Design, policy mix & implementation
of the RIS3 in the Czech Republic
Riga, 25-26 February 2014
Jiri Blazek, Veronika Czesana, Gabriela Daniels
Main success achieved overview:
• Governance:
– formation of a National RIS3 Coordination Board
– establishment of regional RIS3 managing structures initiated
• Process:
– hiring a highly competent facilitation team
– creation of a network of 14 regional RIS3 managers
– raising awareness about RIS3 among key actors
– elaboration of the first draft of RIS3 by December 2013
– organisation of the first meetings of innovation platforms at the national level and in
most of the regions
2
Main bottlenecks in RIS3 design
& implementation and related Qs
• Insufficient guidelines for entrepreneurial discovery process:
 Q: Domains of future specialisation should be selected by
entrepreneurial/innovation platforms, but who and how selects the platforms?
 Q: How many platforms are needed to achieve the envisaged change of sectoral
structure? What should be the size of platforms? How should they be managed?
• Scepticism about a possibility to select future domains of specialisation (many
uncertainties, and also limited willingness to discuss opportunities among the
potential competitors)
• Conflict between i) requirement for a respect to the critical size and ii) search for
a perspective or emerging domains of specialisation (political choice and
responsibility)
• Stress of RIS3 on selectivity versus a need to involve partners intensively
(partners/entrepreneurs should even steer the process)
Main bottlenecks in RIS3 development
& implementation and related questions
• Difficulties with objective selection of priorities (domains of specialisation).
• Unclear definition of „priorities“ and their width (should it be „Nanotechnology
in paper mill industry“, or „ICT“ or even „productive technology“?)
• Difficulties with setting measurable goals in vertical priorities
Q: How to quantify the expected outputs and results in vertical priorities?
• Missing practical guidance how to achieve upgrading in GPNs/GVCs.
• Rigid and cumebrsome programming process of the EU ESIF versus stress
on continuous learning process and flexibility of RIS3.
• Difficulties with stimulation of private R&D&I investment
Q: How to attract private investments to RIS3 implementation?
RIS3 design & implementation:
responsible entities
• RIS3 ex-ante conditionality being fulfilled at the national level
• Regional dimension of RIS3 strategy ensured by 14 regional annexes
elaborated at the level of each NUTS3 region
– annexes will include more specified national priorities in relation to the
specifics of the R&D and innovation potential of the region.
• Guarantee of the fulfillment of RIS3 ex-ante conditionality in CR: Ministry of
Education, Youth and Sports (hereinafter “MEYS”).
• Coordination & strategic authority for preparation and implementation of
RIS3: National RIS3 Coordination Board
• Advisory support in design & implementation kick-off phase: „RIS3
facilitator“ (external highly qualified consultancy)
5
RIS3 aproach (design)
• Given the still relatively limited level of development of the innovation
system in CR at both national and regional level, CR introduces the following
aproach to the RIS3 prioritization:
– Horizontal (cross-cutting) = new types of activities supporting the enhancement of
the innovation system, e.g.:
• introduction of pro-innovation support schemes to strengthen cooperation
between research organizations and corporate sector (innovation vouchers,
mobility support schemes between the triple-helix spheres, technology transfer)
• support of education in technical fields (support of talents),
• spin-off, start-up, incubation support, etc.
– Vertical = focus on specific competitive, progressive sectoral/subsectoral R&D
areas – „domains “ with strong growth potential
Regional RIS3 managers
• Regional S3 activities are coordinated by 14 (RI)S3 managers (local
experts hired in each region by MEYS); functions:
• Elaboration of regional annexes (in cooperation with facilitator and
reg. government)
• Regional partnership building = initiation of establishment of regional
managing & implementation structure for RIS3
• Organization of innovation platforms (round tables) - bringing
together triple-helix actors (gathering ideas RIS3 design &
implementation)
7
Regional RIS3 structures
• multi-level structure for management and implementation of RIS3 will
(based on joint methodology) secure following functions:
managing (Regional Innovation Council),
executive (implementation entity),
consultation (innovation platforms gathering stakeholders from business and R&D)
coordination
(S3 manager)
Monitoring
&
evaluation
unit
monitoring/evaluation
(external entity).
S3
manager
Regional
council for
innovation/
competitiveness
(managing function)
Concrete setting of entities
Implementation
entity
responsible for individual functions
local regional development
agency/ innovation centre/
science & technology park/
regional authority office, etc.
are subject to individual solution
in each region.
Innovation
Innovation Innovation
platform IIplatform X
platform I
(implementing function)
8
National RIS3 - current state & next steps
• National RIS3 strategy: elaborated in 1st draft (by 12/2013)
 RIS3 is built upon (and in line with) current strategic documents (National Innovation Strategy, Strategy of
International Competitiveness, National R&D&I Policy, Priorities of Oriented R&D&I Until 2030)
• 01-05/2014: negotiated in a series of national round tables (innovation platforms)
 First „round table“ held in 01/2014 – gathering mainly representatives of business sphere
(directors of a large number of key innovative companies involved). Feedback: positive
 More to come: innovation platforms shall be established gathering triple-helix stakeholders
to help refine (focus) the priorities - both horizontal and vertical
 Innovation platforms design: built around the strongest identified domains of possible
(vertical) specialization:
Transport means (automotive, aerospace, including connected ecosystem of supplying and
supporting industries)
Engineering industries and electrotechnics
ICT, automatization, electronics
Healthcare and medical technology and devices
 Meanwhile: the same proces in each region ( regional innovation platforms refining
identified horizontal and vertical priorities)
Regional RIS3 - current state of affairs
• Regional annexes: elaborated in 1st draft (by 12/2013)
• However, level of advancement differes among regions (approx. ½ more advanced,
½ less advanced)
• The same with local partnerships/structures and their readiness to manage &
implement RIS3 interventions)
• Differences caused by: different institutional situation (including level of politic
support) and different historic level of experience with R&D&I support
For many regions: RIS3 = major change in perspective regarding regional
development and competitiveness support
• However, with expert guidance, now: RIS3 annexes elaborated in first draft – consisting of
analytical part (covering: review of already existing tools for innovation enterpreneurship support,
identification of regional stakeholders, problem analysis, SWOT analysis, stakeholder analysis and
proposal of management and implementation structure for RIS3) + strategic part
•
regional annexes serve as one of the information inputs for national RIS3
10
Next steps
06/2014:
RIS3
annexes
submitted
for approval
to regional
authorities
01-05/2014:
innovation
platforms on
national as well
as regional
levels

finalization
of the
documents
based on
comments
and
incentives
gathered
from
stakeholder
s involved
08-09/2014:
expected
submission
of RIS3 to
EC
07/2014:
national
RIS3
submitted
for approval
to the
Government
of CR
Main problems of the innovation system in the
Czech Republic - starting point of the national RIS3:
• Weak endogenous business sector and low level of entrepreneurship
• Economic development of CR highly dependent on the activities of foreign
companies
• Unfriendly regulatory conditions for business
• Insufficient quality of public research
• Mismatch between R&D focus of public R&D institutions and business & weak
collaboration
• Weak management and administration of R&D
• Insufficient quality of education system
• Disfunctional system for identification of talents and work with them
12
Current draft of horizontal
S3 priorities = key „ areas of change “
Strengthening competitiveness of CR
based on innovation and knowledge use
Specialization of firms leading to
new products and markets
Business and
Innovation– higher
innovation
performance of
firms and growth of
entrepreneurship
- R&D improve the
quality of public
research
Increase the
demand for
innovation in
companies;
Increase the rate
of business &
new start-ups;
Increase the
internationalisati
on of SMEs
Improve the
quality and
problem
orientation of
research in
knowledge
domains
relevant for
smart
specialization
Diversification of Czech economy through
the creation of new companies and the
arrival of investors carrying out activities
with higher added value
- R&D increase the
economic benefits of
public research
Increase the
relevance of research
- Human Resources
– greater range of
human resources in
the number and
quality for innovative
business, R&D
Improve the quality of
graduates;
Identify and use
talents
Increase the quality of
R&D workers
Regulatory and institutional changes in the national innovation
system
Growth of performance, size and
number of innovative businesses
using the opportunity on the global
markets
- ICT/Digital agenda development of
eGovernment and
eBusiness
eGovernment
eBusiness and ICT in
the business
Infrastructure
- Social Innovations strengthening of multi-level
partnerships in the areas of
employment, economic
development and social
inclusion
Strengthen the culture of
multilevel governance in the
area of employment,
economic development and
social inclusion
Improving the quality of education and efficiency of the education
system
13
National S3 priorities & regional
specificities
RP
RP
RP
National
Priorities
RP
(horizontal & vertical)
Regional priorities are -with rare exceptions- focusing (refining) national priorities
Overall S3 self-assessment
4
3
2
1
0
Towards a strategic governance
to support S3 priorities
•
Relevant actors from triple-helix spheres involved in:
 innovation council (coordinating and strategic policy-making function)
•
On regional level: being designed and built (somewhere already functional)
•
On national level: National RIS3 Coordination board
 innovation platforms (enterpreneurial discovery driven process) - on national as well as regional
level - formed around both horizontal and vertical priorities (domains)
•
In regions with weak innovation system, mainly horizontal platforms prevail in initial stage (vertical
platforms might arise later)
•
Identification of actors (platform members) at regional level already done (some platforms already
functional), at national level still to come
– Innovation platforms should remain engaged throughout the whole policy cycle (design,
implementation, assessment)
•
Coordination mechanisms
•
On national level: MEYS, National RIS3 coordination board & national S3 manager (to be engaged
in 03/2014)
•
On regional level: regional S3 managers (already functional)
16
Towards a strategic policy mix
for implementation of S3
•
Given the nature of RIS3 (focus on RDI), policy-mix should be as flexible as possible:
– no prescription of specific instruments in RIS3, but examples of instruments for each priority are
provided;
– wide space for bottom-up initiatives is envisaged
•
Key (but not the only ones) RIS3 implementation tools are relevant operational programmes 2014+
namely OP Research, Development and Education (MEYS), OP Enterpreneurship and Innovation for
Competitiveness (MIT) and OP Prague
•
Policy instruments:
–
Identification of proper policy instruments is considered an important component of entrepreneurial
discovery process, which should follow the selection of priorities.
–
Proposed instruments: both horizontal (cross-cutting) and vertical instruments are foreseen, on
both national and regional levels (majority with help of ESIF OPs)
–
S3 is on-going learning process, but given the current state of R&D&I in CR, it is necessary to put the
initial emphasis upon the horizontal measures in order to:
»
fix at least the major bottlenecks within the innovation system
»
form a basis for mutual understanding by finding common problems and joint solutions.
17
RIS3 Implementation scheme draft
OP EIC
OP RDE
programmes
project type
priorities
activity examples
Horizontal
- Support of internationally competitive R&D (R&D Centers
upgrade, strenghtening of research teams)
- Popularisation of Science & Technology
Vertical
Competence centres (supporting projects of longterm
collaboration between business and R&D institutions)
in the area of vertical priorities
Horizontal
- Mobility schemes for triple-helix spheres
- Matchmaking events
Vertical
Summer schools of advanced technology
Horizontal
- Strengthening of R&D capacity of firms (labs)
- Projects of applied R&D
- PCP
Vertical
- Innovation of a product or process in the area of vertical
priorities
- Services of R&D infrastructures (S&T parks and
incubators) for business in the area of vertical priorities
Horizontal
Innovation vouchers
Vertical
Innovation vouchers in the area of vertical priorities
Individual projects
(national calls)
Regional schemes
Individual projects
(national calls)
Regional schemes
Towards a strategic policy mix
for implementation of S3
• In addition to individual projects and supportive regional schemes funded
via OPs (cofinanced by national/regional funding), there is a special tool:
– „smart accelerator“ within OP RDE - will facilitate not only preparation of
various regional support schemes/prioritised individual projects, but also the
capacity to implement RIS3 strategy at national as well as regional level
(stronger support to S3 managers, support for implementation structures,
monitoring and evaluation, facilitation of enterpreneurial discovery process).
• Between the main two OPs (OP RDE and OP EIC) a Memorandum of
Cooperation was closed  mechanisms for implementation of RIS3
priorities into the OPs are being designed in joint cooperation
Towards a strategic policy mix
for implementation of S3
•
Financial framework for RIS3: not yet been settled, however:
•
vast majority of the planned interventions implementing the RIS3 on both national and
regional level will be implemented through the structural funds  the RIS3 budget will be to a
large extent derived from the financial frameworks of the relevant OPs
•
Main obstacles in building a coherent and strategic policy mix:
•
strong tendency of keeping status quo in policy design (not only by the managing authorities,
but also by the beneficiaries)
•
missing/insufficient evaluation of effectiveness and efficiency of existing support schemes
(mostly various procedural evaluations)
•
limited know-how about state-of-the-art approaches in RDI support (devil is in detail)
Measuring and assessing RIS3
• Evaluation: both internal and external forseen at national & regional level
• Monitoring indicators - Already indicated in national RIS; 2 different types:
1) Performance indicators (these will monitor efectiveness of tools/interventions/activities
= whether RIS3 manages to reach its goals and targets)
– Monitoring - these will comply with monitoring indicators of relevant OPs
– Other - beyond the scope of monitoring indicators (data collected via special surveys
& analyses)
2) Process indicators (these will monitor whether RIS3 functions as forseen)
• Follow up:
•
National RIS3 (including the budgetary framework) should be updated approx. after 2-4
years
•
Regional RIS3 annexes should be more flexible in this respect  should be regularly
updated in approx. 2-year periods
21
Qs for peers
Q1: How many platforms are needed to achieve the envisaged change of
sectoral structure? What should be the size of platforms? What mechanism
should be applied for selection of actors? How should the platforms be
managed?
 Why: there are insufficient guidelines for entrepreneurial discovery process (rules
for innovation platforms)
 What has been done:
• first platform held in 01/2014
• actors: mainly representatives of leading innovative enterprises
 What worked:
• attention and interest of the bussiness sphere was raised
• strong participation
 What did not work:
• academia and public R&D sphere got offended that they were not involved in the
event in an equal share as the bussiness sphere
Qs for peers
Q2: How to quantify the expected outputs and results in vertical
priorities?
 Why: Difficulties with setting measurable goals in vertical priorities
 What has been done:
• Currently, there is an ongoing process of priority identification and
search for monitoring indicators
Qs for peers
Q3: To what extent does a change of priorities require a change of OPs
endorsed by the EC?
 Why: Rigid and cumebersome programming process of the EU ESIF
versus stress on continuous learning process and flexibility of RIS3.
 What has been done:
• currently, the reference to the RIS3 strategy in the OPs is rather vague
 What workes:
• Current OP text leaves enough space for regular update of the RIS3
(living document and process) while not causing difficulties for the OPs
 What does not work:
• The EC requires to incorporate the RIS3 in the OPs’ text in a greater
detail which might close doors for the OP to be able to reflect on the
RIS3 updates
Qs for peers
Q4: How to attract private investments to RIS3 implementation?
 Why:
• There is almost nonexistent history of private investments to support
government strategy
 What has been done:
• Currently, there are private (measurable) investments expected only in
the form of:
• project cofinancing by private company sources (pushed mainly by
the state-aid rules)
• financial instruments pay-off (financial instruments introduced
scarcely – mainly by MIT)
Thank you for your attention
• Ministry of Education:
veronika.czesana@msmt.cz
gabriela.daniels@msmt.cz
blazek@natur.cuni.cz
• Ministry of Industry and Trade:
prihodova@mpo.cz
petr.ocko@mpo.cz