RIS3 Guide: 6 steps for developing Smart Specialization Strategies - and
how the S3 Platform can help
Xabier Goenaga
HoU JRC IPTS KfG - S3 Platform
Cardiff, 28 June 2012
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What is Smart Specialisation?
Knowledge for Growth Expert Growth: D. Foray, B. van Ark
Europe 2020 and EU budget review
Place based dimension: P. McCann, R. Ortega-Argilés
Proposed reform of Cohesion Policy
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What is a RIS3? (research and innovation strategy for smart specialisation)
Building on the past Widespread experience of national/regional innovation strategies in the
framework of the EU Cohesion Policy Achieved greater co-operation among private and public stakeholders and
better communication between technology providers and clients
Breaking with the past Lack of international and trans-regional perspective Not in tune with the industrial and economic fabric of regions Too narrow vision of innovation Picking the winner syndrome The best performing regions were just copied
Which is the Smart Specialisation Approach?
• It is not a planning doctrine that would require a region to specialize in a particular set of sectors or industries.
• It is an approach to policy that considers whether those activities already strong or showing promise for a region can benefit from R&D and innovation. This is in addition to creating good framework contitions for
business
• Regions cannot do everything in STI so they need to focus on certain domains by developing distinctive and original areas of specialisation.
The entreprenurial Process of discovery
• Smart specialisation is largely about the policy process to select and prioritize fields or areas where a cluster of activities should be developed
• Setting priorities and selecting fields always entails risks for policy makers
• The ‘business as usual’ strategies to prioritize (imitation and dupplication) do not work
• Smart specialisation suggests another strategy: To let entrepreneurs discover the right domains of future
specialisations
Designed to assist regions and Member States in developing RIS3 strategies
Launched in June 2011
Managed by a team established at JRC-IPTS in Seville
Monitored by a Steering Team incl. DG REGIO, RTD, ENTR, EAC, INFSO, SANCO, AGRI, CLIMA
Input from a Mirror Group of European high-level experts and network representatives
http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu
Support to regions in preparing RIS3
Peer Review workshops
Informal assessment of RIS3
Information sessions in Member
States and EU Macro-regions
Website with special access for
regions and interactive tools
RIS3Methodological
Guide
Thematic working groups
and analysis
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Edited by JRC IPTS in association with
DG REGIO and with contributions from:
D. Foray, P. McCann, J. Goddard, K. Morgan, C. Nauwelaers, R. Ortega
Commission officials from various DGs
S3 Platform team
Available on the S3 Platform webpage
(i) - The RIS3 Guide
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(i) – RIS3 guide - Key steps for developing a RIS3
Step 1 – Analysis of regional context/potential
Step 2 – Governance
Step 3 – Vision for the future
Step 4 – Selection of priorities
Step 5 – Policy mix
Step 6 – Monitoring and evaluation
Monitoring
Policy mix
Priorities
Vision
Process
Analysis
RIS3
(ii) - RIS3 Peer Reviews and Mutual Learning
• 4 volunteer regions prepare presentations of their RIS3 based on template with the 6 key elements of the guide;
• Presentations of the 4 volunteer regions are distributed in advance to ‘critical friends’ together with concise background documents (on the regions’ territorial innovation systems and experience);
• Peer discussion at the workshop moderated by the S3Platform. MG members involved as speakers;
• Feedback report prepared by S3Platform and forwarded to reviewed region: ‘feedback from the workshop’;
• Follow-ups in 3 and 6 months after the workshop.
(iii) - Information events
• To be organised in close cooperation with MS and DG REGIO. Priority to CONVERGENCE countries
• Macro-regional events: Baltic and Danube (May 2012), Outermost regions (June 2012), Atlantic Arc (tentatively scheduled Nov 2012).
(iv) - RIS3 Development vs. RIS3 Assessment
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1
2
3
4
5
Monitoring
Policy mix
Priorities
Vision
Governance
Analysis
RIS3
Elaborated from the original proposal by C.Saublens, EURADA
(v) - Thematic workshops
• New tool for mutual learning – will be launched in autumn 2012
• Gather groups of regions/countries/experts around common subjects linked to the RIS3 approach (the 6 steps of the guide)
• Liaise with other projects/activities ongoing (e.g. OECD)
• Regions agree to develop a common position / brief / document for reflexion or implementation
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(vi) - Last but not least … S3 Platform own research agenda
Analysis of regional economies (step 1 of the RIS3 guide)
Governance and framework conditions (step 2)
Peer review and transnational learning (step 6)
Building on the work of the peer reviews & thematic workshops