Lessons Learnt on Interregional Collaboration through TSSPs

What are the key lessons learnt to foster interregional collaboration?

The lessons learnt are a result of the support provided to the Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships (TSSPs), offering valuable insights to guide future collaborations. Four key elements that underpin a well-functioning partnership have been identified.

1. Clear Mission, Vision, and Objectives

A successful partnership requires a well-defined mission, vision, and objectives to ensure clarity and alignment among stakeholders. Partnerships should have a clear understanding of their goals and how they intend to achieve them.

2. Committed Partners

Commitment from partners is a crucial factor for success. The partnership needs engaged partners who actively contribute to shaping its scope, prioritizing activities, securing funding, and ensuring regional stakeholder involvement. A central coordinating body, such as a regional authority or an organization with a mandate, helps to steer these efforts and maintain focus. If a partnership struggles with commitment, it should prioritize training and capacity building to strengthen the involvement of all stakeholders.

3. Regular Points of Contact

Trust is fundamental to any collaboration, and regular points of contact help to build and maintain trust among partners. Face-to-face meetings are particularly valuable, as they encourage deeper interaction and allow partners to better understand each other's expertise and complementarity. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how challenging it can be to maintain effective collaboration without in-person meetings. If a partnership lacks regular meetings, it should focus on improving governance and establishing a clearer organizational structure.

4. Connection among Regional Ecosystems

Partnerships facilitate the shift from stand-alone activities to collaboration based on the engagement of the quadruple helix across the European landscape. By connecting regional actors that have complementary expertise along shared interregional value chains, partnerships effectively pool resources and capabilities to support the implementation of Smart Specialisation Strategies and foster a place-based innovation culture.

Where can I find out more?

Download the full guidance document for more details on the insights from the service delivery and the lesson learnt as well as the future implications for the work in Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships.