8th June 2016

IMPLEMENTING RIS3: THE CASE OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY

A report prepared for the Presidency Department of the Basque Government by:

Professor Mari José Aranguren (Orkestra-Deusto University)Professor Kevin Morgan (Cardiff University)

Dr. James Wilson (Orkestra-Deusto University)

What is a RIS3 Strategy?

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Content“Smart specialisation is about placing greater emphasis on innovation and focusing scarce human and financial RTDI resources in a few globally competitive areas”. (p. 41)

Process“Smart specialisation strategies entail a process of entrepreneurial discovery, identifying globally distinct niches and steering the RTDI and business innovation efforts of all stakeholders towards those areas” (p. 41)

• European Commission. Commission Staff Working Document.• Document accompanying the Commission Communication on Regional Policy contributing to smart growth in Europe 2020. 

COM(2010) 553 final

Implementing RIS3 in Euskadi

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• How we get to the reflections that I will share today?– Interviews with 36 people involved implementing the RIS3 – Analysis of RIS3 documentation– Writing a report that will be published next week (www.orkestra.deusto.es) 

• Which was the aim of this process?To get into the heart of the processes that are underway in the Basque Country as it seeks to move from the design to the implementation of its RIS3, and to reflect on the challenges that it faces as the process moves forwards

Thematic priorities in the Basque RIS3

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Biociencias Salud

Scientifican

d Te

chno

logical

Business Capabilities

Opportunity Niches

Food

Urban Habitat

Cultural and Creative Industries

Ecosystems

BioscienceHealth

2 November 2015

21 July 2015

24 JulY 2015

30 June 2015

23‐25 November 2015

AdvancedManufacturing

30 June 2015

Energy

10 november 2015

New RIS3 governance

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Department RolesPresidency Leadership of overall RIS3 process and convener of inter‐departmental

committeeCompetitiveness and Economic Development Leadership of Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Priority Areas, and

Food Opportunity Niche

Health Leadership of Biosciences‐Health Priority AreaEducation Language and Culture Leadership of Culture and Creative Industry Opportunity NicheEnvironment and Territorial Policy Leadership of Environmental Ecosystems Opportunity NicheEmployment and Social Policy: Housing Directorate Leadership of Urban Habitat Opportunity NichePublic Administration and Justice Leadership of transversal Big Data projectTreasury and Finance Participation in inter‐departmental committee

New RIS3 governance

Good practices: A positive picture

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• The Basque Country is taking advantage of the opportunities presented by RIS3 to review & reform its regional innovation system & strategy– Not just a paper exercise to access EU regional funds– As thorough as anything we have witnessed in the European Union 

• The Basque RIS3 is generating distributed leadership– Government plays a critical role in shaping the rules of the game, before stepping 

back (even though that implies losing some control)– Distributed leadership is facilitated by the creation of spaces where other agents 

with the generosity and capabilities of assuming leadership in their areas of interest and expertise can come forward

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• The Basque RIS3 is open to constructive criticism, learning and novelty– Creation of a wholly new Advisory Group, to circumvent “wise old men” – Openness to changes in the plan  (an alive plan) – This exercise of external reflection (Cardiff & Orkestra)  

• The Basque RIS3 priority definition was grounded in sound diagnosis and contrast – Multiple diagnostics (Orkestra’s competitiveness reports, SPRI’s analysis of capabilities, 

opportunities & social needs for definition of priorities …).

Good practices: A positive picture

A RIS3 ‘Fit for the future’

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1. Keeping RIS3 alive– Systemic tension between commercial need for constant pivoting & political need for budget 

setting

2. Collaborative and distributed leadership– Government is stepping back, but to what extent will industry partners step forward?

3. Funding the RIS3 policy mix– Programme flexibility, multi‐department coordination & integration of private‐sector funding

4. Multi‐department coordination– Build on success of inter‐departmental committee & transversal working groups

5. Multi‐level coordination– Integration of local RIS3 plans into the operational work of steering groups

6. Monitoring and evaluation– Continued investment of time and energy into a robust M&E system will support other 

challenges 

7. The political challenge– Embed RIS3 process into the fabric of the territory so that it can survive electoral cycles

Sede de San Sebastián Sede de Bilbao

Universidad de Deusto, campus de DonostiaMundaiz, 5020012 Donostia/San SebastiánTel. 943 297 327

Universidad de Deusto, campus de BilbaoEdificio La Comercial 2ªplantaHermanos Aguirre 248014 BilbaoTel. 94 413 90 06

© Instituto Vasco de Competitividad – Fundación Deusto

www.orkestra.deusto.es

¡Gracias! /Eskerrik asko!