Entrepreneurship and Regional Development Research Centre (ERDRC) as an organizational unit of the Karol Godula Upper Silesian Academy of Entrepreneurship was established in order to coordinate didactic-research acivity of the academy and aim at solving real social-economic problems of the region. ERDRC supports development of self-governing and entrepreneurship and affects processes of regional development combining scientific achievements with demands of practice.

The basic acivities of ERDRC cover the following issues (among others):

1. Coordinating scientific-research conducted in the academy, paying special attention to the research in the field of entrepreneurship and regional development together with developing international cooperation in this field.
2. Supporting the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises covering above all consulting together with working out development strategies, projects, business plans, studies of feasibility and cooperation when applying for union grants. Manifestation of this activity is also included in conducting educational, strategic, project and professional workshops. In addition ERDRC organizes numerous seminars, conferences and business meeting with entrepreneurs, including annual Silesian Forum of Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurship.
3. Supporting activities of teritorial self-government and business institutions manifesting in advisory activities covering help in solution specific development problems and creating strategic and operational expert opinions. Furthermore, ERDRC conducts numerous training courses in the field of regional development management and organizing cyclic events raising the subject of teritorial self-government functioning within the confines of Forum of Local and Regional Development.
4. Help in entering into contacts between representatives of the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises and financial institutions and other enterprises and creating a cooperation network between business environment, self-governments and business institutions.

On account of professionalism of the teaching staff, large number of co-employees from scientific and economic environment and wide contacts among practitioners in business and self-governments the offer of the Centre can be adjusted to individual expectations of our partners. The key levels of the cooperation with economic subjects and business institutions are the following:

• strategic development
• project development
• European cooperation and structural funds
• entrepreneurship and innovation
• investments and real estate
• finance and accounting
• economic and international law
• computer science
• staff management
• public relations
• marketing

ERDRC has a huge potential which involves the following: great experience, staff and co-employees' creativity, an extensive network of domestic and international contacts, as well as didactic-technical base of USAE (classrooms, computer laboratories, lecture halls, audio equipment and visual moderation sets).

Creating cooperation networks among local institutions, higher schools and enterprises, ERDRC cooperates among others with:

• The Karol Adamiecki University of Economics in Katowice
• Institute of Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises 'Promotor'
• Silesian Union of Districts and Counties in Katowice
• Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice
• Industrial-Commercial Chamber in Gliwice
• Industrial-Commercial Chamber in Tarnowskie Góry
• Regional Foundation of Local Democracy Development in Katowice
• Polish-German House of Cooperation in Gliwice
• Regional Agency of Employment Promotion in Dąbrowa Górnicza
• Business Consulting, Ltd
• Silesian Botanic Garden in Mikołów
• South Stockholm University (Sweden)
• Paisley Enerprise Research Centre (Great Britain)
• Institute of Entrepreneurship Development in Ostrava (Czech Republic)

And other local and regional authorities, enterprises, banks, domestic and foreign institutions.

The activity of ERDRC, here briefly presented since 2003, takes various forms of projects:

• Policy of Economic Development of Łódź
• Development Strategy of the City of Piekary Śląskie until the year 2015
• Programme of social-economic revitalization of chosen urban and post-idustrial areas for Bytom district for the years 2004-2015
• Development Strategy of Strzelecki county until the year 2015
• Development Strategy of KuĽnia Raciborska District until the year 2015
• Development Strategy of Krzyżanowice District until the year 2015
• Development Strategy of Gorzyce District until the year 2015
• County strategy of solving social problems in Dąbrowa Górnicza for the years 2003-2015
• Organizational and financial concept of setting and functioning of Silesian Botanic Garden in Mikołów

ERDRC also paticipates in an international grant of Committee of Scientific Research, which refers to the issue of entrepreneurship, competiveness and regional development, and its research field focuses on the analysis of transborder region of Upper Silesia and North Moravia. Moreover, The Centre is involved in the work on creation of 'Local agreements for employment in Opolskie province' within the confines of Phare 2001: Social and Economic Cohesion - Development of Human Resources. ERDRC is also a member of consortium together with Foundation of Local Democracy Development within application of union programmes devoted to employment promotion.

ERDRC supports USAE's staff and students new initiatives too, together with offering help, factual and organizational advice, extensive network of contacts and references base. Furthermore, the Centre is open for cooperation with all partners on educational, scientific-research plane and willing to participate in commercial enterprises.

41-506 Chorzów, Racławicka St.
Tel./fax. +48 32 2472556-59, ext.34
e-mail: cbpirr@gwsp.edu.pl