Implementation of a Strategy of Smart Specialization in the EU Countries and Ukraine

Keywords: Smart Specialization, Regional Development, Innovation and Research Capacity, Competitiveness, Intellectual Capital, Economic Growth, EU Cohesion Policy

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the experience of implementation of the strategy of smart specialization in the EU and to determine the possibilities of implementing the principles of smart specialization for the pilot regions of Ukraine. As a result of the study, it has been found that the strategy of smart specialization should ideally be more integrative in research and innovation-oriented innovation policies, cohesion policy, European value chain and network initiatives, industrial policy, and in the future, will expand the current scale of dissemination, which was recognized by the European Commission. So, for the next programming period (2021-2027) proposed, among other things, that most of the funds of the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund will go to the development of innovation, support for small business, digital technologies and industrial modernization. It will also mean the transition to a low-carbon, circular economy, and the fight against climate change. The implementation of the principles of smart specialization for the EU countries, characterized by the openness of innovative systems, creates conditions for the modernization of technology and regional specialization, in order to provide unique territorial competitive advantages. The peculiarity of the introduction of the concept of smart specialization for the EU regions with the availability of significant scientific and innovative potential, powerful clusters and developed infrastructure is the application of one of the important principles of smart specialization of «entrepreneurial search», that is, the initiation of a policy of smart specialization «from the bottom up».However, it should be noted that the use of this principle in practice is problematic both for the EU countries and for Ukraine, which is in the process of gradual decentralization.

The reliability of the results of the study carried out in the paper is ensured using tools for generalization and processing of official statistics, expert reports, author’s observations and calculations. The validity of the results obtained is due to the correctness of the application of the research and analytical apparatus, tested in scientific practice, and due to the comparison of the results of work and the data of international experience. The basis for the proposed recommendations was the evidence of analytical conclusions.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Foray, D., David, P. and Hall, B. (2009). Smart specialization – The Concept. Knowledge Economists Policy Brief, 9, June. [online] Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/invest-inresearch/pdf/download_en/kfg_policy_brief_no9.pdf [Accessed 15 Sept. 2018].

European Commission. (2014). As planned in the national or regional operational programmes for 2014-20. [online] Available at: https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/themes [Accessed 19 Sept. 2018].

Foray, D., (2014). From smart specialization to smart specialization policy. European Journal of Innovation Management, 17(4), pp. 492–507. DOI: 10.1108/EJIM-09-2014-0096.

McCann, P., and Ortega-Argiles, R. (2015). Smart Specialization, Regional Growth and Applications to European Union Cohesion Policy. Regional Studies, 49(8), pp. 1291–1302. DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2013.799769.

Landabaso, M. and Mouton, B. (2005). Towards a different regional innovation policy: 8 years of European experience through the European regional development fund innovative actions. Regional Development and Conditions for Innovation in the Network Society. Purdue University Press, West Lafayette, IN, pp. 209–240.

McCann, P. and Ortega-Argilés, R. (2014). Smart specialization in European regions: Issues of strategy, institutions and implementation. European Journal of Innovation Management, 17(4), pp. 409–427. DOI: 10.1108/EJIM-05-2014-0052.

Reid, A. and Maroulis, N. (2017). From Strategy to Implementation: The Real Challenge for Smart Specialization Policy. In Advances in the Theory and Practice of Smart Specialization. Academic Press, pp. 293–318.

Fellnhofer, K. (2017). Facilitating entrepreneurial discovery in smart specialization via stakeholder participation within online mechanisms for knowledge-based policy advice. Cogent Business & Management, 4(1), pp. 1–14. DOI: 10.1080/23311975.2017.1296802.

Gianelle, C., Goenaga, X., Gonzalez, I. and Thissen, M. (2014). Smart specialization in the tangled web of European inter-regional trade. JRC Technical reports; S3 Working Paper Series. JRC ‒ European Commission. [online] Available at: http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ documents/20182/114903/JRC89824_S3_tangled_Web_of_European_inter-regionalTrade.pdf/fae14571-9450-4658-9f1c-d51df8069054 [Accessed 7 Oct. 2018].

Lämmer-Gamp, T., zu Köcker, G.M. and Nerger, M. (2014). Cluster Collaboration and Business Support Tools to Facilitate Entrepreneurship, Cross-sectoral Collaboration and Growth. [online] Available at: http://ec.europa. eu/enterprise/initiatives/cluster/observatory/2014-10-10-ecoreport-d41 [Accessed 11 Oct. 2018].

European Commission. (2018). DG Regional Policy data sets (Open data platform). [online] Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/evaluations/data-for-research/ [Accessed 15 Oct. 2018].

RIS3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu. (2018). ESIF-viewer, visualising data. [online] Available at: http://RIS3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/esif-viewer [Accessed 25 Oct. 2018].

Foray, D. (2015). Smart specialization. Opportunities and Challenges for Regional Innovation Policy. Routledge, Abingdon (UK) and New York (NY), 2015.

European Commission. (2012). Guide to Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart specializations (RIS3). Luxembourg: Pubblication Office of the European Union. [online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/presenta/smart_ _specialisation/smart_ris3_2012.pdf [Accessed 01 Nov. 2018].

Foray, D. and Goenaga, X. (2013). The Goals of Smart specialization. Institute for Prospective Technological Studies: S3 Policy Brief Series, 1. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. [online] Available at: http://ftp.jrc.es/EURdoc/ JRC82213.pdf [Accessed 4 Nov. 2018].

European Commission. (2012). Frequently Asked Questions on RIS3. [online] Available at: http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/faqs-on-ris3, retrieved on 01/06/2017 [Accessed 05 Nov. 2018].

Gianelle, C., Guzzo, F. And Mieszkowski, K. (2017). Smart specialization at work: Analysis of the calls launched under ERDF Operational Programmes. DG JRC Technical Report, forthcoming. [online] Available at: http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/20182/222593/ /Smart+Specialisation+at+work_Analysis+of+the+calls+launched+under+ERDF+Operational+Programmes/ed9f9e8d-c2e1-4667-832f-f1551f62f583 [Accessed 9 Nov. 2018].

ESPON. (2012). KIT Territorial Dimension of Innovation and Knowledge Economy. Luxembourg. [online] Available at: https://www.espon.eu/main/Menu_Projects/Menu_ _AppliedResearch/ kit.html [Accessed 15 Nov. 2018].

Veugeleurs, R. (2015). Do we have the right kind of diversity in innovation policies among EU Member States?. Working paper, 108. WWWFOREURORE Welfare Wealth Work, Framework 7 Research Project. [online] Available at: http://www.foreurope.eu/fileadmin/documents/pdf/ /Workingpapers/WWWforEurope_WPS_no108_MS228.pdf [Accessed 21 Nov. 2018].

Boden, M., Dos Santos, P., Haegeman, K., Marinelli, E. and Valero, S. (2015). European Parliament Preparatory Action «Actual and desired state of the economic potential in regions outside the Greek capital Athens», Administrative agreement (aa) no. 2014ce160at056 between DG regional policy (REGIO) and DG Joint Research Centre (JRC). Final Report December. [online] Available at: http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/20182/143661/European+ +Parliament+Preparatory+Action+RIS3+in+REMTh+Final+Report/ecc81ce1-3542-4cd6-bb93-c2679e218b43 [Accessed 26 Nov. 2018].

Foray, D., Morgan, K. and Radosevic, S. (2018). The role of smart specialization in the EU research and innovation policy landscape / European Commission. [online] Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/brochure/smart/role_smartspecialisation_ri.pdf [Accessed 28 Nov. 2018].

Mazzucato, M. (2018). Mission-Oriented Research & Innovation in the European Union: A problem-solving approach to fuel innovation-led growth. Brussels: European Commission. [online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/mazzucato_report_2018.pdf [Accessed 01 Dec. 2018].

Published
2019-03-23
How to Cite
Serogina, D. (2019). Implementation of a Strategy of Smart Specialization in the EU Countries and Ukraine. Social Economics, 56, 78-91. https://doi.org/10.26565/2524-2547-2018-56-08
Section
DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES OF SOCIAL ECONOMICS