Abstract
The article compares the process of designing and implementing EU research and innovation (R&I) strategies for smart specialisation (RIS3) in eight less developed European Union (EU) member states: Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania. The study additionally explores regional-national differences in governance structures and practices of the RIS3 by focusing on two regions: South Moravia and West Romania. It is argued that RIS3 processes can improve governance of the R&I systems in spite of the baseline quality of governance in the given country or region. An entrepreneurial discovery process (EDP) that is continuous and includes a broad range of actors and is closer to a multi-stakeholder approach can enable a learning trajectory and foster R&I governance. The case studies address i) whether the EDP resulted in engagement with a broad range of stakeholders, ii) whether it encouraged a process of creative co-design and iii) whether it continued into the policy implementation phase. The article offers insight into how learning can be fostered and how broader stakeholder engagement can be beneficial for improving the RIS3 policy framework.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 1794273 |
| Journal | Cogent Social Sciences |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 20 Jul 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:In Lithuania the RIS3 has been led by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Economy, but there is a complex governance structure in charge of the RIS3 implementation for which funding agencies are responsible. It includes the Research Council of Lithuania, the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology (MITA), the Lithuanian Business Support Agency, and the European Social Fund Agency. The government’s strategic STI Council is at the top of the hierarchy for RIS3 coordination, followed by the RIS3 Implementation Coordination Group, while the Ministry of Finance oversees financial aspects. Even though Lithuania only has a national-level strategy, regional actors such as higher education institutions and business support agencies have participated in its development. However, there was no dedicated consultation oriented towards regions. There is a dedicated budget for the implementation of the RIS3 in the OP.
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the H2020 Science with and for Society [710659]. This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme, ONLINE-S3 project, under grant agreement No. 710659. The authors wish to thank Jelena Angelis, Alison Hunter, Alessandro Muscio and Slavo Radosevic for their comments on an earlier version of the article as well as three anonymous referees for their helpful comments. The article reflects its authors’ views only.
Funding Information:
In the Czech Republic, there are no EU Operational Programmes (OPs) at the regional level—rather, OPs are managed at the national level and the funds are distributed through competitive calls. As a result, many projects that are part of the RIS3 in the South Moravian region are funded through other local resources. These are mostly, and quite significantly, the budget of the city or the region. Continuous development of R&I strategies and the commitment to financial support from the regional government have been one of the crucial building blocks of the South Moravian region’s success.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, The Author(s).
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords
- Innovation policy
- Stakeholder engagement
- European Union
- R&I governance
- Smart specialisation