A83020 Innovation and Competition in the Global Markets

Practical Laboratory on Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3)

Research and innovation policies are a hot topic in the current debates on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 of the European Union.  Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) are at the core of the Union’s quest to focus its cohesion policy away from re-distribution towards a targeted investment tool, with an impact on growth and innovation at business level.

By working in groups on real-world cases, you will understand the concept of smart specialisation strategy, its principles and how this approach differs from previous approaches in the domain of regional innovation policies. S3 proposes to take a region’s destiny in hand again, by forming capacities that will enable the desired structural changes to be achieved (modernisation, diversification, new industries). For a region, this means setting up a process to identify some strategic domains (or priorities), building capacities and mobilising the innovation actors in these domains and engaging them in collective actions aimed at the development of new activities (or specialities). The identified priorities are not limited to the high-tech part of the economy.  But they can also concern the more traditional sectors in which the potentials and opportunities offer credible prospects for structural transformation.

Practical Information

The 8 hours of the laboratory will be dedicated to work on a real-world S3 case. You will be asked to contribute to the current debate on the future of European regional innovation policies by drafting an expert-group note on an existing S3 policy in a region of your choice. You will be awarded 2 extra points in the course exam if you participate in one of the expert-groups and submit a note.

Resources for your work on real-world S3 wiill be made available in the course Dropbox: https://bit.ly/2Oywa2Q.