"Transforming Territories Newsletter" Newsletter Issues

First European Digital Innovation Hubs online Conference (04/02/2021)

More than 2.000 people from across Europe participated in the first annual European Digital Innovation Hubs Conference. Since 2016, the European Commission has supported the creation of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIH) and is now gearing up support to the digitalisation of Europe's economy and society with the creation of a pan-European network of Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs). This network will support SMEs and public sector in their digital transformation including on how to benefit from very advanced technologies such as: AI, HPC, Cybersecurity and more. More than 20 parallel sessions provided inspiring keynote speeches and fostered participatory discussions. Within the Joint Research Centre, a dedicated team of the S3 Platform has been working for the last three years on supporting synergies and the territorial dimension of DIHs within Smart Specialisation innovation ecosystems.

ERSA-JRC Winter School 2021 (04/02/2021)

The European Regional Science Association in collaboration with the Joint Research Centre (Seville) had organised a Winter School featuring "Smart specialisation: linking global challenges to local implementation". Given the evolving nature of S3, it offers a unique entry point on how territorial policies can provide solutions to grand challenges in a way that lead to transformation of places that become more resilient by adapting to social, economic and environmental changes. The winter school provided PhD/Post-doc Students and young researchers with the very latest advances in regional science on the topic of place-based policies and social, economic and climate challenges.

STOA Workshop: Exploring synergies between Horizon Europe and regional policy (05/02/2021)

The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs) and Horizon Europe, when operating individually, provide significant support for research, development, and innovation. Supporting synergies in their use and implementation may deliver additional gains in terms of innovation results, close the innovation gap in Europe, and promote economic growth. The presentation from Mikel Landabaso Alvarez, Director of the Seville site of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and the video of the event that was held on 2d February 2021 are now available.

Survey: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected RIS3 management and activities? (28/01/2021)

The Territorial Development Unit of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) has developed a survey aimed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on RIS3 management and activities. The institutions in charge of the design and implementation of regional and national RIS3 are sent the link to the survey and are encouraged to take part in it.

Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) (05/02/2021)

To help applicants better prepare for Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) selection rounds in 2021, a second call for expressions of interest for one-on-one pre-application expert assistance for S3P-Industry investment projects is launched. The purpose of this one-day consultation held by a business expert is to offer further guidelines on how to improve the quality of information provided in the application form. This assistance is addressed to prospective applicants as well as to project promoters who consider re-applying for TAF. Stakeholders can submit their expression of interest by the 12th of February 2021 to receive support.

An intervention-logic approach for the design and implementation of S3 strategies (01/02/2021)

Smart specialisation is conceptualised as research and innovation policymaking encompassed in a holistic place-based view of development. It combines an organisational bottom-up approach with a structural approach, stressing interactions among local and international actors that participate and facilitate reflexive learning processes. The issue of governance is key and multi-level governance is instrumental for advancing with the goal of the strategy on the ground. The need to connect top-down EU policies with place-based facts and ambitions that translate into competitive advantage, generating growth and jobs, makes governance the cornerstone of the smart specialisation process. In the context of the revision of the existing strategies, the need to reassess the coherence of policy intervention is of crucial importance to address the local but also the global challenges faced by EU territories.

Smart Specialisation and Blue biotechnology in Europe (01/02/2021)

In May 2019, DG MARE and the JRC published its Blue economy Report that focuses on boosting a “blue” economy, the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, through entrepreneurship, investment, and research and innovation. In order to better understand and illustrate the new opportunities coming from the Blue economy, this report introduces the emergent sector of Blue biotechnology, ant its reference in the Smart Specialisation Strategies of 12 countries and 53 regions in the EU. A comprehensive screening of EU supported interventions in the current 2014-2020 funding period showed that € 238.6 million of EU funds have been invested in 182 projects and initiatives related to Blue biotechnology with a total budget of EUR 336 million. Smart Specialisation Strategies represent a policy instrument that favours the discovery of innovation potential, also in the Blue biotechnology.

Interregional Cooperation and Smart Specialisation: a Lagging Regions Perspective (05/02/2021)

Produced as part of the JRC Lagging Regions project, this report explores the nature and extent of mutual reinforcement between interregional collaboration and Smart Specialisation in a selection of lagging regions drawing on a survey, case studies, and events. It examines the specific challenges of interregional and international cooperation, as well as potential benefits and opportunities, that are relevant for low-growth and low-income regions.

From Digital Innovation to "Smart Tourism destination": Stakeholders' reflections in times of a pandemic (05/02/2021)

This JRC policy insight presents the main findings of an online event that took place on 30th September and 8th October 2020, organised by the Portuguese’s Algarve Region and the JRC. The workshop aimed to support the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process EDP, a key feature of Smart Specialisation. 65 stakeholders participated in the event to discuss challenges, opportunities and needs of the region in the field of the digitalisation of tourism. Lack of adequate skills, inadequate infrastructure, weak links between tourism services and others economic activities and ineffective data collection and analysis were some of bottlenecks discussed. Regional assets, new market trends and the advantage of big data analysis were the main opportunities identified.

S3 in sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities, challenges and initial mapping for Côte d’Ivoire (05/02/2021)

This article discusses the opportunities and challenges for the uptake of Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) in sub-Saharan African contexts. It applies the initial S3 mapping to the case of Côte d'Ivoire, one of the largest economies in the West African region. The integration of smart specialisation principles into STI and industrial policymaking can indeed open several opportunities to identify and nurture innovative activities and novel industries. Pragmatic recommendations are drawn for more effective innovation-based local development strategies in Côte d’Ivoire and the region.

Impact Assessment of the Smart Specialisation experience (04/12/2020)

Experts from 12 territories across Europe have been invited to “Assess the potential impact of Smart Specialisation by analysing the macro-linkages between the enhanced quality of policy governance resulting from the adoption of the strategies, the induced changes in innovation ecosystems and the effects in terms of growth and jobs”. The presentations and reports from participants are available on the Smart Specialisationn Platform website. The final report will be available shortly.

Smart Specialisation Strategies for Sustainability in Latin America (09/12/2020)

The Smart Specialisation Platform is organising an online event for the launch of the project: “Smart Specialisation Strategies for Sustainability in Latin America”. This new project is part of the "Development in Transition" programme led by DG DEVCO. It will be held on 9 December 2020 at 16:00 CET. Registration is necessary prior to the event.

TAF capacity-building workshop on governance models and platform business models (09/12/2020)

On 9 December 2020, the Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) will host an online capacity-building workshop, where participants will learn how to address challenges commonly faced by S3P-Industry projects in the areas of governance of interregional investment projects and platform business models. The workshop will be hosted by two key speakers with long experience and strong expertise in these two specific areas. The session is especially dedicated to S3P-Industry project promoters interested to apply for the TAF, but also to actors coming from industry, clusters or other business entities working on interregional investment projects.

Smart Specialisation Strategies in Portugal (11/12/2020)

This event aims to bring together policy-makers, entrepreneurs, academia, and citizens to contribute to the debate on how to improve the governance and “Entrepreneurial Discovery Process” of Smart Specialisation Strategy in Portugal. The online event is open to the public, but registration is mandatory and places are limited.

Joint Event Thematic S3 Platforms (18/12/2020)

The Joint online event for the three Thematic Smart Specialisation Platforms (TSSPs) for Agri-Food, Energy and Industrial Modernisation, will be held on 18 December 2020, from 13h30 to 16h15. It will gather the various EC DGs that have been supporting the thematic S3 platforms and their partnerships (DGs REGIO, GROW, RTD, AGRI, ENER and JRC) and offers the next occasion to further build the community of the TSSPs. This meeting is targeted to any partner of the Interregional Partnerships established under the three S3 thematic platforms.

Territorial Impact Assessment (04/12/2020)

The book "Territorial Impact Assessment" (Springer edition) has been published, including a chapter titled "Guidelines for Territorial Impact Assessment Applied to Regional Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation" by Paulo Neto and Anabela Santos.

Creating growth by connecting place-based development strategies (18/11/2020)

The paper outlines a conceptual framework of how transnational cooperation may strengthen regional place-based development strategies and improve regional innovation capabilities. Key analytical concepts used are proximity, knowledge complexity, entrepreneurial discovery processes, stakeholder analysis and cluster emergence.

SMARTER 2020 Conference (04/12/2020)

The videos, PowerPoint presentations and related material from the 2020 SMARTER Conference are available online. More than 850 participants have taken part to the 5 webinars that were held online between September and December 2020.

Smart Specialisation at UN 75th General Assembly High Level Side Event (08/12/2020)

The UN General Assembly High Level Side Event on Science, Technology and Innovation Roadmaps for the SDGs – achievements and new opportunities was held on 17 November 2020. It focused on the preliminary results and the next steps of the Global Pilot Programme on STI for the SDGs, to which JRC has strongly contributed. The JRC has championed the Smart Specialisation Strategy as a global methodology for STI policy development for achieving the SDGs through the application of localised STI Roadmaps. The summary report is available on the Smart Specialisation Platform website.

SMARTER 2020 Conference - 3d webinar - Smart Specialisation for Sustainable Development Goals (10/11/2020)

The third SMARTER webinar entitled “Smart Specialisation for Sustainable Development Goals ” will be held online on 10th November 2020 from 10:30 to 12:30 CET. The objective of the webinar is to discuss how to design and implement smart specialisation strategies to achieve sustainable transformation and meet the objectives of the 2030 UN Agenda at national, regional and local levels.

SMARTER 2020 Conference - 4th webinar - Quality of life in (European) cities: are cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable? (19/11/2020)

The fourth SMARTER webinar entitled “Quality of life in (European) cities: are cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable? ” will be held online on 19 November 2020 from 10:00 to 12:00 CET. Since 2004, the European Commission regularly monitors the quality of life in European cities, through a dedicated survey. This webinar will present the main findings of the 2019 edition of the survey. The webinar will also highlight The European Handbook for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Voluntary Local Reviews, developed by the JRC. This tool offers policy makers, researchers and practitioners a framework to monitor the progress towards the achievement of the SDGs at the urban level. Moving to a more global level, the OECD will present the main findings of their recent work on well-being in cities in the world.

SMARTER 2020 Conference: 5th Webinar - Smart Specialisation: evidence, lessons, challenges and opportunities (24/11/2020)

The fifth SMARTER webinar entitled “Smart Specialisation: evidence, lessons, challenges and opportunities ” will be held online on 24 November 2020 from 10:30 to 11:30 CET. This webinar will explore the following main components of Smart Specialisation Strategy: governance, the entrepreneurial discovery process and monitoring and evaluation. In particular, the debate will provide an overview of the main theoretical underpinnings and developments on these components, as well as some empirical evidence from around 20 case studies. The implications for the future of Smart Specialisation Strategy in the next programming period (2021-2027) will also be discussed.

SMARTER Conference - 6th webinar - Sustainable Urban Development and Innovation: aligning policies for change (03/12/2020)

The sixth and last 2020 SMARTER webinar entitled “Sustainable Urban Development and Innovation: aligning policies for change” will be held online on 3 December 2020 from 10:30 to 11:45 CET. The webinar will address the nexus between urban development and innovation and explore the possible integration of different policy instruments and frameworks promoted at European level mainly through cohesion policy, but also the new mission-oriented approach of the EU research and innovation policy. Reflection on ongoing experiences as Sustainable Urban Development strategies supported by cohesion policy, the JPI Urban Europe research network and the co-creation process of the New Leipzig Charter will provide the opportunity to explore to what extent the EU discourse on integrated urban development can steer a different approach to innovation. Moreover, the webinar will discuss what innovation agenda shall be conceived match development to match development objectives beyond economic transformation. The registration form and final agenda will be available shortly.

Technical Assistance Facility for Industrial Modernisation and Investment (TAF) (30/10/2020)

Join the TAF Talks, virtual sessions that will take place until January 2021. Experts from the Technical Assistance Facility for Industrial Modernisation and Investment (TAF), the TAF pre-selection team and past beneficiaries will discuss together with S3P-Industry project promoters the barriers to project development, and will help them better understand the scope of TAF and the benefit that this type of business and legal support can provide to their projects. In addition, the TAF Talks aim at providing project promoters with concrete advice and feedback on the rationale and structure of their investment ideas, to fine-tune them towards successful TAF applications.

Boosting digitalisation of SMEs through Digital Innovation Hubs (30/10/2020)

Building upon the knowledge gained during the last two years on how Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) operate in different regional socioeconomic contexts, this practical handbook aims to provide national/regional policy makers and DIH managers with useful information on how to setup a new DIH or reinforce existing ones while benefiting from available funds, with a special focus on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the 2021-2027 period.

State Aid Map in the Energy Sector (03/11/2020)

This report is the summary of the “Workshop on State Aid Map in Energy Sector” organised by the S3PEnergy with the REGIO Communities of Practitioners, as a practical contribution in assisting professionals from national and/or regional authorities on State aid issues in the sector of Energy.

Challenges, opportunities and needs for a sustainable bioeconomy in the Alentejo Region (30/10/2020)

The Portuguese region of Alentejo was one of the first to explore how support for the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) can go digital during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy insight provides information on the key findings of the online events that gathered 47 stakeholders, to discuss challenges, opportunities and needs of the region in the field of sustainable bioeconomy.

Making European Digital Innovation Hubs work for SMEs (03/11/2020)

On the 26 October 2020, the S3P contributed to the event organised by the European Digital SME Alliance on the role of DIHs for SMEs.

Interview with D. Foray following the 1st webinar of the SMARTER 2020 Conference (03/11/2020)

Following the 1st webinar of the SMARTER 2020 Conference, Dominique Foray responds to some of the intriguing questions asked during the session, as there was no room to touch upon them during the online event.

How can territories prepare for the Green and Digital transitions? New JRC Report explains it all (29/09/2020)

Recovering from the effects of the pandemic and future-proofing our economies and societies as foreseen in the European Green Deal require a degree of mass mobilisation that is unprecedented in modern times. How can a territory prepare in times of pervasive change? How can threats turn into opportunities? How can policy support industrial change that combines material prosperity, environmental sustainability and social cohesion? Adequate preparation hinges crucially on non-readily available evidence. A newly published JRC report entitled "Projecting Opportunities for INdustrial Transitions (POINT). Concepts, rationales and methodological guidelines for territorial reviews of industrial transition" offers a framework to collect evidence about affected production and consumption systems and chart profitable pathways for their transformation. The report is a key output of the JRC Working Group on Understanding and Managing Industrial Transitions and draws from experience gathered during the development of the pilot reviews of industrial transition in Andalusia, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania. It offers guidance to analysts and policy makers interested in conducting similar studies in their territories.

SMARTER 2020 Conference - 2d Webinar - “Smart Specialisation Strategies for Sustainability – opportunities for economic recovery and competitiveness” (06/10/2020)

The second SMARTER webinar entitled “Smart Specialisation Strategies for Sustainability – opportunities for economic recovery and competitiveness” will be held online on 6 October 2020 from 9:30 to 11:30 CEST. It aims at reflecting on the role of Smart Specialisation Strategies to foster the green and digital transitions.

Meet the Smart Specialisation Platform teams at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2020 (07/10/2020)

The European Week of Regions and Cities will be held from 5 to 22 October 2020. Members of the Territorial Development Unit of the Joint Research Centre, including the Smart Specialisation Platform, will be presenting a wide range of topics, notably on S3 in lagging regions, Smart Specialisation for SDGs, Skills and vocational training, Digital Innovation Hubs, industrial transition, etc.

Innovate in Tourism: From Digital Transition to Smart Destination (Portugal) (08/10/2020)

Organized by the Regional Coordination and Development Commission of Algarve (Portugal) with the support of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), this workshop aims to share experiences, identify obstacles, and suggest solutions that help to strengthen the innovative capacity of the region in the field of “tourism sector digitalization”. The second session of this online event will be held on 8 October 2020 and will bring together a wide range of territorial actors including business persons, researchers and public managers.

Stakeholders’ Survey on Pact for Skills and its Impact (01/10/2020)

In the European Skills Agenda the European Commission proposed a Pact for Skills (to be officially launched in November). It is new engagement model for skills that will help meet COVID-19 challenges and deliver on the ambitions of the recovery pathway, the EU Industrial Strategy and the green and digital transition. Skills are key for the future. Under the Pact industry, public and private employers, social partners, education and training providers and employment agencies will be called to work together on shared vision and actions. The Pact aims to mobilise and incentivise all relevant stakeholders to take concrete actions for the upskilling and reskilling of people of working age, and, when relevant, pool efforts thanks to partnerships. It can be implemented through: •individual commitments of companies or other stakeholders; •the commitment of existing organisations/partnerships; •the launch of large-scale European public-private multi-stakeholder partnerships. Please fill in the Stakeholders’ Survey until 12 October 2020. It will take only 10 to 15 minutes but will provide valuable feedback on the Pact for Skills and its essential elements like the Charter and support services.

2020 Fraunhofer Institute RIS3 Survey (01/10/2020)

Since 2013, Fraunhofer ISI has conducted annual surveys on policy maker's perception of the European Commission's RIS3 agenda. This year, their survey focuses not only on the disruptions caused by the pandemic but also on the potentially challenging task of fulfilling the "enabling conditions", as required to see new or revised smart specialisation strategies approved. Fraunhofer ISI would like to hear your voice on what role Smart Specialisation could play in the future, and subsequently convey key insights to the European Commission. The survey takes about 20-30 minutes to complete.

DIHs Champion Challenge 2020 (01/10/2020)

The DIHNET.EU project has launched the call for the DIH Champions Challenge 2020. The challenge aims at identifying, showcasing and supporting success stories of mature Digital Innovation Hubs that can inspire and guide others. Fully operative DIHs can submit their application until 2nd October. This year the DIH Champion prize will be awarded during the virtual EDIH networking event that will take place on 9 and 10 November 2020.

Additional information on the first SMARTER webinar / “Place-based responses to the COVID-19 economic crisis” (29/09/2020)

The video recording and PowerPoint presentations from the first SMARTER webinar on “Place-based responses to the COVID-19 economic crisis” that was held on the 17 September 2020 are now available on the S3 Platform website.

Centres of Competence and Digital Innovation Hubs (01/10/2020)

Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform hosted a webinar for regional policymakers on Centres of Competence (CoCs) and Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) on 25 September 2020. The S3 Platform, Joint Research Centre, presented the synergies between these two tools for regional innovation and competitiveness. Indeed, a CoC can evolve towards a DIH or become part of one. In any case, their combined strengths boost the ecosystem supporting the digital transformation of local business and public bodies, and national and regional Smart Specialisation Strategies can provide an adequate framework to nurture such integration of capacities. In the Multi-annual Financial Framework 2021-2027, both the European Regional Development Funds and the brand new Digital Europe programme are called to play a fundamental role in funding the deployment of DIHs to serve all regions in the EU. The webinar presented also two successful cases of Centres of Competence in Europe: the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre at Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania (university that leads Santaka Artificial Intelligence DIH), as well as the Industrial Internet Laboratory at Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (university that leads IoT Compass DIH).

Editorial from Nicola De Michelis (31/08/2020)

Nicola De Michelis is currently Director for Smart and Sustainable Development and Programme Implementation in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain, in the Directorate General for regional and urban policy. In this editorial, he provides his views on the role and new challenges for the implementation of Smart Specialisation Strategies. Nicola De Michelis joined the European Commission in 1996 and spent most of his career working on regional policies. In particular, he has been member of the team, which prepared and negotiated the legislative and financial package of cohesion policy for the period 2007-2013. He was the deputy head of cabinet of Johannes Hahn during his full mandate from 2009 until 2014, closely following the reform of cohesion policy for the period 2014-2020. At the end of 2014, he was appointed Director in DG REGIO with responsibility for the intervention of the structural funds in north Europe, for urban and territorial development, and for inclusive growth. From 2015 until 2018, he was the head of the cabinet of Corina Cretu.

SMARTER 2020 Conference: 1st Webinar - “Place-based responses to the COVID-19 economic crisis” (17/09/2020)

The first webinar of the SMARTER 2020 Conference will be held on 17 September 2020 from 10 to 12 am (CEST). It will focus on short-term responses to Covid-19 related to the governance of Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) and its sustainable dimension (S4), as well as the medium/long-term role of S3/S4 in the post-recovery period, and related policy implications.

Call for contributions: Fostering the implementation of environmental-oriented activities through S3 (28/07/2020)

The S3 Platform is launching a call for contribution to S3 stakeholders across Europe with the view to disseminate inspiring S3 environmental-oriented activities with tangible learning potential. The selected cases will highlight how S3 stakeholders are using the Smart Specialisation concept to develop their own innovation-driven economic transformation agendas at national and regional levels, with a specific emphasis on environmental-oriented activities. To participate, please provide two paragraphs (about 5 to 10 lines each) that describe the way in which your territory has fostered the implementation of environmental-oriented activities by using the Smart Specialisation approach – either through the Governance, and/or stakeholders’ involvement in the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process, and/or Monitoring and Evaluation mechanisms, with a brief description of the policy tools and/or measures that were/are developed in this context. The themes covered can relate for instance to energy transition, the circular economy, climate action, sustainable mobility, digitalization for a greener economy, strategy to develop green S3 R&I policies, bio-economy, etc. (non-limitative list). The call for contribution is open until 24 September 2020.

Understanding and Managing Industrial Transitions: 3rd Meeting of the JRC Working Group (24/08/2020)

The 3rd Working Group meeting was held virtually on 14-15 July 2020 and featured preliminary findings and recommendations of the JRC Industrial Transition Reviews of Andalusia, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania as well as topical interventions from leading experts. The reviews focus on an industrial theme of growing global importance agreed with relevant government authorities, collect evidence from key stakeholders in the country and from broader international experiences, and support the development of adequate territorial responses that harness cross-portfolio complementarities and cross-stakeholder coordination. All four reviews currently under way examine industrial themes at the heart of the European Green Deal, including the transition to renewable energy and sustainable transport (Andalusia, Greece) and the productive transformations necessary, and brought forward by, digitalisation (Bulgaria, Romania). The JRC Industrial Transition Reviews follow the common POINT (Projecting Opportunities for INdustrial Transition) methodology. The JRC Technical Report will be made available on the S3 Platform website shortly.

SMARTER 2020 Conference - 2d Webinar - “Smart Specialisation Strategies for Sustainability – opportunities for economic recovery and competitiveness” (06/10/2020)

The Webinar situates Smart Specialisation Strategies in the new EU policy agenda with the European Green Deal as EUs new growth strategy. This directionality is confirmed in the recent EU recovery package, where investment and innovation-driven policy for sustainability are highlighted for Europe economic recovery. Which opportunities for local industrial strategies arise in the green and digital transitions and in the new EU policy? How can smaller countries, regions and cities in Europe design bottom-up strategies reaping the opportunities of the green and digital transition for local jobs and growth? Which investments and innovation measures are needed for this to happen? How to deal with the threats of transitions and local trade-offs? The Webinar counts on five high-level speakers with in-depth experience in innovation policy design across Europe. It will be held online on 6 October 2020.

EWRC 2020: S3 and Western Balkans - Addressing COVID-19 challenges (13/10/2020)

As part of this year’s European Week of Regions and Cities, the S3 Platform is organising a workshop on "Addressing COVID-19 challenges in the context of Smart Specialisation strategies in the Western Balkans". The event will examine how smart specialisation processes and priority areas are validated and adapted in the new COVID-19 reality, and how transnational cooperation can help overcome the difficult challenges posed by the crisis. The workshop will bring together policy-makers responsible for the development and implementation of smart specialisation strategies across the Western Balkans as well as European countries. This online event will take place on 13 October 2020.

EWRC 2020: Resilience of EU innovation ecosystems (14/10/2020)

The session "Resilience of EU innovation ecosystems" will analyse the various aspects of the impact of COVID-19 on the EU and how Smart Specialisation Strategy models have helped during the lockdown and will help further in the post-crisis transition. The session will combine interventions from JRC analysts on the "Employment effect of COVID-19 outbreak in EU27" and the "Role of Smart Specialisation practices in the post-pandemic recovery" , as well as several accounts from the Tuscany (IT) and Navarre (ES) regions, together with the 3D-Printing S3 Partnership. organised in the frame of the European week of Regions and Cities, this online session is open to all and will take place on 14 October 2020.

EWRC 2020: The role of Digital Innovation Hubs in the post COVID-19 era (14/10/2020)

The workshop’s main objective is to further increase awareness among regional / national policy makers on how DIHs can help SMEs in making the most of digital opportunities in their sector and becoming more resilient and competitive. Moreover, to present to policy makers current funding mechanisms and methodologies to help them reinforce DIHs and the uptake of digital transformation of SMEs in their regions/countries. The online session will be held on 14 October 2020.

EWRC 2020: Centres of Vocational Excellence (14/10/2020)

This world café invites participants to provide input into the recently established European platforms for Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs). These platforms, funded by Erasmus+, connect providers of high quality skills and competences for a specific economic sector or societal challenge, embedded closely in regional innovation ecosystems. CoVEs are composed of vocational education and training providers as well as other parts of the ecosystem such as business associations and regional development agencies. Each of the five pilot platforms will host a table to explain the territorial dimension of their activities and seek the views and proposals of all participants. In addition to learning more about the CoVEs, the world café will also help participants to consider how skills can be integrated into their Smart Specialisation Strategies post 2020, for which the European Regional Development Fund can provide funding. This online session will be held on14 October 2020.

EWRC 2020: Localised Trends and Strategies for SDGs (14/10/2020)

One of the challenges of the post-COVID era is to make sure that economic recovery and socio-economic development are sustainable and aligned with the European Green Deal and 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development.During the session, three academics will present scientific work and evidence on environmental commons and climate change, sustainable food system and education. The three presentations will be followed by a discussion by four representatives from local, national and supranational authorities. This online session will be held on 14 October 2020.

Extension for Technical Assistance Facility Applications (02/09/2020)

The deadlines for the upcoming Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) applications have been extended and the next cut-off date is 30 September 2020. TAF provides free-of-charge expert advice to eligible investment projects generated through the Smart Specialisation Platform for Industrial Modernisation (S3P-Industry). Through this scheme, project promoters will have the opportunity to work with experts in business, corporate finance and law from leading international business advisory firms, improving their business plans and boosting their investment readiness. The timeline for the coming calls and all useful documents for applicants are available on the S3 platform website.

Behavioural changes in tourism in times of COVID-19 (03/09/2020)

Based on the results of recent surveys, conducted between April and May 2020, this report quantifies the potential changes in tourist behaviour during the Summer and Autumn of 2020, as consequences of travel and mobility limitations, psychological and economic factors. Therefore, three potential scenarios for the coming months (from June to December 2020) in relation to the volume to tourist arrivals are described, depending on the evolution and spread of the virus. Subsequently, considering the tourist-employment relationship, the report displays an estimation for the number of jobs at risk in EU in 2020, as a result of the slowdown of tourism activities. The reports concludes by providing policy recommendations for the short, medium and long-term.

Implementation of Smart Specialisation Strategies in Portugal: An assessment (31/08/2020)

This report assesses the implementation of Smart Specialisation in Portugal, comparing the situation today in 2020 with 2013. It highlights a number of problems in the governance of S3 implementation and the positive changes that have occurred, and present some recommendations for the post-2020 period.

SMARTER 2020 Conference Webinar Series (17/09/2020)

The SMARTER 2020 Conference Webinar series on "Smart Specialisation and Territorial Development: Connecting grand societal challenges with local goals in place-based innovation policy" is co-organised by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and Regional Studies Association Europe. In line with the measures to contain the diffusion of COVID-19, the physical event will be replaced by a series of six webinars held between 15 September and 15 December 2020. Open to all interested stakeholders - practitioners, policy-makers and researchers - , they will touch upon various topics including •“Place-based responses to the COVID-19 economic crisis”, •“Smart Specialisation Strategies for Sustainability – opportunities for economic recovery and competitiveness”, •Smart Specialisation for Sustainable Development Goals", •"Smart Specialisation: evidence, lessons, challenges and opportunities”, •Urban strategies and Smart Specialisation", as well as •"Quality of life in European cities: are cities in Europe inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable?".

Side event at the UN High Level Political Forum 2020 (07/07/2020)

The S3 Platform has been taking part in a series of three virtual meetings on "STI Roadmaps for SDGs: paving the pathways for sustainable recovery and future resilience" in the post-COVID 19 recovery context. The first part took place on 22 June 2020, the second on 30 June and the third one will be a side event at the High-Level Political Forum on 7 July 2020 (08:00 – 09:00 a.m. EST/ 14:00-15:00 CEST). It is co-organized with the Government of Serbia/METD, EC – JRC, UN DESA and the Government of Japan/JST.

Science, Technology and Innovation session at the HLPF 2020 (10/07/2020)

The main theme of this year´s edition of the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development will be "Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development”. Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture and Health together with Viktor Nedovic, Assistant Minister from Serbia will take part in the official session on "Science, technology and innovation". Serbia participates in the UN Global Pilot Programme and is supported by the JRC on S3 for SDGs. The session will be held on 10 July 2020, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (EST time)/ 16:00-17:00 (CEST time).

Selecting and Developing S3 Projects in the Warmia and Masuria Region (19/06/2020)

The Smart Stories reflect the way in which S3 stakeholders have used the Smart specialisation concept to develop their own innovation-driven development policies at national and regional level. The Region of Warmia and Masuria (Poland) highlights the actions taken to foster the integration of innovation activities by SMEs within the Smart Specialisation framework and the positive effects on the policy-making process.

Higher Education for Smart Specialisation: The Case of Lithuania (19/06/2020)

This technical report presents the findings of the case study carried out in Lithuania on the role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the design and implementation of their Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3). It is one of the case studies undertaken in the project Higher Education for Smart Specialisation (HESS), an initiative of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture. The research shows that the S3 in Lithuania has constituted an important framework to coordinate research and innovation policies and investments with a significant improvement from past experiences, creating a space for a participatory process of innovation stakeholders. The higher education institutions are actively participating in the S3 process, with a good correlation of the S3 selected priority areas and the higher education research capacities, but with no significant changes in the internal decision-making process.

Presentations from the Webinar on Circular Manufacturing (02/07/2020)

The presentations from the webinar from the 23d of June 2020 on Circular Manufacturing in the Centro and Norte Regions (Portugal) are now available. The discussions touched upon various types of collaborations in that domain, notably through public-private and international cooperations, as well as funding synergies.

ERRIN Webinar on S3 for economic recovery at regional and local level (23/06/2020)

This webinar examined the role of Smart Specialisation in economic recovery strategies post-COVID19 at the local and regional level, with the intervention from various practitioners and policy-makers.

Reminder: Update of the R&I viewer (02/07/2020)

The S3 platform offers now two new dashboards on the allocation of EU funding at regional level with updated data. ‘User experience’ is privileged offering the user to benchmark regions himself in choosing the visualisation of territorial information for either Horizon 2020 (the H2020 dashboard) or ESIF (the ERDF Dashboard). Artificial intelligence through project abstract analysis is used to give the user some information on the specialisation of regions among key enabling technologies and societal grand challenges. The tool gives also information on projects and beneficiaries funded through the main sources of EU funding dedicated to R&I. The first version of the ‘new’ R&I viewer will be updated on regular basis and will integrate new features for data visualization. Comments and feedback coming from users are more than welcome and should be taken into account as much as possible in the forthcoming versions of the tool.

Call for contribution on emerging initiatives to respond to the Covid-19 crisis (08/06/2020)

Many innovation ecosystems in Europe have very rapidly responded to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Different firms have modified their business patterns to produce equipment or provide services that are urgently needed (e.g. the automotive sector adapting its production chains and several SMEs and start-ups have mobilised experimental projects to build respirators or produce protective material, building on / or adapting their S3 specialisation activities, such as textile technologies, 3D printing techniques, etc.). At the same time, public authorities at various territorial levels are accompanying the process to increase the coordination and interactions between different agents, with already promising results in terms of cooperative innovative solutions. •The S3 Platform is interested in collecting, on a voluntary basis, information from all stakeholders involved in S3 related activities, about emerging initiatives that respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as redeployment/reorganisation of activities that foster recovery processes. •The objectives are to 1)identify practices of transformation and adaptability of regional/national innovation ecosystems; 2) highlight the role of S3 activities and strategic investments that are necessary for the recovery strategy; and 3) to disseminate interesting implementation cases and practices.

Webinar: holistic approach to circular manufacturing (23/06/2020)

As part of the pilot 2 of the Working Group H2020 for RIS3, the Centro and Norte regions in Portugal, together with the Joint Research Centre, are testing a new approach for optimizing public-private and international cooperation on circular manufacturing in the context of their RIS3 implementation. It will take place on the 23d of June 2020 and is subject to prior invitation.

Alentejo goes digital with its Entrepeneurial Discovery Process (24/06/2020)

The Portuguese region of Alentejo will hold a virtual Entrepeneurial Discovery Process (EDP) Workshop on 24th June 2020, with a follow up digital gathering six days later. The region will be one of the first to explore how the EDP can go digital during challenging times caused by the COVID pandemic. Open to all and organised with the support of the JRC, the workshop aims to share experience, identify obstacles, and suggest solutions that help to strengthen the innovative capacity of the region in the field of sustainable Bio-economy.

Monitoring the Smart Specialisation Strategy of the Norte Region (08/06/2020)

The Smart Stories reflect the way in which S3 stakeholders have used the Smart specialisation concept to develop their own innovation-driven development policies at national and regional level. The Region of Norte, Portugal, explains the way in which it has built up its S3 monitoring system, notably through the analysis of public and private investment in R&D and innovation in the eight Smart Specialisation priority domains, and how this exercise has helped the region to reinforce the related policy instruments and mechanisms.

Smart Story: Andalusia RIS3 mid-term evaluation (08/06/2020)

In this Smart Story, the Region of Andalusia, Spain, provides an account on the way it conducted its Smart Specialisation mid-term evaluation with the involvement of regional stakeholders, and how this exercise helps preparing the next Research and Innovation strategy for the 2021-2027 period, notably through the review of existing policy instruments to support the innovation ecosystems, the introduction of gender equality criteria applied to the governance system and a reinforced communication strategy.

Developing an Evaluation Framework Integrating Results of the Thematic Approach to S3 (12/06/2020)

This paper examines how European regions can jointly pilot experimental policy support measures in precise S3 niches prior to their full-scale roll-out in partner regions. By tackling new and often ambitious areas together, participating regions are able to test new policy support instruments while sharing the overall risk and uncertainty associated with such experiments. Joint interregional initiatives can allow participating regions to mitigate risks of failure through a collective use of limited resources while identifying potential improvements or shortcomings. By working together, regions can clarify their vision and ambitions to occupy specific parts of the industry value chain. Joint pilot activities can also help regions get a better picture of how strong their positions are and whether specific clusters of global value chain activities in their partner regions are similar or complementary to their own activities. Furthermore, participating regions continue engaging with the industry while anticipating the likely evolution of the industry globally.

RIS3 Monitoring System in Greece – Pilot Study (12/06/2020)

The study focuses on two Greek regions - Central Macedonia and Western Greece - as well as the national body responsible for the monitoring of national RIS3 (the General Secretariat for Research and Technology). It examines their RIS3 monitoring systems to understand what is in place and what is missing with the purpose of identifying data gaps and other areas for improvement. An appropriate methodology was developed to collect evidence directly from the authorities, and evaluate their respective monitoring systems, aiming at the same time to provide direct advice and support. Evidence was gathered from April to October 2019 and reflects the development of RIS3 monitoring systems up to that time.

Six additional questions about S3: Implications for regional innovation policy 4.0. (08/06/2020)

This paper provides a reflection regarding the fourth generation of regional innovation strategies under EU cohesion policy, and suggest a move towards a more heterogeneous paradigm that draws conclusions from the procedural progress made during the smart specialization era so far but allows for more situated experimentation within regions.

Webinar STI Roadmaps for SDGs: paving the pathways for sustainable recovery and future resilience (22/06/2020)

Organised by the JRC, the workshop "Smart Specialisation for Sustainable Development Goals" was supposed to take place on the 5 and 6 March 2020. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak the event was cancelled. The workshop will be organised online on the 22d and 30d of June 2020.

Smart Specialisation 2.0 (23/04/2020)

In this editorial, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the European Committee of the Regions, gives his views on Smart Specialisation in the next programming period (2021-2027), and how it will contribute to Europe's economic and social development after COVID-19 and its role to accelerate the implementation of the EU's Green Deal and Digital Strategy. ​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Apostolos Tzitzikostas studied Government and International Relations at Georgetown University in Washington DC and obtained a Masters Degree on European Public Policy and Economics from the University College of London. In 2007, he was elected Member of the Greek Parliament with the Nea Demokratia Party (EPP) in the First District of Thessaloniki. In the Regional Elections of November 2010 he was elected Vice-Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia and Head of the Metropolitan Area of Thessaloniki. In the Regional Elections of May 2014 he was elected Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia, and in the Regional Elections of May 2019 was re-elected Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia. In November 2019 he was elected President of the Association of Greek Regions.​​ Since 2015 he is a Member of the European Committee of the Regions.

Turning the COVID-19 threat into an opportunity for S3: transformation of industrial sectors in the Valencian Community (11/05/2020)

The Smart Stories reflect the way in which S3 stakeholders have used the Smart specialisation concept to develop their own innovation-driven development policies at national and regional level. The Region of Valencia, Spain, outlines how the emergency caused by the COVID-19 was turned into an opportunity for Smart Specialisation for local manufacturing sectors, and notably the textile sector. Thanks to its interconnection as a cluster throughout the territory and the initiative of the regional authority, in just a few days, it has gone from a situation of survival to one of strategic activity. The necessity has generated a virtuous confluence of interests that have given birth to a transformed textile-sanitary cluster.

Smart Specialisation in Västra Götaland (18/05/2020)

The Smart Stories reflect the way in which S3 stakeholders have used the Smart specialisation concept to develop their own innovation-driven development policies at national and regional level. The Region of Västra Götaland, Sweden, gives an account on the way in which they have turned the traditional textile industry into an innovative and sustainable specialisation activity, and how they are developing a sustainable transport and road safety systems. The case also highlights the role played by Smart Specialisation to reinforce the innovation ecosystem and to foster international collaboration.

Call for contribution on emerging initiatives to respond to the Covid-19 crisis (11/05/2020)

•Many innovation ecosystems in Europe have very rapidly responded to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Different firms have modified their business patterns to produce equipment or provide services that are urgently needed (e.g. the automotive sector adapting its production chains and several SMEs and start-ups have mobilised experimental projects to build respirators or produce protective material, building on / or adapting their S3 specialisation activities, such as textile technologies, 3D printing techniques, etc.). At the same time, public authorities at various territorial levels are accompanying the process to increase the coordination and interactions between different agents, with already promising results in terms of cooperative innovative solutions. •The S3 Platform is interested in collecting information from all stakeholders involved in S3 related activities, about emerging initiatives that respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as redeployment/reorganisation of activities that foster recovery processes. •The objectives are to 1)identify practices of transformation and adaptability of regional/national innovation ecosystems; 2) highlight the role of S3 activities and strategic investments that are necessary for the recovery strategy; and 3) to disseminate good practices.

Update of the R&I Viewer Tool (18/05/2020)

The S3 platform offers two new dashboards on the allocation of EU funding at regional level with updated data on both H2020 and ESIF. The tool also provides information on R&I EU funded projects and beneficiaries. The user experience is improved, notably through the enhanced visualisation of territorial information as well as an option for benchmarking regions. In addition, the tool provides information regarding the specialisation fields of regions, key enabling technologies as well as grand societal challenges. The new version of the tool will be updated on a regular basis and will integrate new features for data visualisation. Comments and feedback coming from users are more than welcome and will be taken into account as much as possible in the forthcoming versions of the tool.

Developing Thematic Interregional Partnerships for S3: Methodological Manual (11/05/2020)

The S3 Platform has just published its Methodological Manual for Developing Thematic Interregional Partnerships for Smart Specialisation. The manual documents a non-linear and dynamic process with elements that are to be applied and adjusted to the objectives and needs of each partnership. It has been prepared with the aim of assisting public authorities responsible for designing and delivering interregional investment projects in the S3 context and for ensuring that these joint projects attract sufficient private sector interest to ensure their sustainability.

Learning opportunities for Visegrád countries, stemming from place-based transformative S3 (18/05/2020)

This study aims at exploring and discussing learning opportunities stemming from the development and implementation of place-based Smart Specialisation, with a focus on the Visegrád Group (V4) countries. The Visegrád Group, Visegrád Four, or V4, is a cultural and political alliance of four Central European countries – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – for the purposes of advancing military, cultural, economic and energy cooperation with one another along with furthering their integration in the EU. The study considers and reflects upon the ways in which public authorities in V4 countries have benefited from Smart Specialisation development and implementation.

Leadership to address urban environmental challenges (18/05/2020)

With resources becoming scarce, global economic and social stability is threatened, so it is important to address the risks and opportunities of mega-trends including climate change. Given the nature and urgency of the problem, when addressing grand challenges related to environmental change, policies and related actions also refer to challenges of leadership in terms of capabilities, legitimacy and credibility. In some cases, where cities are on the front line of sustainable development efforts, the impact of leadership on the motivation and commitment of stakeholders in specific actions can provide an insight into how leadership contributes to transform places as well as organizations and capabilities.

Launch of a newsletter of the Agri-food Thematic Partnership on Traceability and Big Data (18/05/2020)

The Agri-food Thematic Partnership on Traceability and Big Data has launched its first Newsletter in May 2020. All interested stakeholders can subscribe to it and receive information regarding opportunities for improving and promoting the digitalisation of the agri-food value chain in Europe.

Access to previous S3 Newsletter (24/04/2020)

As we have experienced some trouble with the dissemination of the April Newsletter, please note that all previous editions are available on the S3 Platform website.

Cohesion Policy and EU Solidarity Funds contribute to the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative (08/04/2020)

Cohesion Policy funding and the EU Solidarity Fund will play a central role in the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative. The initiative announced by President Ursula von der Leyen last week seeks to mobilise all existing EU budget resources to provide financial support to Member States for their immediate response to the Coronavirus crisis and its long-term impact. This includes advancing payments, redirecting cohesion funds and assisting Member States in channelling money where is most needed as quickly as possible. •To make money available for fighting the crisis, the Commission is proposing to mobilise quickly cash reserves from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) – the EU's cohesion money. This will provide immediate liquidity to Member States' budgets. The will help to frontload the use of the as yet unallocated EUR 37 billion of cohesion policy funding within the 2014-2020 cohesion policy programmes, thus providing a much needed boost to economic investments. •The Commission is also making all Coronavirus crisis related expenditure eligible under cohesion policy rules. It will also be applying the rules for cohesion spending with maximum flexibility, thus enabling Member States to use the funds to finance crisis-related action. This also means providing greater flexibility for countries to reallocate financial resources, making sure the money is spent in the areas of greatest need: the health sector, support for SMEs, and the labour market. •Finally, the Commission is proposing to enlarge the scope of the EU Solidarity Fund – the EU tool to support countries hit by natural disasters – to support Member States in this extraordinary situation. •The overarching objective is to use the full portfolio of funding options under the EU budget to support EU Member States - with maximum flexibility, minimum additional administrative work and as quickly as possible.

Call for contribution on emerging initiatives to respond to the Covid-19 crisis (13/04/2020)

•Many innovation ecosystems in Europe have very rapidly responded to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Different firms have modified their business patterns to produce equipment or provide services that are urgently needed (e.g. the automotive sector adapting its production chains and several SMEs and start-ups have mobilised experimental projects to build respirators or produce protective material, building on / or adapting their S3 specialisation activities, such as textile technologies, 3D printing techniques, etc.). At the same time, public authorities at various territorial levels are accompanying the process to increase the coordination and interactions between different agents, with already promising results in terms of cooperative innovative solutions. •The S3 Platform is interested in collecting information from all stakeholders involved in S3 related activities about emerging initiatives that respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as redeployment/reorganisation of activities that foster recovery processes. •The objectives are to 1)identify practices of transformation and adaptability of regional/national innovation ecosystems; 2) highlighting the role of S3 activities and strategic investments that are necessary for the recovery strategy; and 3) to disseminate good practices.

Virtual workshop: Technical Assistance Facility for Industrial Modernisation and Investment (08/04/2020)

The aim of the Technical Assistance Facility for Industrial Modernisation and Investment (TAF) virtual support during times of the COVID-19 pandemic is to further build the viability of investment projects emerging from the Smart Specialisation Platform, and their underlying business plans. It also aims at supporting project managers in the preparation of their TAF applications. The sessions are strictly targeted at project promoters coming from industry, clusters and/or other business entities. S3P partnerships' coordinators are strongly encouraged to mobilise their businesses to bring forward projects related to the thematic areas under development on the S3P-Industry. The TAF regional support will be delivered via digital means during the second half of May 2020. Registration is open until 20 April 2020.

3DP PAN EU Corona Response Initiative (13/04/2020)

3DP PAN EU is an EU-wide web-based matchmaking tool connecting supply and demand in the field of 3D printing. 3DP PAN EU is a platform originally designed to map 3DP test and demonstration facilities in the EU, describing in detail the equipment and services that are available for use by third parties. This initiative can help organisations and companies to find missing components to keep operations running, by providing 3D printing based products.

COVID-19 Cybersecurity Response Package (15/04/2020)

The European Cybersecurity Organisation (ESCO) have elaborated a COVID-19 Cybersecurity Response Package to inform all European stakeholders on the availability of free tools to fight cyberattacks in the context of the COVID crisis. A dedicated part of this initiative is focusing on the regional approaches.

Smart Story from the Region of Valencia on its Smart Grids Lab (24/03/2020)

The Smart Stories reflect the way in which S3 stakeholders have used the Smart specialisation concept to develop their own innovation-driven development policies at national and regional level. The Region of Valencia, Spain, outlines its approach to foster interactions among stakeholders and to create business opportunities related to decarbonisation through the establishment of a Smart Grids Lab.

Engaging citizens in cohesion policy: new call for proposals for civil society organisations (08/04/2020)

The Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) is seeking proposals to support innovative ideas and initiatives for promoting citizen engagement in the design and/or implementation and/or monitoring of cohesion policy. Priority will be given to project proposals that will: •Develop new tools or actions that support citizen engagement in cohesion policy and/or •Support scaling up of existing tools or activities for strengthening and widening citizen engagement in cohesion policy. Grants will be up to EUR 25.000 covering max 85% of eligible costs, with a total budget of EUR 250.000. The deadline to submit proposals is 31 May 2020.

Economic modelling to evaluate S3: An analysis on R&I targets in Southern Europe (08/04/2020)

This Technical Report introduces a new methodology for the ex-ante macroeconomic impact assessment of Smart Specialisation using the RHOMOLO model and the information on R&D personnel targets contained in the Operational Programmes of the EU regions.

Leadership Impact on Motivation and Commitment in Interregional Collaboration (13/04/2020)

The paper explores how the leadership of the thematic Smart Specialisation partnerships affects the motivation and commitment within the partnership by comparing attitudes of leaders and participants and the potential for more effective operation.

Factors of Leadership Attitude Enhancing Interregional Collaboration (13/04/2020)

This research proposes to examine the ways in which good governance and leadership contribute to the overall sustainability and viability of interregional initiatives. The paper explores how the leadership of cross-border partnerships effect the motivation and commitment within the partnership, by comparing attitudes of leaders and participants in their endeavour to optimize their activities.

European Climate Pact Consultation (08/04/2020)

The European Green Deal sets out how to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Alongside government policies and regulation, there is a role to play for citizens, communities and organisations in all sectors of our society and economy. The inputs from this public consultation will be used to shape the Pact ahead of its launch before the United Nations climate change conference (COP26) taking place in Glasgow in November 2020. The consultation is open until 27 May 2020.

STI Roadmaps for SDGs: S3 for Territorial and Industrial Development in Rwanda (04/03/2020)

The presentations from the workshop on Science, Technology and Innovation Roadmaps for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that took place in January in Kigali, Rwanda, are now available on the S3 Platform website. The workshop that welcomed more than 60 participants, had four main objectives: 1)Stimulate exchanges and Raise awareness about Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3); 2) Identify synergies between S3 policies and the those supporting innovation and value chain development in Rwanda;3) Discuss the relevance of S3 as a Science, Technology and Innovation roadmap for achieving sustainable territorial development in Rwanda; 4) Stimulate local stakeholders dialogues for a pioneering S3 in Rwanda.

From S3 to S4: Towards Sustainable Smart Specialisation Strategies (27/02/2020)

Mikel Landabaso Álvarez is Director for “Growth and Innovation” and Director of the Seville site of the Joint Research Centre in the European Commission. He has worked in DG COMM, as Director for Strategy and Corporate Communication under President Juncker’s Cabinet and within DG REGIO, including Head of Cabinet for the Regional Policy Commissioner, Acting Director for Inclusive growth, Urban and Territorial development and Northern Europe, Head of Unit for the Competence Centre on Smart and Sustainable Growth and Assistant to the Director-General. In this editorial, Mikel Landabaso Álvarez depicts his vision for Smart Specialisation today and tomorrow.

Cohesion policy’s contribution to the EU Semester (27/02/2020)

The European Semester process seeks to help Member States to identify the reforms that are needed to promote a thriving economy and sound finances. To implement these reforms, Member States may need to invest, and the EU funds - in particular the Cohesion Policy funds - can be of great support. Within the European Semester exercise, the Commission has also presented recommendations to Member States on how to best use EU Cohesion policy funds to align them with the general EU economic policy guidance. This year’s focus is on climate-neutrality by 2050. The Commission has identified the regions and sectors that will face the toughest challenges in the process of transition towards a greener Europe. These areas will therefore benefit from a targeted financial support from the Just Transition Fund, which will ensure that no one is left behind in the climate-neutral transition.

Workshop on Digital Innovation Hubs serving the public sector (18/03/2020)

This workshop will provide best practices and ideas on how Digital Innovation Hubs can support public administrations, smart cities and healthcare organisations. The workshop aims at gathering a wide range of organisations to discuss about the benefits of Digital Innovation Hubs and its potential endorsement. The opportunities offered by the Digital Europe Programme will also be tackled.

Smart grids: the role of transnational R&I networks to strengthen smart energy (27/02/2020)

This workshop was jointly organised as part of the Stairway to Excellence (S2E) project and the Smart Specialisation Platform on Energy (S3PEnergy) initiative, managed by the JRC, in close cooperation with DG REGIO and DG ENER. The main objective was to support national/regional authorities and key stakeholders across Europe in planning and designing the allocation of their EU funds for supporting investments in smart grids R&I and deployment during the 2021-2027 programming period. The workshop gathered 60 participants, coming from 10 different countries. All presentations are available on the S3 Platform website.

Fostering international cooperation through S3 (02/03/2020)

As part of the Lagging Regions Project, the JRC organised a workshop on “S3 and international cooperation” in Madrid on the 25th of February 2020. Participants from more than 20 regions from nine EU member states delved deeper into the participation in international and interregional networks for the implementation of smart specialisation strategies. The workshop explored a number of key dimensions of interregional cooperation: challenges, opportunities, preconditions, actors, resources required, governance, benefits and expected results.

Optimizing the use of H2020 when implementing Smart Specialisation (02/03/2020)

The presentations from the ultimate working group "H2020 for RIS3" are now available on the S3 Platform website. The aim of the event was to facilitate the use of Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe in S3 implementation. The event that was held in early February was dedicated to monitoring the advancement of the various pilots initiated within the activities of the Working Group: - Supporting mechanisms for capacity building in framework programme participation; - Research and innovation Public Private Partnerships for RIS3 implementation; - National Contact Points and their role in H2020 for RIS3; - Transnational networking in RIS3 implementation; - Efficient utilisation of research and technology infrastructures within the context of RIS3.

Handbook of Sustainable Urban Development Strategies (02/03/2020)

The "Handbook of Sustainable Urban Development Strategies" provides methodological support on how to implement integrated and place-based urban strategies under cohesion policy. In particular, it refers to Sustainable Urban Development as supported by the European Regional Development Fund during the current programming period (2014-2020) and the upcoming one (2021-2027). The handbook explores mutual relationships between Sustainable Urban Development and Smart Specialisation Strategies, notably through ‘integrated, place-based economic transformation agendas’ and the specific role of cities in innovation processes.

CANCELLED EVENT: "Smart Specialisation for Sustaianble Development Goals" (03/03/2020)

Please note that due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the event "Smart Specialisation for Sustainable Development Goals" that was due to take place on the 5th and 6th of March 2020 in Brussels is cancelled. We apologize for the inconvenience caused.