Smart Specialisation Working Group
Representatives of Brussels-based offices leading the work of the Smart Specialisation Working Group.
Smart Specialisation
The Smart Specialisation Working Group aims to monitor and contribute to key policy developments related to S3 by enhancing dialogue with relevant EU institutions and stakeholders. The goal is to strengthen the regional perspective in the wider smart specialisation agenda and facilitate the interregional cooperation. The WG actively engages in the debate around shaping the cohesion policy post-2027 and the future of S3. It also follows different interregional collaboration instruments for innovation, their state of play and upcoming opportunities.
ERRIN Contact
Previous Related ERRIN Working Group Meetings
Smart Specialisation WG meeting: S3 and PRI – the way ahead
The year 2024 marks the opening of a new chapter for the Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI) as a JRC-CoR initiative building on S3 to support innovation for place-based transformations. In
Strengthening skills governance in regional innovation ecosystems: lessons learnt and remaining challenges
As the activities of the EU Year of Skills came to an end in April 2024, the Science and Education for Society Working Group is organising a Working Group meeting to reflect on the lessons learnt
Policy & Smart Specialisation WGs meeting: Widening in FP10 and impact on cohesion policy post-2027
The topic of widening gathers high attention in the discussions around the next European Framework Programme for R&I, raising questions with the potential to influence not only the Widening sub-
WG Related Events
Connecting regional innovation valleys through circular industries
The Principality of Asturias through IDEPA, and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission will organise the event "Connecting regional innovation valleys through circular industries" on 21-22 June in Gijón, Asturias (Spain). The conference will build on the experiences and learnings of the Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI) Pilot.
Living-in.EU Mayors' Digital Assembly 2023
The first Mayors’ Digital Assembly of the Living-in.EU movement will be organised on 15 June, in the framework of the Brussels Urban Summit (BUS), taking place from 12 to 15 June 2023.
Circularity and Innovation in West Sweden
The region Västra Götaland invites you to a seminar on the topic Circularity and innovation in West Sweden, under the umbrella of the Swedish presidency's priority Green and energy transition. The seminar will take place on 14 June from 14:30-17:00 in Brussels.
Velenje on the Path to Climate Neutrality
The municipality of Velenje has won EU Green Leaf Award 2024, taking part in the Cities Mission, and faces a transition from a coal mining region to new green perspectives. We invite you to join us at the event where the mayor of Velenje will sign the letter of intent for EU Green Leaf 2024 on 8 June from 10:00-13:00.
DUT & ERRIN Policy WG workshop: Funding synergies – from theory to practice
Driving Urban Transitions Partnership and ERRIN Policy Working Group are organising a workshop on "Funding synergies – from theory to practice". The event will take place on 8 June from 9:30-11:30 CEST, focusing on operationalising synergies between cohesion and R&I funding. Participation is possible online and in-person at the ERRIN premises, for additional networking.
Partnerships for Regional Innovation: From Pilot to Practice
The two-day event on 30-31 May 2023, organised by Dalarna Region, JRC and CoR will take place in Tällberg, Sweden. Participants will share the lessons learnt from the PRI Pilot Action and take stock of the achievements since its launch in May 2022. Both PRI and non-PRI actors are encouraged to take part. ERRIN Director Pirita Lindholm will moderate one of the sessions.
WG Documents
ERRIN Year in review 2022
The ERRIN Year in review 2022 is out! Read the report to see the numerous activities ERRIN and its members have been involved in throughout the year.
WG Related Content
The Forward-Looking Survey - European Urban Initiative
The European Urban Initiative (EUI) has launched a forward-looking survey to gather vital insights from urban practitioners and policymakers across Europe. This survey, hosted on Portico, aims to identify key trends, challenges, knowledge gaps and support needs in European sustainable urban development. The survey will be open from 6 June until 12 July.
Third Call for Proposals EUI - Innovative Actions
The third EUI-Innovative Actions (EUI-IA) Call for Proposals is launched now and will close on 14 October 2024 at 14.00 CEST with an allocated indicative budget of EUR 90 million ERDF. Each project can receive up to a maximum of 5 million EUR ERDF co-financing and project implementation should take place within a maximum period of 3.5 years.
New EU Preparatory Action on innovation for place-based transformations
A new EU Preparatory Action (PA) on innovation for place-based transformations was publicly announced for the first time by the JRC of the European Commission during the ERRIN S3 Working Group meeting on 25 June. The challenge-oriented PA will offer several opportunities for regional engagement and will be based on the experience of Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI), with a call for EoI expected to launch in October 2024.
ERRIN two-pager for European decision-makers
ERRIN is pleased to share a two-pager for the incoming European decision-makers, aiming to present the network and our value to the new MEPs, raising a voice for the importance of place-based R&I in the changing landscape. We encourage all ERRIN members to share the document with their MEPs to introduce ERRIN and the value of place-based R&I.
Over 70 ERRIN member regions announced as Regional Innovation Valleys
On 19 June, the Commission announced the 151 regions identified as Regional Innovation Valleys following the call for EoI and calls for proposals in 2023. 73 successful regions come from ERRIN members. RIVs will aim to strengthen the regional innovation ecosystems, bridge the innovation gap and improve Europe's overall innovation performance. New calls for proposals under Horizon Europe are expected in 2025.
How is cultural heritage integrated into regional development? CHARTER Alliance publishes new report on six regional case studies conducted by ERRIN
CHARTER, the European Cultural Heritage Skills Alliance funded by Erasmus+, has released a new report showcasing findings and conclusions from six regional case studies conducted by ERRIN members in the Basque Country (Spain), Sibiu (Romania), Bremen (Germany), Alentejo (Portugal), Tuscany (Italy), and Västra Götaland (Sweden) in 2021-2023. The report synthesises how skills for cultural heritage are integrated into regional development policies and strategies, examining sector-integrated dynamics within these regional ecosystems. The report provides recommendations for developing long-term…
Latest Updates
- By Ewa Chomicz
Regional Innovation Scoreboard 2023 published
On 6 July, the Commission released the newest bi-annual Regional Innovation Scoreboard (RIS). The RIS allows for a closer examination of the innovation performance within European regions and the new edition is to be taken as a reference for consortium eligibility in the current Regional Innovation Valleys call for proposals under Horizon Europe. The 2023 edition of the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) was also published.
- By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
ERRIN Spring AGM 2023 – taking stock of the EU Missions
ERRIN’s Spring Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2023 took place on 22 June this year. As always, it brought together the large and dynamic community of member regions and cities. Following the format part with the update from the network, the main focus was the EU Missions, approached in two policy debates, on the support and implementation frameworks in Adaptation, Ocean and Waters and Soil Missions, and the governance innovation and the perspective on Cities and the Cancer Missions.
- By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
Plenary Meeting of the S3 European Hydrogen Valleys Partnership and call for input
On 20 June 2023, ERRIN participated in the Plenary Meeting of the S3 European Hydrogen Valleys Partnership, hosted in the House of the Dutch Provinces in Brussels. In this context, ERRIN with its Energy & Climate Working Group is in the process of producing an input paper building on the work of the S3 Partnership on Hydrogen Valleys and collecting ERRIN’s members’ needs, challenges and solutions.
- By Lucy Hammond
Local Digital Twins toolbox project launches survey
The European Commission has recently launched a project to “Co-design the Local Digital Twins (LDT) toolbox technical specifications for advancing the transformation of Smart Communities”. To support the design process, they have launched a survey to gather insights. The deadline for the survey is 30 June at 23:59 CEST.
- By Lorna Murphy
Implementing co-funded action plans for connected regional innovation valleys - Heat networks
Implementing co-funded action plans for connected regional innovation valleys – Decarbonising Heat & Cooling, with proposed focus on next generation heating & cooling networks
- By Rodolphe Doité
Hydrogen Roadmap – Survey for the Call for Evidence
The European Commission will soon publish a call for evidence (expected in June 2023 and open for four weeks) to collect further input from multiple stakeholders for the roadmap. In this frame, ERRIN wishes to produce an input paper.