the role of universities in smart specialisation john edwards jrc ipts - s3 platform berlin, 27...
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The role of universities in Smart Specialisation
John Edwards
JRC IPTS - S3 Platform
Berlin, 27 November 2013
Context of 2014-2020 funding cycle
• Europe's challenges:
• Lack of economic growth following economic and financial crisis
• Increasing imbalances across the continent (and within many countries)
• High social costs of austerity and declining public confidence
• Increased competition from other parts of the world
Context of 2014-2020 funding cycle
• Europe's responses:
• Sound public finances
• Structural reforms – restoring competitiveness (e.g. more flexible labour markets, completing of the single market)
• Smart consolidation – protect pro-growth budgets
• Innovation to compete globally and tackle social and environmental challenges (Europe 2020)
Investment in R&D is part of the solutionto exit from the economic crises
Is there a link between innovation and regional growth?Is there a link between innovation and regional growth?
“The general consensus…is that the driving force behind long-term economic growth is science, technology and innovation in its different forms and facets” (OECD 2011: Regions and Innovation Policy)
0
10
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30
40
50
60
70
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Index of innovative output
Ind
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of
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Source: Mikel Navarro et al, Basque Competitiveness Institute 2010.
"Until the 1980s, technology and innovation were under recognised influences in the explanation of differences in the rates of economic growth between regions in advanced industrial nations..." (Townroe)
Innovation Union for Europe
• One of seven flagship initiatives of Europe 2020
• Aim is to create the best conditions ('ecosystem') for researchers and entrepreneurs to innovate
• A broad approach to innovation (not just high tech, also product, service, social, public sector, eco)
• 34 commitments – 24 & 25 concern structural funds and smart specialisation
= evidence-based: all assets
= no top-down decision, but dynamic/entrepreneurial discovery process inv. key stakeholders
= global perspective on potential competitive advantage & potential for cooperation
= source-in knowledge and technologies etc. rather than re-inventing the wheel
= priority setting in times of scarce resources
= getting better / excel with something specific
= focus investments on regional comparative advantage
= accumulation of critical mass
= not necessarily focus on a single sector, but cross-fertilisations
What is Smart Specialisation ?What is Smart Specialisation ?
"Smart Specialisation is a strategic approach to economic development
through targeted support to Research and Innovation"
In a nutshell: Smart Specialisation is based on 4 Cs
Competitive advantage: match R&I with business and develop links (related variety); adoption of (generic/new) technologies for diversification/modernisation of sectors + explore emerging areas
Policy Choices (tough ones): select few priorities on basis of specialisation & integration in international value chains
Critical mass of resources & talent: cooperation between regions by avoiding duplication and fragmentation
Collaborative Leadership: involve stakeholders from academia, businesses, public administrations and civil society ("quadruple helix") & synergies between funding instruments (EU, national, regional)
The evolution of Smart Specialisation The evolution of Smart Specialisation
Expert workshop in Barcelona, June 2008, organised by JRC-IPTS
JRC Scientific and Technical Reports, 2009: « The question of R&D specialisation – Perspectives and policy implications »
“Knowledge for Growth expert group” launched the concept in the framework of ERA (2009)
The concept is incorporated in the Europe 2020 agenda as part of the Innovation Union flagship initiative (2010)
EC Communication « Regional policy contributing to smart growth in Europe 2020 » - smart specialisation as a key concept for the EU regional and cohesion policy 2014-2020
EC proposes S3 as a 'thematic ex-ante conditionality' for R&I spending under ERDF
S3 Platform is established at JRC-IPTS (2011)
How to develop a S3?
Monitoring
Policy mix
Priorities
Vision
Process
Analysis
RIS3
Why should universities care about smart specialisation?
• Increasing concern about social and economic impact of publicly funded universities (e.g. ranking and funding; U-multi rank, UK REF, Austira Leistungsvereinbarungen, Spain – Aneca)
• Large amount of European Structural and Investment Funds linked to smart specialisation
• Opportunity to build partnerships with local and regional authorities for mutual benefit
• Synergies between support for R&I through the structural funds and European / national competitive financing will determine the overall funding structure
Cohesion Cohesion Policy funding Policy funding
for R&Ifor R&I2007-20132007-2013
Cohesion Policy innovation support over total aid:
4% in 89’-93’
7% in 94’-99’
11% in 00’-06’
25% in 07’-13’
Cohesion policy - planned investment by major investment fields - 2007-2013 (in € billions)
see: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/studies/pdf/cp_employ_growth_en.pdf
Less developed regions
(plus island and outermost regions)Developed regions
20%
60% *
ERDF ERDF 2014-20: Concentration on R&I, ICTs2014-20: Concentration on R&I, ICTsand SMEs to maximise impactand SMEs to maximise impact
Cohesion Policy
Research and Innovation
Energy efficiency and renewable energy (compulsory)SMEs competitiveness
Access and use of ICTs
Transition regions
12%
38% *
15%
45% *
* At least two of four themes must be selected
Billion EUR
Less developed regions 164.3
Transition regions 31.7
More developed regions 49.5
Cohesion Fund 66.4
European territorial cooperation
8.9
Of which
Cross border cooperation 6.6
Transnational cooperation 1.8
Interregional cooperation 0.5
Outermost regions and northern sparsely populated regions
1.4
Youth Employment initiative 3.0
TOTAL 325.1
(1) strengthening research, technological development and innovation:(a) enhancing research and innovation (R&I) infrastructure […] and capacities to develop R&I excellence and promoting centres of competence, in particular those of European interest;(b) promoting business […] investment in innovation and research, and developing links and synergies between enterprises, R&D centres and higher education, in particular product and service development, technology transfer, social innovation and public service applications, demand stimulation, networking, clusters and open innovation through smart specialisation […] supporting technological and applied research, pilot lines, early product validation actions, advanced manufacturing capabilities and first production in Key Enabling Technologies and diffusion of general purpose technologies;*
*) ICT, photonics, nano-electonics, nano- and bio-technologies, advanced materials, etc..
Investment Priority 1 Council modifications
Cohesion Policy
An Agenda for Modernisation of Europe’s Higher Education System (COM (2011) 567)
• ‘In assessing the role of HEIs in the region it is useful to identify the steps needed to create a ‘connected region’ in which the institutions are key players. Through this connection process institutions become key partners for regional authorities in formulating and implementing their smart specialisation strategies’
• ‘They can contribute to a region’s assessment of its knowledge assets, capabilities and competencies, including those embedded in the institution’s own departments as well as local businesses, with a view to identifying the most promising areas of specialisation for the region, but also the weaknesses that hamper innovation’
Contribution of universities to S3
Source: Based on Kempton et al (2013) Universities and Smart Specialisation, JRC S3 Policy Brief #3, European Commission
Generative
Research related (but not limited) to regional priorities
Multi- and cross- disciplinary
Connectivity – knowledge nodes
Support regional analysis
Collaborative
Neutral regional brokers
Reach Out – need 'boundary spanners'
Reach In – Co-production of knowledge
AbsorptiveHelp build capacity to ensure local
firms absorb knowledge
Provide demand through teaching and learning activities
Nurture social ties that drive RIS
Leadership
Support regional vision and partnership
Propose joint activities
Place marketing
No boundary spanners
Focus on supply side, transactional interventions
Ineffective or non existent partnership
Lack of a shared understanding about the challenges
Entrepreneurs ‘locked out’ of regional planning
The ‘disconnected’
region
Source: Goddard, J and Kempton, L (2011) Connecting Universities to Regional Growth, European Commission
Evidence based policies that
support ‘smart’ innovation and growth
Analysis of evidence and intelligencefor planning
Building the
infrastructure
for growth
Skills development, commercialisation of research
The ‘connected’ region
Strong partnerships based on shared understanding of the barriers and how to overcome them
Source: Goddard, J and Kempton, L (2011) Connecting Universities to Regional Growth, European Commission
How to start entrepreneurial
discovery processKick-start with consultation in quadruple helix:
Detect potential boundary-spanners between different stakeholder / interest groups, new innovative entrepreneurs, hidden champions, or persons with a potential for this is one of the aims of this first step. …
See new annex III of RIS3 Guide
Businessmanufacturing and
services, primary sectors, financial sector, creative industries, social sector,
large firms, SMEs, young entrepreneurs, students with business
ideas, cluster and business organisations,
Research & education
public and private research bodies,
universities, education and training, science and
technology parks, Technology transfer
offices, etc.
if relevant at different government levels,
agencies e.g. for regional development,
business advice, public procurement
offices, incubators, etc.
Public administratio
n
NGOs and citizens’ initiatives related to
societal challenges for which innovative
solutions would be helpful, consumers
associations, Talents! etc.
Civil society / Users
Horizon 2020 and Cohesion Policy: Differences and complementary objectives
EU R&D and Innovation Policy –future Horizon 2020
EU Cohesion Policy
Differences
Based largely on individual R&D and innovation projects of apre-competitive nature aiming at advancing knowledge andfostering innovation for growth and jobs, including but notexclusively frontier research (also co-funding national andregional programmes)
Based on multiannual programmes aiming at increased toreduce regional disparities, including through close to themarket competitive R&D and innovation efforts
Awarded directly to final beneficiaries (firms, public and privateR&D centres and Universities, including national and regionalgovernments in certain cases – Art. 185, ERA-NET etc.)
Awarded through shared management exclusively to nationaland regional public intermediaries
Through transnational competitive calls addressed tointernational groupings through peer review based onexcellence criteria
Non competitive attribution addressed to regional playersbased on strategic planning negotiation (however calls possibleat national or regional level)
Synergies and Complementarities
Horizon 2020 will focus on tackling major societal challenges,maximising the competitiveness impact of research andinnovation (Industrial leadership) and raising and spreadinglevels of excellence in the research base
Cohesion policy will focus on galvanising smart specialisationthat will act as a capacity building instrument, based on learningmechanisms and the creation of critical skills in regions andMember States.
134 EU regions
+ 11 EU countries
+ 2 non-EU regions
Peer Review workshops & trans-national
learning
RIS3 assessmentand support to REGIO
desks
Country- and Macro-region events and
targeted seminars at IPTS
Interactive tools, S3 Newsletter and Website
Methodological Guidance
Thematic workshops &
working groups
Research and analysis
Transantional Cooperaion
Benchmarking and targeted support
NEW!
Extra support for digital agenda and ICT sections of RIS3
Universities and the S3 Platform
Working with the European University Association
Two day workshop in Seville, February 2013
Open Days workshop in October 2013 together with DG Education and Culture
More activities in 2014, including high level conference in Brussels (June tbc)
Find out more: http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/universities
