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
European Partnership Stakeholder Forum - One-year review of European Partnership Initiatives in Horizon Europe
On 15 and 16 November 2022, the European Commission will launch its first European Partnership Stakeholder Forum. The Forum focuses on reviewing the first year of partnerships and, in particular, how they can contribute to the twin green and digital transitions, and increase Europe’s resilience. Participation is possible online or in person in Brussels.
iWATERMAP Conference: A Blueprint for place-based Innovation Ecosystems
The iWATERMAP conference will be hosted at the Committee of the Regions. The iWATERMAP project focuses on supporting the innovation policies in water technology sector, helping to increase the critical mass of innovation ecosystems in partner regions in this sector.
Virtual info day for second Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital calls
The info day on the new calls launched under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital will take place virtually on 25 October from 9.30 to 13.00 CEST.
Brussels Talks: How to be an innovative region in Europe?
As part of the event series Brussels Talks, NCBR – Business & Science Poland are organising the online event 'How to be an innovative region in Europe?', with ERRIN director Pirita Lindholm as the main speaker. The event will discuss regional innovations ecosystems, how to support R&I capacities at local and regional level and how to reduce the innovation divide. Furthermore, the support offered by current EU funded programmes and initiatives will be explored.
Translating EU Missions into regional policy
The TRAMI project and ERRIN are organising a mutual learning event on 18 October. The event will aim to showcase a successful translation of the EU Missions approach into concrete policies and tools on the regional level and to foster the discussion on challenges and opportunities with its implementation.
Smart Specialisation WG: S3 Breakfast: Pitch your S3!
As the new generation of 2021-2027 regional S3 strategies is kicking off in ERRIN regions, the S3 Working Group is pleased to invite you to discuss regional S3, their synergies with the EU missions and links with the Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI) Pilot around a cup of coffee. The meeting will take place in person on 18 October from 9:00-10:30.
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 JRC publishes "Innovation for place-based transformations. ACTIONbook, practices and tools"
The Joint Research Centre, in collaboration with the European Committee of the Regions, has published the "Innovation for place-based transformations. ACTIONbook, practices and tools". The ACTIONbook builds upon the PRI Playbook and PRI Pilot experience to help address complex challenges.
ERRIN welcomes new network Chairs
The ERRIN Management Board has appointed three co-chairs to the network. The three postholders will work together as a troika to guide the network in a collaborative manner in the period of 2024-2025.
Exploring Synergies between European Partnerships and EU Missions – Mutual Learning Event
ERRIN and the TRAMI project are organising a Mutual Learning Event aiming to explore synergies between European Partnerships and EU Missions. The event will take place on Wednesday 7 February from 9:00 to 12:00 (CET) at the NCBR Brussels Office, Rue Belliard 40, Brussels.
Regional innovation highlighted in Council conclusions on R&I
On 8 December, the Council of the EU approved conclusions on strengthening the role and impact of research and innovation in policymaking – a priority file for the Spanish Presidency of the Council. A stronger role for local and regional innovation to strengthen competitive R&I is featured in the conclusions as one of the three mutually complementary dimensions.
ERRIN end of year reception - 2023 Highlights
On 7 December, ERRIN celebrated the network’s achievements in 2023. Following an engaging meeting with leaders of our 15 Working Groups, all ERRIN members were invited to a cocktail reception featuring a keynote from Markus Schulte, Head of Cabinet of Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth. Check out ERRIN 2023 highlights in a 3-minute video.
S3 Forum completed!
The S3 Forum – the first EU-level, in-person gathering on S3 since 2020 – took place on 28-29 November in Barcelona. ERRIN Secretariat joined the event alongside many network members and hundreds of S3 practitioners and experts from across Europe. The days were packed with discussions around perspectives for smart specialisation and interregional collaboration on innovation.
Latest Updates
- By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
EWRC session: Resilience of EU innovation ecosystems
The session will analyse the various aspects of the impact of COVID-19 on the EU and how S3 models have helped during the lockdown and will help further in the post-crisis transition.
- By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
EWRC session: Industrial cooperation & smart recovery
The COVID-19 crisis is having a devastating impact on industrial activities in the EU. The whole industrial model in EU regions will need to be reconstructed. An additional challenge for Smart Specialisation is to embed the digital and sustainability dimensions into the new programming period to achieve competitive sustainability.
- By Hilary Webb
EWRC session: Cohesion and cooperation in transition
This workshop will press the importance of EU funding for research and interregional cooperation and facilitate active knowledge exchange between policy experts from partner regions.
- By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
High-level Webinar of the Baltic Sea Region – Towards Sustainable Economic Transformation
A High-level Webinar of the Baltic Sea Region – Towards Sustainable Economic Transformation over Zoom will take place on the 28th of September with Maroš Šefčovič, Vice President, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, European Commission and Markku Markkula, Vice President, European Committee of the Regions.
- By Hilary Webb
Smarter 2020 Conference: Place-based responses to the COVID-19 economic crisis
An uncomping webinar will focus on short-term reactions to the COVID-19 crisis that relate to S3/S4 governance and what role it will play in the longer recovery.
- By Tarik Kehli
Boosting SME Internationalisation
We will gather online to discuss how we best support SMEs' internationalisation. At these times, due to COVID-19, it is harder than ever to work internationally, and nonetheless increasingly vital for small and medium-sized businesses to do so. This online conference will table issues and provide examples of how we as local and regional business support organisations can improve internationalisation, growth and thus wellbeing.