The role of RIS3 in
Cohesion Policy
Luisa Sanches
Policy Analyst – Innovation
DG REGIO
Warsaw, 27 June 2012
Cohesion Policy paradigm shift towards
innovation
• Cohesion policy contributes to unlock the growth potential
of the EU by promoting innovation in all regions.
• For 2007-2013, 86 billion to innovation, of which 65 billion
come from the ERDF. That is 25% of its total budget. For
the less developed regions the ERDF is the most
important source and enabler to leveraging national and
private funds.
• Our latest figures show that over 50 billion € have already
been committed to operations in the R&I field.
Objectives of cohesion policy 2014-2020
• Deliver the Europe 2020 strategy objectives of
smart, sustainable and inclusive growth
• Focus on results
• Maximise the impact of EU funding through
concentration
• Conditionalities (smart specialisation)
Concentrating resources to maximise impact
Concentration of ERDF investments on:
• energy efficiency & renewable energy
• research & innovation
Digital Agenda
• competitiveness of SMEs
6%
60%
20%
More developed & transition regions
• flexibility – different regions have different needs
• special arrangements for ex-convergence regions
44%
Less developed regions
Timing for RIS3 and Operational Programmes
Q2-2012
Q3-2012
Q4-2012
Q1-2013
Q2-2013 Q3-2013
Q42013
CSF & Legal
frame
adoption
Discussion of
COM position paper
Negotiation
Mandate
Development of RIS3
by MS and / or regions
Cohesion
Policy
Negotiations
Draft OPs
COM position
papers
Draft Partnership
Agreement
Ex-ante cond.
Country
Specific
Rec.
Monitoring &
up-date of RIS3
R&I Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3)
= place-based economic
transformation agendas
1) Focus policy support and investments on
key national/regional priorities, challenges
and needs for knowledge-based development
(= tough choices)
2) Build on each country's/region’s strengths,
competitive advantages and potential for
excellence (= critical mass, differentiation)
3) Support all forms of innovation
4) Get stakeholders fully involved and
encourage experimentation and private
sector investment
5) Evidence-based and include sound
monitoring and evaluation systems
Cohesion
Policy
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/so
urces/docgener/informat/2014/smart_
RIS3 is a process …and a journey
of «entrepreneurial discovery»
What do they
need?
Clients
Markets
Cooperation
Money
(value chains)
Enterprises
Enterprises
Enterprises
Research
Knowledge
Technologies
Services
Who are your
customers /
competitors?
Is there critical
mass / excelence?
Creativity
Talents
See:
Cohesion
Policy
With whom to
cooperate?
https://community.oecd.org/community/smartspecialisation
RIS3 : As the backbone of the OPs
Synergies with
Which Funds?
National
Regional
Types of strategies
ERDF
ESF
Other EU Funds,
Ex: Horizon 2020
Rural
Development
Fund
Research
Education
Innovation
business
market
National Competitiveness Programs
Regional Programs
RIS3: not about sectors but cross-cutting
activities
RIS3
Bio-Economy
Tourism
Renewable
energy
KETs for SMEs :
Tech.transfer & audits, demonstrators, pilots
Forestry
Technologies
Hypothet
ical
example:
Skills:
entrepreneurial, innovation management, creative …
Cohesion
Policy
Fields of
"specialisation":
new activities
that show
potential and
have critical
mass… or rather
differentiation,
diversification …
Not an whole
sector nor one
single firm
What people ask us all the time ….
 How many RIS3 do I need / allow for my
country?
Relation regional – national RIS3
National level RIS3
Cohesion
Policy
RIS3 Region D
RIS3 Region C
RIS3 Region B
Consolidation
RIS3 Region A
Hypothe
tical
example
MS
without
strong
regional
innovati
on
compete
nces:
Regional RIS3 only
Cohesion
Policy
RIS3 Region D
RIS3 Region C
RIS3 Region B
Coordination/synergies
RIS3 Region A
Hypothe
tical
example
MS with
strong
regional
innovati
on
compete
nces
National level RIS3
Thematic guides
 Incubators
 Universities & regional development
 Broadband
Soon available:
► Clusters
► Social Innovation
► Green growth ► Entrepreneurial spirit
► Creativity
► Service innovation
► ….
Inspiration for innovation support:
•
Oslo Manual (OECD)
https://community.oecd.org/community/smartspecialisation
•
Community framework for State Aid to Research and
Innovation
•
Analysis of regional innovation http://www.rim-europa.eu
•
EURADA • Directory of "No-Nonsense" Activities to Build S³minded Regions; • All money is not the same
http://www.insme.org/files/3019
13
Cohesion
Policy
Support for RIS3 development
 Consultants, experts
 European Commission
 World Bank
 JASPERS (Technical Assistance facility for
the New Member States)
Getting started with the RIS3 Key
 OECD
..
Cohesion
Policy
Gathering strengths for "priority" countries:
Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and Croatia
S3Platform
World Bank
JASPERS
Facilitator engaging
regions and MS,
strategy concept,
Guide RIS 3
Broker for the
design of the
governance process
Partner for the
implementation
stage (2007-2013)
and 2014-2020
Peer reviews,
training, events
Supporting the creation
of the bodies and
working groups for the
design of the 6 steps
Large projects: research
infrastructures, science
and technology parks
guidance at the light of RIS
3 , call for proposals ,
project selection criteria
Information
• Proposals for the Structural Funds 2014-2020:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/what/future/proposals_2014_2020_en.cfm
• RIS3 factsheet:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/informat/2014/smart_specialisatio
n_en.pdf
• S3 Platform: http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/activities/research-andinnovation/s3platform.cfm
• RIS3 guide: http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/s3pguide
Cohesion
Policy