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.

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Last Working Group Meetings

Previous Related ERRIN Working Group Meetings

Smart Specialisation WG meeting: S3 and PRI – the way ahead

Smart Specialisation WG meeting: S3 and PRI – the way ahead

Ewa Chomicz

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

Strengthening skills governance in regional innovation ecosystems: lessons learnt and remaining challenges

Astrid Hannes

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

Policy & Smart Specialisation WGs meeting: Widening in FP10 and impact on cohesion policy post-2027

Ewa Chomicz

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

WG Related Events

Multi-partner cooperation formulas and their impact on territorial development

The event will be an open discussion and a participatory session based on the RIS3, focusing mostly but not exclusively on the role of authorities and multi-level governance issues; on implementation tools; on continuous EDP and involvement of users; on open dimension and strategic use of Interreg;

2018 SMARTER Conference on Smart Specialisation and Territorial Development: Implementation across global networks of regions, cities and firms

This conference offers a comprehensive picture of the smart specialisation policy experience, including an evaluation of its early results, and highlights recent developments both conceptually and empirically.

Smart Specialisation WG Meeting: Dialogue with the European Institutions

In the next Smart Specialisation Working Group meeting, Alexander Ferstl from the Austrian Presidency will present the state of play of the discussions on the post-2020 Cohesion policy proposal in the Council, with a focus on innovation and S3 related issues.

Smart Specialisation WG Meeting

We are happy to invite you to the last Smart Specialisation Working Group meeting for this year!

New Industrial Value Chains For Growth – S34Growth

The Vanguard Initiative originated Interreg Europe project “Enhancing policies through interregional cooperation: New industrial value chains for growth (S34GROWTH)” , involving 10 VI regions, was launched in 2016 with a bold ambition to explore and define how industry-led, inter-regional collaborat

Smart Specialisation WG meeting

In this last Smart Specialisation Working Group meeting of the year, we will learn more about, and discuss The future of smart specialisation and cohesion policy. It will take place on December 4 at the Helsinki EU Office, Rue Belliard 15-17 from 14.00 – 16.30.

WG Documents

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

WG Related Content

Express your interest in the 3rd Interreg Europe call via the ERRIN Project Development Tool

Interreg Europe's 3rd call for proposals, launched on 20 March, supports interregional cooperation projects addressing common regional development challenges. Organisations can use the ERRIN Project Development tool to express interest and find partners. The call is open until 7 June 2024.

ERRIN at the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities & 30th anniversary of CoR

On 18-19 March, the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities took place in Mons, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). ERRIN joined the summit for debates on the future of cohesion policy and promotion of the Living-in.EU movement, all while recognising the long-standing dialogue with CoR.

Systems to quantify nitrogen fluxes and uncertainties in European landscapes

Call for Partner interest under the Mission Soil calls, focusing on Systems to quantify nitrogen fluxes and uncertainties in European landscapes.

Marching towards FP10 – ERRIN activity update

As we enter March and approach the European R&I Days, several ERRIN activities planned for 2024 with a link to FP10 have already taken place, and more are on their way. Have a look at an update with the outcomes of our recent work on the next European Framework Programme for R&I, next steps and opportunities to get involved.

Open call for regions to host S3 Conference 2024

The S3 Community of Practice (S3 CoP) Secretariat, where ERRIN is a partner, opened a call to all EU regions and member states to express their interest in hosting the Smart Specialisation (S3) Conference 2024 this autumn. The event will be at the forefront of discussions on Smart Specialisation and its key role in fostering local economic development. Deadline for applications is 15 March.

ERRIN at CoR SEDEC conference on place-based innovation

On 23 February, SEDEC Commission of the European Committee of the Regions and Regione Marche organised a conference on place-based innovation for the EU's green and digital transition. ERRIN was invited to share its messages, linking to the network's ongoing work around the future cohesion and R&I policies post-2027.

Latest Updates

  • By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha

Call for examples of citizen engagement at regional level

DG REGIO is looking for examples of citizen engagement in regional development processes e.g. related to Smart Specialisation. Selected examples will be showcased at a Conference organised by the European Commission on 6 February 2020. In addition, we will promote all collected examples on the ERRIN website.

  • By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha

Smart Regions Conference 3.0: Transformation through Smart specialisation

On 14-15 November in Brussels a third edition of Smart Regions conference will take place. During the event the achievements of the current financial period 2014-20 and key directions for smart specialisation as a tool for an effective economic transformation in 2021-27 will be presented by the European Commission, Member States and regions.

  • By Aija Konisevska Azadi

Digitalising products - unlocking the potential

An emerged technology-push within Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has led to an evolving digital transformation within industry (Lasi et al., 2014). The digital transformation is often described as a revolution due to the expected impact on industry, changing the competition and business.

  • By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha

Call to organise events as part of the 'EU Cluster Weeks 2018-2019' (Deadline: 29 March 2019)

  On November 20th the European Commission launched “EU Cluster weeks 2018-2019”, a campaign aimed at offering communication support to cluster events organised all around Europe before April 30th, 2019.

  • By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha

Adoption of the CoR opinion on "Strengthening Innovation in Europe's Regions"

  On 16th May, the opinion on “Strengthening Innovation in Europe’s Regions: Strategies for resilient, inclusive and sustainable growth” drafted by Mikel Irujo Amezaga, Head of the Navarre Government Delegation in Brussels and member of ERRIN Management Board, was adopted unanimously during the Committee of the Regions Plenary.

  • By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha

Call for special sessions proposals for 2018 SMARTER Conference on Smart Specialisation and Territorial Development (Deadline 17 May)

On 26-28 September 2018 the 2018 SMARTER Conference on Smart Specialisation and Territorial Development: Implementation across global networks of regions, cities and firms will take place in Seville (Spain) and will be co-organised by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the Regional Studies Association European Foundation (RSA Europe).  At the moment there are two calls open, one f