"Transforming Territories Newsletter" Newsletter Issues

161st Plenary of the European Committee of the Regions (19/06/2024)

The Committee of the Regions will hold a Plenary on June 19th, focusing on improving EU support for regional research and innovation ecosystems. Commissioners Iliana Ivanova and Elisa Ferreira will participate in the event, which will include discussions on the Regional Innovation Valley label, an EU initiative to support regional innovation ecosystems. Around 250 participants, including high-level representatives, regional politicians, mayors, and members of regional councils, will attend the meeting.

Cities fit for challenges: webinar June 20 (20/06/2024)

At a time when natural disasters, economic downturns, public health crises and social turmoil are looming, how can cities anticipate, withstand, adapt to and recover from shocks? Sign up now for the latest webinar on the Future of Cities!

Services in towns and villages (26/06/2024)

Determining the appropriate levels of services in towns and villages and access to these services is key to promote vibrant, inclusive and happier communities. In a two-day webinar next week, JRC work on how population grids and the degree of urbanisation can inform policy research and measures will be presented alongside an upcoming OECD report. Register now!

Open call: territorial peer reviews in non-urban areas (24/09/2024)

This year’s territorial peer review on demographic change will take place on 24 and 25 September in Heraklion, Crete (Greece). Applications for peers, who will be providing feedback on development strategies under review, are open until 25 June, 18:00 CEST.

Job opportunity (14/06/2024)

The Joint Research Centre’s territorial development team is looking for an economic and policy analyst who will undertake research, analysis and policy anticipation focusing on science, technology and innovation (STI) strategies, with an emphasis on Africa and the EU enlargement and neighbourhood region. Place of employment: Seville, Spain. Application deadline: 27 June.

Measuring urban inequality in income and working conditions for left-behind groups (30/05/2024)

Cities are engines of both growth and inequality. This double-edged sword requires new approaches to measure, monitor and address economic disparities. According to a recently published working paper, accounting for homeless individuals and irregular migrants can unveil hidden patterns of inequality.

Skills for Smart Specialisation (17/06/2024)

The significant role of human capital and higher education in place-based development and innovation in response to the twin transition is increasingly recognised within the European policy and funding context. This research attempts to quantify the extent to which the ERDF – as one of the most significant sources of public investment for research and innovation - and ESF – as Europe’s main instrument investing in human capital - supported the provision of high-quality education and training relevant to the needs of territories and their smart specialisation (S3) domains in the 2014-2020 programming period.

European Startup Village Forum (20/05/2024)

In startup villages, innovative entrepreneurship helps unlock the development potential in rural areas. If you think your municipality is or could become a Startup Village, learn more and become part of the network!

The Future of Cities Webinar Series (06/06/2024)

After a first engaging webinar on heat extremes in EU cities, register now for 2 upcoming sessions on homelessness, and inclusive cities fit for challenges.

GIANT initiative (20/05/2024)

On 2 May, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Eurostat’s FIGARO team leaders were invited to present the GIANT initiative during the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) course focusing on Supply, Use, and Input-Output Tables in New Delhi (India). This event was organised by the IMF's Institute for Capacity Development in collaboration with the South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Centre.

System dynamics for system innovation (20/05/2024)

On May 06 the second session of the working group on system dynamics for system innovation took place at the JRC premises in Seville. The group has discussed an early version of POLYTRoPOS, a system dynamics model that will be applied to several use cases trying to measure and evaluate innovation policies at different territorial levels. This project is instrumental in the efforts of the European Commission aiming to deploy Europe’s full innovation potential and measure its effects.

Working at the JRC (20/05/2024)

The JRC Recruitment Portal is a portal for the recruitment of temporary staff for the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. The JRC mission is to provide independent, evidence-based science and knowledge, supporting EU policies to positively impact society. We offers opportunities in scientific and administrative domain.

Integrating Transformative Innovation (TI) into climate change adaptation (CCA) strategies (24/04/2024)

Territories are looking at more systemic ways to address impacts of climate change. This report looks at the key features of territorial Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) strategies, as they are developing throughout the EU, and examines whether and how the adoption of a Transformative Innovation (TI) approach could add value to these strategies and their implementation.

Are EU regions ready to tackle climate change? (08/05/2024)

A recent study conducted by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in collaboration with external experts has provided valuable insights in assessing science, technological innovation, and policy priorities geared towards tackling climate change.

EU cities and heat extremes (14/05/2024)

What are the consequences of heat extremes in cities, and how can local authorities counteract the Urban Heat Island effect? Read this new policy brief.

Smart Specialisation in the Western Balkans: potential for knowledge-based economic cooperation (20/05/2024)

Smart Specialisation in the Western Balkans can enhance science and technology collaborations amongst the region’s countries, and facilitate their integration into the EU Research Area. Discover the findings of this new technical report.

New position open in the B7 Unit REMO project (18/04/2024)

The Territorial Data, Analysis and Modelling team (TEDAM) is looking for an applied economist / data analyst to work under the REMO pillar and contribute to the European Commission’s analysis, monitoring and impact assessments of different EU policies at the territorial level (NUTS2 regions). Come join our Unit!

A new home for S3 beyond the EU (12/04/2024)

Following the launch of the Smart Specialisation Community of Practice, focusing on EU regions, we are pleased to unveil new webpages for our work on Innovation in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Region (https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/scientific-activities-z/innovation-eu-enlargement-and-neighbourhood-region_en) and Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/scientific-activities-z/science-technology-and-innovation-sustainable-development-goals_en). Browse these pages to learn more about fostering Smart Specialisation Strategies and fortifying innovation ecosystems in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Region, and on augmenting Science, Technology and Innovation for SDG roadmaps.

Territories in ACTION! First ever JRC TV Show (18/04/2024)

On April 09, JRC.B Fair and Sustainable Economy director Mikel Landabaso hosted the JRC first ever TV show to present our recently published “ACTIONBook. Innovation for place-based transformation”. During the show, we could see examples of innovative territories (Espoo, Finland, Medimurje, Croatia, and Tuscany, Italy) that undertook initiatives to adapt towards sustainability. We counted with the presence of the President of the Committee of the Regions, Commissioners Iliana Ivanova and Elisa Ferrerira, MEPs Lina Gálvez and Ivars Ijab. Next step in our journey is the launch of the EU preparatory action around place-based transformative innovation, that will allow us to involve more territories and test the proposal of the ACTIONBook.

Cohesion policy: JRC analysis shows positive impact (27/03/2024)

Every euro invested will generate 1.3 EUR of additional GDP in the EU by 2030, and nearly 3 EUR by 2043, according to a JRC analysis of the EU’s 2014-2027 cohesion policy. This and other studies have contributed vastly to the 9th cohesion report, published by DG REGIO. Learn more and discover JRC work on economic growth, demographic change, smart specialisation governance, and place-based approaches to the green transition.

Long-term vision for the EU's rural areas: JRC contribution (10/04/2024)

The European Commission published a report on the progress made on the long-term vision for EU rural areas. At the JRC, we are making significant contributions towards the EU effort for stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural communities, with activities including the Rural Observatory, the Rural toolkit, the European Startup Village Forum, as well as recent publications on renewable energy production and potential and the definition of Functional Rural Areas.

Assessing territorial and local development strategies (23/04/2024)

The Self-Assessment Tool for Territorial and Local Development strategies (SAT4TER) helps local and managing authorities to pinpoint the strengths of their integrated territorial development strategies and identify opportunities for improvement. The tool will be launched online on 23 April, with a live demo and practical insights on the tool.

Working Group on System Dynamics for System Innovation (06/05/2024)

The second meeting of the Working Group on "System Dynamics for System Innovation" will take place on May 06. The aim of the second meeting is to present and discuss an early version of the POLYTRoPOS System Dynamics model by the JRC, applied to the case of renewable energy in the EU27 and to the twin challenge of effective deployment and production capability development through innovation. Working Group meetings are open to all interested experts and policy practitioners. To be invited please send an email expressing interest to JRC B7 SECRETARIAT.

The future of cities: 3 upcoming webinars (16/05/2024)

The Future of Cities report illustrates the main challenges our cities will have to face, and the strengths they can capitalise on to build their desired futures. A series of 3 webinars starting in May will focus on compelling topics: heat extremes, homelessness (browse our policy brief https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC136178 if you want to already get some insights), crises and long-term challenges.

Open call: territorial peer reviews in non-urban areas (12/04/2024)

The JRC and DG REGIO are holding a two-day workshop aimed at local authorities responsible for designing and implementing development strategies in non-urban areas under the EU Cohesion Policy 2021-2027. If you wish to receive tailored support to improve your territorial strategy from peer and experts, apply now! The call is open until 2 May.

Science, Technology and Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa (10/04/2024)

This report evaluates the readiness of 14 Sub-Saharan African countries for Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) driven Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) roadmaps. It highlights socio-economic and sustainability challenges, the need for urgent STI interventions, and uneven SDG progress. The report concludes with an analysis of STI networks and a country-by-country breakdown, laying the groundwork for future, localized STI for SDGs strategies.

An Extensive Study of Mauritius' Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurial Economic Ecosystem (10/04/2024)

This report contributes to the development of Mauritius' STI for SDGs roadmap by examining the structure and conditions of its entrepreneurial innovation-driven economic ecosystem. It employs participatory methods to assess institutions and capacities for innovation and entrepreneurship, and aims to assist stakeholders in enhancing the ecosystem and advancing sustainable development.

Territories in ACTION! TV news from the Joint Research Centre (08/04/2024)

Join us Tuesday 9 April at 11:00 am to see how territories are implementing their place-based strategies. We will talk about innovation in a streamed live TV show with Commissioners, the Committee of the Regions and MEPs in Brussels. Some time ago, we embarked in a pilot project to accompany European territories towards innovation strategies for place-based transformations. With the collaboration of the Committee of the Regions, more than 70 territories took ownership of the initiative and worked together to co-create and test new ways forward. Together, we have outlined a framework, the ACTIONbook, to root efforts in the unique characteristics and potential of each region and territory, and steer them towards EU priorities. Learn about the territories and the activities that are transforming Europe through innovation.

NEW! Transforming territories Newsletter (19/03/2024)

The world is in constant change, so are the people and territories across Europe. We are also changing to make sure this newsletter continues providing the most comprehensive and relevant content; mirroring the evolution of our research and tailoring it to our audience. It keeps the focus on regional policies but extends and sharpens it to include research, data and tools to help take place-based decisions on transformative innovation, sustainability and the development of our rural territories, entrepreneurial ecosystems and more. Welcome to the JRC newsletter supporting Transforming territories and their communities.

New website on Innovation for place-based transformations (19/03/2024)

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) has just launched a new website to accompany territories towards innovation for place-based transformations. (Link: https://place-based-innovation.ec.europa.eu/index_en) The website is the go to place to find resources to empower local, regional, and national stakeholders across Europe to achieve their desired transformations, aligning EU priorities with local strengths and driving societal well-being and climate-resilient development. For information on Smart Specialisation for EU regions, the European Commission has set up the Smart Specialisation Community of Practice (Link: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/communities-and-networks/s3-community-of-practice_en), while the S3 Platform website (Link: https://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/) now focuses on smart specialisation in non-EU countries, offering a global perspective.

What do Espoo in Finland, Tuscany in Italy and Medimurje in Croatia have in common? (19/03/2024)

They all are excellent examples of using local strengths to innovate and grow, are also part of the ACTIONbook and are drawing together the map of transformative innovation across Europe. Join us next 9 April, on a TV live stream, and travel through all these places to learn how they are implementing innovation policies with truly transformative power. Don’t miss out. Is your territory in the map? What is your potential to innovate?

Updated Privacy Statement Transforming territories Newsletter (19/03/2024)

To reflect the changes in the management of the Transforming Territories newsletter, we have updated our Privacy Statement.

Meet us at Mons, at the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities – Festival of Regions and Cities (19/03/2024)

Pass by the JRC stand at the Festival of Regions and Cities in Mons, Belgium on 18-19 March 2024, and meet the members of the team behind the Transforming territories newsletter. We will present a wealth of data and interactive tools on EU urban and rural areas, as well as the hot off the press new ACTIONbook, published just a few weeks ago. Don't miss out, make sure you are part of the EU map of transformative innovation policies. For more info, please visit the official website of the event.

Innovation for place-based transformations ACTIONbook (19/03/2024)

The ACTIONbook is a comprehensive hands-on resource set to empower local, regional and national stakeholders across Europe to drive societal well-being and climate-resilient development through strategic partnerships and purpose-driven actions.

ACTIONbook Tools (19/03/2024)

Discover a collection of tools for taking action towards place-based transformations. They are categorised by the type of tools they represent (concept, methodology, EU policy initiative and example) and by their level of applicability (local, regional, national, European or all).

ACTIONbook Practices (19/03/2024)

The practices include initiatives taken around Europe with different degrees of transformative innovation. They provide a short summary of what cities, regions and Member States have done to innovate for societal well-being.

Identification of the Smart Specialisation priority domains of Tunisia (19/03/2024)

Mapping exercises represent a the cornerstone of the Smart Specialisation process. The results of the mapping exercise are the essential input for the upcoming stakeholder dialogue stage. Tunisia has completed the mapping exercise and is about to embark on the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process journey, where the final list of priority domains and related policy actions would be proposed. This report presents the main findings on the economic, innovation and scientific potential of Tunisia, discusses the justification of the selection of preliminary priority areas for Smart Specialisation and outlines the preparatory steps to be taken for launching the stakeholder dialogue.

Guidelines for the stakeholder dialogue in the process of designing and implementing Smart Specialisation strategies in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Region (19/03/2024)

The stakeholder dialogue within the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process has been often cited as the most critical stage in designing the Smart Specialisation strategy. It represents a very important milestone in the process, as it brings together key representatives of a society, coming from business, academic, civil and government spheres, to thoroughly discuss and agree on the number of priority areas followed by an appropriate policy mix. The findings from this stage are the key ingredients for the policymakers that are drafting a Smart Specialisation strategy.

The Smart Specialisation Community of Practice (S3 CoP) (14/02/2024)

The European Commission has set up the Smart Specialisation Community of Practice (S3 CoP) and is now launching a new one-stop-shop for Smart Specialisation for EU regions. Find out everything you need to know about S3 - from concept, design and implementation through thematic smart specialisation partnerships and platforms to interactive S3 Observatory and access to expert advice, policy learning and networking opportunities via the link below. The S3 Platform is now focusing its coverage on smart specialisation in non-EU countries, offering a global perspective, and on innovation-driven transformation through the Partnerships for Regional Innovation. For a smooth experience, the S3 CoP website will provide links to pertinent archived content from the S3 Platform website.

Innovation for place-based transformations. ACTIONbook, practices and tools (14/02/2024)

It was published on 26 January 2024 by the Joint Research Centre, in collaboration with the European Committee of the Regions. This publication is the result of the Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI) one-year pilot experience and builds on top of the PRI Playbook launched in 2022. All activities in the ACTIONbook are linked to relevant practices from territories and operational tools to put them in place.

System dynamics Working Group meeting (20/02/2024)

The aim of the first meeting of the Working Group was to introduce the JRC project on system dynamics, obtain feedback from experts and policy practitioners, and provide a space for collective learning, reflection, and co-creation around systems thinking, measurement and modelling. The JRC presented the proposed modelling framework (POLYTRoPOS - POLYvalent model for the ex ante evaluation of TRansformative POlicy Scenarios) focused on technology-deployment driven investment and employment, explained the theoretical reasoning and assumptions behind the model, and outlined the structure of the Working Group.

10th European Summit of Regions and Cities – Festival of Regions and Cities (18/03/2024)

The JRC will be present at the Festival of Regions and Cities to be held in Mons, Belgium on 18-19 March 2024. This will mark the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities organised by the Committee of the Regions and the Walloon Region, and it intends to attract crowds of regional and territorial stakeholders, politicians and decision-makers to exchange views on current challenges and solutions for the future of Europe and beyond. The JRC will be elaborating perspectives on innovation for place-based transformations and territorial development. Those present will also get the opportunity to have a look at the new ACTIONbook, published just a few weeks ago, and to explore a wealth of data and interactive tools on EU urban and rural areas! For more info, please visit the official website of the event.

Measuring territorial innovation strengths (20/02/2024)

One of the most complex steps within Smart Specialisation is to determine genuinely promising areas in an evidence-based manner, with the help of multiple data. This is also the stage where the economies from the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Region lacked expertise and required support. Following the progress made by these economies in the previous period, it was possible to conduct a comparison of the methodologies used for mapping the economic, innovation, scientific, and technological potential of countries and regions, as well as reflect on the challenges encountered during the data collection process in the different territories.

Smart Specialisation in the Western Balkans and Türkiye – Lessons learned (20/02/2024)

The Western Balkan region and Türkiye demonstrated a strong progress in the Smart Specialisation process in the last several years. In this process, the economies were following the Smart Specialisation design and implementation frameworks for the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Region.

The S3 Community of Practice as one-stop shop for S3 in the EU (21/11/2023)

After a transition period, the Smart Specialisation Community of Practice (S3 CoP) has now become the place to be for all news and updates about Smart Specialisation in the EU. It has been launched by DG REGIO to support the EU Cohesion Policy for the 2021-2027 programming period and is the new central node on guidance, networking, support, and peer-learning on S3, covering its conceptual development and its implementation. The S3 Community of Practice will assist regional authorities and stakeholders involved in Smart Specialisation across the EU through different forms of support and peer learning opportunities. The Smart Specialisation Platform will from now on focus on updates and news related to S3 beyond the EU and – accordingly - this newsletter will focus on S3 beyond the EU and research on place based transformative innovation policies.

Save the date: online final event on Smart Specialisation in the Western Balkans and Türkiye (27/11/2023)

This online event is organised with the objective of presenting some of the main analytical findings and discussing major territorial achievements. It will be an occasion for territorial representatives to share domains of interest within their S3 processes, as well as main lessons learned during the implementation of the S3 design framework.

Join the discussion: Universities for place-based innovation and systemic transformation (15/12/2023)

How do universities contribute to place-based innovation? Are these contributions customised to the local needs of the places where they are located? And how can our higher education institutions help support the twin transition and transform our economies? Learn more at the final event of the project Higher Education for Smart Specialisation and discuss together with us the current and future roles of universities in place-based innovation and systemic transformation.

GEOINNO's 7th Edition: Wide contribution from the JRC Innovation Policies and Economic Impact Unit (09/01/2024)

The Geography of Innovation Conference (GEOINNO), in its 7th edition, takes place at Manchester University. This event promises to be an exceptional platform for the JRC to showcase the notable strides made in their research endeavors in one of Academia's most prominent forums. The PRI team will be at the helm of a special session in GEOINNO24 titled "Interregional Perspectives on Challenge-Oriented Innovation Systems for Sustainability Transitions." This session has garnered substantial interest among scholars and has seen a considerable influx of high-quality abstract submissions. Without a doubt, the ensuing discussions and insights within this session are expected to be enlightening.

Synergies between European and national/regional research & innovation programmes in the aviation sector (04/03/2024)

This High-Level hybrid workshop is co-organised by the European Commission's DG R&I and the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking in cooperation with the European Committee of the Regions. The workshop is organized for all European regions, in particular for those that have identified sustainable aviation, and relevant sectors contributing to this, as a key strategic area in the region’s Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) for the current Operational Programme 2021-2027.

European Universities and Knowledge Alliances in their territorial innovation ecosystems (10/11/2023)

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly expected to contribute to regional development and transformative innovation and heralded as actors of change in the context of the twin transitions and European recovery and resilience. Knowledge Alliances and European University alliances are two funding initiatives for HEIs that enable the translation of this broad strategic agenda into an individual and local context and the negotiation of the global (excellence) – local (relevance) dichotomy and potential alignment of their missions. This report explores the potential for HEIs to contribute to and participate in regional innovation ecosystems and align their missions around the global (excellence) – local (relevance) dichotomy.

New Head of Unit in JRC.B.7 (18/10/2023)

After 3 years of leading the unit for Digital Economy – JRC.T.1, Carlos TORRECILLA SALINAS takes over the position of Head of Unit of JRC.B.7 – Innovation Policies and Economic Impact in Seville. Carlos holds a PhD in Informatics from the University of Seville. He has a broad experience in the field of Information and Communication Technologies in both the private and public sector.

The Twin (Digital and Green) transition: Handling the economic and social challenges (21/09/2023)

"The Twin (Digital and Green) transition: Handling the economic and social challenges", originated from the CONCORDi 2021 conference, was just published in the Industry and Innovation journal. Do not forget to look also at the upcoming edition of CONCORDi 2023, which will take place in Seville on 24-26 October.

Smart Specialisation: main achievements and forthcoming challenges in EU enlargement (17/10/2023)

As part of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2023, this session aimed to highlight the importance of targeted support for Smart Specialisation in the EU Enlargement countries and to discuss the main needs for the future. Speakers presented key results from the countries' experiences in the design and implementation process of Smart Specialisation in two EU candidate countries based on the methodological guidance for applying the S3 approach in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood regions.

Moving forward on transformative innovation policies through Partnerships for Regional Innovation (17/10/2023)

The session at EWRC 2023 was divided into two main parts. First, the audience was presented with a panel, moderated by Taina Tukiainen with the participation of Eva Lundin, Dalarna, Sweden; Paz Palacio, Asturias, Spain; Prof. Luc Soete, co-chair of the PRI Scientific Committee; and Ramojus Reimeris, Joint Research Centre. The panellists shared some reflections and lessons learnt gained from the one-year PRI Pilot that ended in May 2023. Secondly, panellists and participants engaged in a lively discussion with the audience who was tasked to reflect on challenges and opportunities for territories around governance arrangements, collaborative instruments and transformations. Among other things participants highlighted the importance of sharing experiences such as initiatives and opportunities they undertook and also how they dealt with challenges, both by sharing success and learning stories.

JRC session on transformative innovation for climate adaptation (19/10/2023)

For this JRC session around 40 participants were enrolled. Presentations were made by JRC (Karel Haegeman), EIT Climate KIC and the JRC – EIT Working Group (Thomas Koetz), Basque Environmental Agency (Ander Elgorriaga) and STRITIH (Nataša Beltran). The key role of governance, innovation, social aspects and transformative innovation for climate resilience were recognised by the speakers and the audience.

JRC Sessions “Data and methods for policy monitoring" and "Lessons learned to support the future design of cohesion policy" (18/10/2023)

The JRC.B.7-REMO organised two sessions on policy monitoring and evaluation. The session “Data and methods for policy monitoring: a learning lab for practitioners” focused on utilizing territorial data for regional policy-making, with discussions on local policy monitoring challenges and practical training using the data visualisation tool developed by the JRC: Territorial Economic Data viewer (TEDv). The second session “Lessons learned to support the future design of cohesion policy”, centered on leveraging insights from past cohesion policy evaluations to shape its future design. On both JRC sessions, there was an interesting debate with participants on the need for good quality data for policy monitoring and evaluation.

Green Competences for all – preparing learners for the green transition. (17/10/2023)

At the EWRC 2023, the JRC also took part to the participatory lab on “Green Competences for all – preparing learners for the green transition". The panel, moderated by the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, included the engagement of the European Training Foundation, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the EU Education for Climate Coalition and GreenComp, the European sustainability competence framework.

Strategic foresight in EU regions and cities – A policy lab collaborative approach (18/10/2023)

The PRI’s contribution to the Policy Lab organised by SECGEN, raised noticeable interest, gathering a good number of questions and several regions willing to get in contact with PRI and looking forward to exploring ways of involvement. This policy lab session explored how EU regions and cities are championing strategic foresight tools to explore, anticipate, and shape future trends, and how the EU can support them in this endeavour.

Workshop on Building capacity and scaling up STI actions and adoption of countries’ STI4SDGs Roadmaps in Africa (10/10/2023)

The Joint Research Centre (JRC), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and The Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA) joined forces to co-organize this workshop. Supported by the Global Solutions Summit and the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS), the event took place on Oct. 12-13, 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Aligning smart specialisation with transformative innovation policy (27/09/2023)

The report provides guidance on applying a mission-oriented approach to smart specialisation strategies (S3) to address societal challenges and achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). It was prepared in close cooperation with policy makers from the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade responsible for the Czech national S3 strategy. The publication is aimed at policymakers in Europe and beyond who are responsible for designing and implementing innovation policies that address sustainability challenges and goals such as the SDGs.

Erratum previous edition - Goodbye from Xabier Goenaga (21/09/2023)

An erratum slipped in the previous edition of the “Smart Specialisation Newsletter”. In Xabier Goenaga's farewell message to the readers, the e-mail mentioned at the end was missing a letter. For those of you who want to remain in touch, his personal email address is goenaga.tantelu@gmail.com.

Goodbye from Xabier Goenaga, Head of the Innovation Policies and Economic Impact Unit at the Joint Research Centre (19/09/2023)

Xabier Goenaga is Head of the Innovation Policies and Economic Impact Unit at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. At the verge of retirement from the Commission, in this editorial, he looks back at the work done for this community under his leadership and invites us to keep building strong place-based partnerships that can propel the systemic change needed to transition to a green and digital economy.

Science Meets Regions final event: Boosting evidence-informed policymaking at local and regional level (28/09/2023)

Join us on 28 September (11:30 – 13:00) for the panel discussion on “Partnerships for Regional Innovation – where next?”. PRI is closely related to Science Meets Regions. It promotes innovation-driven territorial transformation, helps strengthening regional innovation systems for the green and digital transition and delivers on the New European Innovation Agenda. In our session we will look into what is next after the first PRI Pilot and how under the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the political co-lead of the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the European Commission, PRI will move into concrete action, supporting territories across the EU in reaping the opportunities of the green and digital economy.

EWRC Smart Specialisation: main achievements and forthcoming challenges in EU enlargement (10/10/2023)

As part of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2023, this session aims to highlight the importance of targeted support for Smart Specialisation in the EU Enlargement countries and discuss the main needs for the future. Speakers will present key results from the countries' experiences in the design and implementation process of Smart Specialisation in two EU candidate countries, based on the methodological guidance for applying the S3 approach in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood region. (Tuesday 10/10/2023, 14:30 - 15:30 CET)

EWRC Participatory/Political lab: Moving forward on transformative innovation policies through Partnerships for Regional Innovation (10/10/2023)

The European Week of Regions and Cities 2023 includes this session to present the main outcomes of the Partnerships for Regional Innovation. PRI is one of the flagship actions in the Commission/CoR joint action plan and it is closely linked to cohesion policy. The theme is breaking barriers to cross-border cooperation. (Tuesday 10/10/2023, 16.30 - 18.00 CET)

EWRC Transformative innovation towards climate resilience (11/10/2023)

Implementing Climate Adaptation strategies across the EU is both urgent and complex. This session looks at how municipalities, regions and Member States can work better together in a multilevel, inter-territorial and whole-of-governance mode, aiming to combine the need for short term results with longer term planning. The session considers bottlenecks and tools, finance instruments and collaboration models, as well as practical testimonies on how to accelerate climate resilience. (Wednesday 11/10/2023, 11:30 - 12:30 CET)

EWRC Data and methods for policy monitoring: a learning lab for practitioners (11/10/2023)

The session focuses on the use of territorial data to support regional policy-making. The first part will host a discussion from the perspective of both researchers and practitioners on challenges related to policy monitoring at local level. The second part will propose interactive training on a specific data visualisation tool developed by the JRC (Territorial Economic Data viewer). Participants will learn to use the tool and interpret data, some of which will be presented and discussed. (Wednesday 11/10/2023, 11:30 - 13:00 CET)

EWRC Lessons learned to support the future design of cohesion policy (12/10/2023)

What have we learned from previous evaluations of cohesion policy? How can previous findings support its future design? This workshop aims to enhance interaction and discussion between researchers and policy makers on key aspects of cohesion policy, such as its governance, approach to R&I and industrial policies. Building on the work of the JRC TEDAM, the main goal is to bridge the academic and policy debates with an eye to the policy's future. (Thursday 12/10/2023, 09:30 - 10:30 CET)

Unlocking the potential for regional collaboration in the ICT domain in the Western Balkans (14/09/2023)

Smart Specialisation has gained traction in the Western Balkans. In the last four years, all Western Balkan economies made progress in developing their first Smart Specialisation strategies. This development led to revealing preliminary or final priority areas in most of them, highlighting few potentially common ones for the entire region This report highlights main challenges and opportunities that were emphasised during the discussion. The report also gives an expert overview of the context and provides recommendations for facing these challenges and promoting collaboration in the Smart Specialisation priority area of ICT for the benefit of the entire region.

The governance of regional innovation policy and its economic implications (15/09/2023)

This paper provides insights on the potential macroeconomic impact of the governance of the European innovation policy called Smart Specialisation. We use original empirical data on the implementation of the policy, which is funded through a dedicated financial envelope of the 2014–2020 EU cohesion policy, in a spatial macroeconomic modelling framework capable of gauging the general equilibrium effects of varying degrees of governance quality. Our contribution aims at narrowing the gap between the abstraction of ex-ante impact assessment exercises based on macroeconomic simulations and the reality of how policy interventions may take place. By using data for all Italian NUTS 2 regions, we find that the measured quality of Smart Specialisation governance could increase the pure investment-related impact of the policy by up to 40 percent. At the same time, we estimate that further potential GDP gains—in the order of an additional 40–50 percent over what was achieved with the observed levels of governance—would not materialise because of the comparatively low quality of governance in some regions.

Newly launched MOOC on Smart Specialisation in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Region (14/09/2023)

The Joint Research Centre has released a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), now available through EU Academy, the EU-owned online knowledge hub. The course was developed from the extensive work done by the JRC in the promotion of the Smart Specialisation Framework for the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Region, with the support of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR).

Matchmaking Event for the territories interested to become Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs) (12/09/2023)

The online matchmaking event aims at creating opportunities for participants to meet and connect with a view of either responding to the call for expression interest to become a Regional Innovation Valley or finding partners for prospective applications to calls launched under the EIE and I3 instruments. Participation will facilitate networking around the five burning challenges identified by the New European Innovation Agenda, namely, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, increasing global food security, mastering the digital transformation (including cybersecurity), improving healthcare and achieving circularity.

JRC Sessions at ERSA2023 Congress (28/08/2023)

At ERSA2023, JRC will be hosting two sequential sessions on the theme of "Partnerships for innovation: building transformative innovation policies with local ownership". The European Regional Science Association conference is a reputable platform for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to exchange knowledge and experiences on regional development and economic growth, including innovation policy and transformative innovation approaches. The JRC sessions have attracted 13 contributions dealing with multilevel dimension, futures-oriented co-creation, directionality, synergies and ecosystem approach of transformative innovation policy, also updating the concept of Smart Specialisation and many others. The JRC team will showcase their research on transformative innovation policies and strategies that cater to local needs. (Online and in Alicante, Spain from 28th of August to 1st of September)

EUSBSR Annual Forum Workshop session: Co-creating the vision and foundations of a BSR innovation valley (04/10/2023)

The workshop will build on the New European Innovation Agenda flagship of accelerating European Innovation Ecosystems through Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs) and will explore the concept of a (macro)regional innovation valley, building on the innovation strengths of the Baltic Sea Region. The session will present experiences from regional, network and EU initiative perspectives, review audience interest and commitment to RIVs and seek new ways forward to support long-term BSR engagement with EU RIVs. The workshop will promote exchanges to explore if and how BSR innovation actors and organisations can create the building blocks for a macro-regional innovation valley. The interactive session will combine a panel discussion with on-line tools and active, audience feedback. Welcome to our interactive workshop session in October in Riga! (15.00-16.30 (EEST))

JRC is looking for an Economic Analyst (17/08/2023)

Join us at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Seville! The Innovation Policies and Economic Impact Unit of Directorate B for Fair and Sustainable Economy, based in Seville, has a vacancy for an economic analyst to carry out economic analysis at the interface between (systemic and mission-oriented) innovation policy and transitions, with a particular focus on monitoring and evaluation. You will contribute to activities that the PRI team will conduct in collaboration with policy Directorates-General, the European Committee of the Regions and the European Parliament and in interaction with policy makers at European, national, regional or local authorities.

We are hiring a Project officer for Scientific outreach (17/08/2023)

Interested to work at the science/policy interface, make a difference for EU citizens and be in a vibrant and dynamic international environment? The current vacancy is in the Innovation Policies and Economic Impact Unit of Directorate B for Fair and Sustainable Economy, based in Seville. The Unit is looking for a scientific officer with a strong focus on ‘science for policy’ and outreach, supporting the Unit in identifying opportunities for translating the unit’s scientific outputs in the area of economic policies and innovation - with particular focus on regions (eg. economic impact of territorial policies, sustainability, etc.) - into compelling messages for decisions makers and the general public.

EWRC Smart Specialisation: main achievements and forthcoming challenges in EU enlargement (10/10/2023)

As part of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2023, this session aims to highlight the importance of targeted support for Smart Specialisation in the EU Enlargement countries and discuss the main needs for the future. Speakers will present key results from the countries' experiences in the design and implementation process of Smart Specialisation in two EU candidate countries, based on the methodological guidance for applying the S3 approach in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood region. (Tuesday 10/10/2023, 14:30 - 15:30 CET)

EWRC Participatory/Political lab: Moving forward on transformative innovation policies through Partnerships for Regional Innovation (10/10/2023)

The European Week of Regions and Cities 2023 includes this session to present the main outcomes of the Partnerships for Regional Innovation. PRI is one of the flagship actions in the Commission/CoR joint action plan and it is closely linked to cohesion policy. The theme is breaking barriers to cross-border cooperation. (Tuesday 10/10/2023, 16.30 - 18.00 CET)

New open online course available (23/08/2023)

Smart Specialisation in EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Region and the new trends in the Smart Specialisation approach. This MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) analyses the main phases of the design of a Smart Specialisation Strategy in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Region while considering the specificity of each territory.

Publications relevant to Partnerships for Regional Innovation (23/08/2023)

This page includes publications by the PRI Scientific Committee and selected JRC publications of direct relevance to the design and implementation of transformative innovation policies.