was Information Systems Manager with Rauma Repola (Finland). Colm has a BEng and MSc Computing and is a PRINCE2 registered project management practitioner.

Dr Caitriona Strain - Project Manager

Caitriona is an expert in European transnational, interregional and crossborder project/programme management, with specialisms in energy technology and policy, digital technology and policy, transnational knowledge transfer and public procurement. She has a doctorate from the School of Law at Queens University Belfast, MSc Computing & Design and BSc (Hons) Applied Computing from Ulster University, qualifications in HR and management, is a PRINCE2 registered practitioner and member of the Chartered Governance Institute. Caitriona previously worked in various ICT positions within the private sector, including IBM UK.

Ianire Renobales - Digital Communications Officer

Ianire has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of the Basque Country, a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication and Online Marketing from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and she is completing a Master's Degree in Corporate Communications with the Open University of Catalonia. She is experienced in social media strategy, management and marketing. Previously, she worked in a European Agency and various mass media and communication companies in Spain and UK. She has recently completed a number of specialist digital media training courses.

Jose Manuel San Emeterio - Project Manager

Jose Manuel holds a long track leading and managing EU cooperation projects assisting partners in their digital transformation. He previously worked for private multinationals such as France Telecom and Siemens in the deployment of wireless broadband networks and for the public sector in the implementation of Digital Agenda projects for the Regional Government of Cantabria in Spain. Project Management Professional (PMP®), he has a MSc Telecommunications Engineering from University of Valladolid and BSc Telecommunication Engineering from University of Cantabria.

Juanita Blue - Project Manager

Juanita has a BSc. (Hons) in Computing, specialising in Computer Security & Digital Forensics. She is currently completing the final stages of her Ph.D. studies in Intelligent Identity Authentication at the Intelligent Systems Research Centre, Ulster University. She has extensive research experience, having disseminated at National, European and International forums. She is also an accomplished lecturer, specialising in Computer Security, Steganography, Biometrics, Maths for Cryptography and GRC. She is currently managing the CLEAN, TIDE & SMARCTIC projects at ERNACT.

Maixa Zabaleta - Digital Communication Assistant

Maixa has a Bachelor’s Degree in Audiovisual Communications from the University of the Basque Country and during that she got a scholarship to study in the University of Santiago de Compostela. She previously worked in a mass media company in Spain and in a regional tourism office as social network assistant.

Marion Boyce - Administrative Officer

Marion Boyce has a BA (Hons) Public Management with specialisms in Local Government from the Institute of Public Administration, Dublin and a Certificate in Business and IT from LYIT. She is trained in Public Sector Procurement and is a PRINCE2 Registered Practitioner and Microsoft Office User Specialist. Marion has expertise in Financial management, Administration, Personnel, proposal preparation, Local Government Finance & Reform, EU funding programmes and geographical information systems.