Smart specialisation as a driver for strategic cluster policies
RIS3 ECA Workshop:
“Clusters new trends and their challenges for implementing RIS3”
22 June, Brussels
Jan Larosse, Department Economy-Science-Innovation, Flemish Government
Overview
An argument in three steps:
1. The OECD Project on smart specialisation: a new policy approach
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2.
The evolution of cluster policies in Flanders: a new strategy
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3.
Main features: clusters are key components in S3
First conclusions
Recent changes: cluster policy becomes core of new industrial policy
The role of OECD ‘action studies’ in our policy development
Cluster policies in times of structural change: a paradigm shift?
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S3 in the context of the financial-economic crisis
New challenges for cluster policies
Cluster policies and cluster management need to develop new
strategic capacities to play their role in the governance of
transformation of the present growth model
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Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
1. OECD Project:
‘Smart specialisation for innovation-driven growth’
•
The OECD started June 2011 the first integrated policy learning project to
support design and assessment of strategies for smart specialisation (in
cooperation with DG Regio & IPTS)
Basic structure:
1.
2.
•
‘Base-line’: develop evidence-based strategic intelligence to assess present
specialisations and priorities (measurement)
‘Beyond the base-line’: design discovery driven strategy processes to enable future
choices (case-studies)
Objectives
 Manageable and consistent policy tool box for policy makers (OECD Innovation Policy
Platform)
 Policy recommendations to use smart specialisation for leveraging smart growth
•
Key Concepts
 Smart specialisation is largely about the policy process to select and prioritise fields or
areas where a cluster of activities should be developed: let entrepreneurs discover the
right domains of future specialisations (‘an entrepreneurial discovery process’)
 ‘Regional development’ holds a central place, but takes an international viewpoint of
discovering comparative advantages (= ‘open’ regional innovation system)
 What is smart? A knowledge-based, interactive and pro-active strategy development
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Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
Structure and Expected results
PART 1: What is the Baseline ?
Workshop 1
22-24 Nov. 2011
PART 2: Beyond the Baseline ?
Workshop 2
10-11 May, Paris
Workshop 3
Brussels, end-2012
Indicator-based Specialisation Profiles
for strategic monitoring of international comparitive advantage
(in science, technology, employment, export)
Governance Templates
for (self)-assessiment of capacities in priority setting, participatory processes,
INDICATORS-BASED
strategic intelligence.
TEMPLATE
GOVERNANCE
Case-studies
TEMPLATE
for comparative
policy learning on CASE-STUDIES
smart/interactive strategy development as
an ‘entrepreneurial
discovery
process‘
(‘Action
learning’)
Policy synthesis
REPORT
on the role of smart specialisation as a new policy approach for FINAL
co-creation
of
‘direction’ in the transformation of the economy
Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
Participants : 13C – 16 regions -17 CS
Austria
Finland
Regional policy mixes Germany
Inter-regional Cross-cutting competences
Multi-governance
and lead markets
innovation strategy
Belgium
Nano for Health
Sustainable Chemistry
The Netherlands
Multi-level governance
Poland
Low-tech
manufacturing sectors
Spain
Aerospace
Regional industrial policy
UK
Low Carbon Vehicles
South Korea
Photonics Industry
Turkey
Automotive sector
Czech Republic
Estonia
Australia
Rural research and
Development activity
Lead countries (Case-studies + final report)
Case-studies
Joined later: Slovenia,
Tcheque Republic
Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
Example of an economic specialisation profile:
mature industries in Flanders
Even these
simple spider
graphs can
trigger other
‘stories’ and
inspire new
strategic
decion
frameworks
Source: OECD project Smart specialisation in global value chains (ECOOM)
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Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
Preliminary findings
OECD has a role in setting ‘standards’ to accelerate conceptual and policy
development and support policy makers with a ‘toolbox’ of indicators en guidelines:
1. Smart specialisation is a policy approach for prioritisation of (public) RD&I
investments in times of hard budget constraint and structural change.
= 4-Cs
1.
2.
3.
4.
CHOICES
COLLABORATION / CONNECTIVITY / CROSS-FERTILISATION
COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE, capitalising on COMPLEMENTARITY in value chains
CHALLENGES
2. Smart Specialisation Strategies are developed in a multi-actor and multi-level
policy environment
= Clusters (as nodes in global value-chains) are the engine
3. Strategic governance has to be adapted to the climate of uncertainty in
decentralised decision environments
= Discovery process, aided by shared strategic intelligence & supporting
methodologies for co-creation of shared visions, road maps,
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Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
S3 are co-created at different decision levels
• Actor Level
Choice
process
Collaboration
• Cluster Level
The
4 C-s
Competitve
Advantage
Challenges
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• Regional Level
• International Level
Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
SMART SPECIALISATIONS: where to ‘discover’ them?
POLICY
MIX
DEMAND-SIDE
SOCIETAL
CHALLENGES
Norms & Standards
Public procurement
SUPPLY-SIDE
MISSIONS
Education/R&D/
Training
INTERNATIONAL
COMPETENCE CENTRES
LEAD-MARKETS
comparative advantages
combing strong local
competences
SMART
SPECIALISATIONS
in innovation crossroads
with future value chains
Smart Specialisation is focussing local competences on gobal challenges
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Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
SMART SPECIALISATION STRATEGY: focus on lead-clusters
POLICY
MIX
DEMAND-SIDE
Value Chain
Development
SOCIETAL
CHALLENGES
SUPPLY-SIDE
Products
Solutions
Systemen
Norms & Standards
Public procurement
INTEGRATION
LEAD-MARKETS
MISSIONS
Education/R&D/
Training
INTERNATIONAL
COMPETENCE CENTRES
comparative advantages
combing strong local
competences
SMART
SPECIALISATIONS
in innovation crossroads
with future value chains
GOVERNANCE
CLUSTER
PLATFORMS
LEAD
CLUSTERS
INCENTIVES
LOCAL ATTRACTIVINESS
…Therefore smart specialisation is embodied by
innovation clusters as unique local eco-systems in
global value chains.
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Open Innovation
Competence
Development
Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
Catalysing role of strategic intelligence
•
Shared visions
•
Common Road Maps
•
•
•
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Specialisation profiles
to help identify
comparative advantages
(evidence-based)
Road
Maps
Specialisa
tion
Profiles
Ecosystem
design
Promote clusters with unique
eco-systems that exploit the
positive sum game of open innovation
Smart Specialisation Strategy
Giving a role to all regions
Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
2. Recent evolutions in Flanders cluster policies
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•
Flanders has a tradition of strong bottom-up S&T policy: selection only
on quality standards (‘excellence’ and ‘ROI’), but no clear thematic or
sectoral priorities
•
But history has created specialisation patterns! Often institutionalised
(strong strategic research centres) or evolved from FDI (decided by
multinationals).
•
Smart specialisation approach can catalyse change process: recognise
the entrenched priorities (historic strengths that are not always strengths
anymore)
•
It is a process approach, not a mechanism for top-down choice policy.
The bottleneck = strategic capacity (strategic cluster platforms!)
•
S3 in Flanders = no strong ex ante choices but a commitment to travel
the road of transformation by targeted innovation
Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
‘Innovation Crossroads’: challenge driven innovation policy
‘Innovation Centre Flanders’, concept note adopted by Flemish
Government on May 27th 2011
•
•
•
Societal challenges recognised as driver of a new innovation strategy
Departure from a purely bottom-up research and innovation policy
Six ‘innovation crossroads’ are identified for the development of
specific innovation strategies
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•
•
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Eco-innovation
Green energy
Sustainable mobbility and logistics
Innovation in care
Social Innovation
Industrial transformation (specified for core sectors)
‘Innovation crossroads’ are a space where interdisciplinary research
and open innovation can contribute to societal and economic value
creation.
‘Innovation Direction Groups’ are assigned by the Minister to advise
on such strategies (ongoing)
Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
Transformation processes: core of New Industrial Policy
‘White Paper New Industrial Policy’, adopted by Flemish Government on
May 27th 2011:
• Action Plan with 50 Actions in economy-innovation-work policy for a ‘new
productivity offensive’, ‘Factory of the Future’ and ‘system innovation’
 Round Tables are organised to elaborate a ‘Strategic Action Plan’
for transformation in (ready) sectors.
 ‘Transformation strategies’ are based on value chains, clusters
and grand projects (cross-sectoral)
 New arrangements for policy coordination are gradually put in place
• A targeted cluster policy will be developed (advised by an Industry
Council). ‘Smart specialisation’ is adopted as a reference.
This is a ‘discovery process’! Strong bottom-up drive.
• Frontrunner: FISCH (Flanders Initiative for Sustainable Chemistry)
From 2007 onwards the sector federation developed a transformation strategy, supported by
a broad mobilisation (more than 700 participants), in 3 parts: a strategic research programme
on renewable materials and process intensification; open innovation infrastructures; new
business models (e.g. chemical leasing) and sustainability criteria.
Recent establishment of Transformation and Innovation Platform as cluster organisation
(€5mln/y) that elaborates the road maps further.
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Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
A three steps entrepreneurial discovery process
1.Visioning:
with focus on societal challenges
(transition management / starting experiments)
in Transition Arenas / Flanders in Action
Vision
2.Strategy development:
with focus on transformation by innovation
(strategies within the 6 innovation hubs)
Strategy
in Innovation Direction Groups
3.Action plan:
Action
with focus on investment projects
Plan
in consortia driven by frontrunners
(promoted in Round Tables and
Transformation and Innovation Platforms)
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Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
Smart Specialistion case-studies Flanders
(OECD-TIP project on smart specialisation in global value chains)
Action Learning= simultanious policy learning and policy development
Two transformation cases that benefit from a smart specialisation approach:
Case 1: Sustainable Chemistry
 Largest petro-chemical cluster in Europe in Flanders; strong links with
food, building e.o. sectors; cross-border links with NL and DE
 Transition towards bio-based economy, but incomplete science base!
 How to become a world-class cluster in sustainable chemistry?
 Focus on strategic road mapping for a transition (also cross-border!)
Case 2: Nano-for-Health
 IMEC: largest independent nano-electronics research institute in Europe;
technology platform for open innovation, but weak industrial cluster.
 Health: transition towards ‘personalised therapy’
 How to leverage this technology platform for these new application areas?
 Focus on the management of an emerging eco-system (cross-border!)
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Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
3. Conclusions for cluster policy
•
Clusters are change agents!
 No lobby organisations or disguised sector organisations
 Locus for choice processes linked with innovation & entrepreneurship!
= smart specialisation
•
Pitfalls of ‘steady-state’ cluster policies
 Lock-in! / The ‘average’ member as a reference
 Dispersion: small-scale; fragmentation and duplication
 Focus on cooperation between cluster organisations is not enough
•
Transition towards a strategic approach towards regional strengths
 Frontrunners in the drivers’ seat for a pro-active & interactive strategy
 New methods and personnel in cluster management (road mapping)
 Need for competition in cluster models (Spitzen cluster competition?)
Smart specialisation is a policy approach for a new generation of
cluster policies
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Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
Three stage cluster development
GENERIC CLUSTER POLICIES
TARGETED CLUSTER POLICIES
Clustering
Cluster
platforms
Lead Clusters
• Co-location /
agglomeration
• Value chains
• Occasional
collaboration
• Organised
• Triple helix
• Systematic use
of synergies
• Strategic
• Smart
specialisation
• System
innovation
‘Two-stage gate keeping’ policies for cluster development?
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Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
Impact of S3 on cluster management
•
•
•
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•
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Take smart specialisation as an opportunity to enhance change
management in cluster strategies.
Transformation pressure is not the same for all. Different smart
specialisation strategies: modernisation, diversification, transition,
radical foundation. Consider what is the appropriate governance.
Smart specialisation introduces the international positioning as a
selective environment for own priorities, to challenge present
distribution of priorities. Outward looking strategy
Align these strategies with common road maps at EU-level.
Use cross-border linkages to complete/complement the regional
clusters and gain critical mass. Focus on lead-clusters.
Network clusters in GVC and in European knowledge base for
common challenges (see Nano for Health network)
S3 = ‘specialisation’ (focus on strengths), enhanced by strategic capacity
and intelligence to facilitate future choices in cluster organisations
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Flemish government | Department of Economy, Science and Innovation
Further questions? Please contact me!
Thank you
Department of Economy, Science and Innovation (EWI)
Koning Albert II-laan 35 box 10, 1030 Brussels
www.ewi-vlaanderen.be | info@ewi.vlaanderen.be
Jan.larosse@ewi.vlaanderen.be / tel 32-2-5535993