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

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

Info Day: I3 Instrument work programme 2021-2022 and calls

On 9 December 2021, EISMEA is organizing an informative webinar on the Interregional Innovation Investment Work Programme 2021-2022 and the recently announced calls.

Info session - Policy tools and services for clusters and regions

The European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) and ERRIN are organising an info session on the support services provided by the ECCP to cluster managers and to policy makers.

Smart collaboration in a transnational context

An international conference on Transnational Smart Specialisation for EU macro-regions will take place online on 28 October as part of the GoSmart&Excel BSR project. The event will concentrate on the role of Smart Specialisation Strategies and how they can play a role in innovation development in a transnational context.

EWRC 2021: S4+ Foresight

The DLR-Project Management Agency is organising a session during the 19th European Week of Regions and Cities jointly with the Technology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences on 'S4+Foresight: Facilitating Smart Specialisation for Europe's Green Recovery and Long-term Resilience', taking place on Wednesday 13 October.

EWRC 2021: Interoperability of Digital Solutions

This workshop will present the different practices on the different levels of digitalisation by which regions are following the priorities and ambitions settled by the EC. At the same time, it is the beginning of future interregional cooperation.

EWRC 2021: Digital Transformation for SMEs: Added value of a regional EDIH built upon a S3

ERRIN member Centre Val de Loire is organising a workshop at the European Week of Regions and Cities on the added value of regional European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) for S3. ERRIN's Director, Pirita Lindholm, will moderate the session.

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.

Horizon Europe strategic plan 2025-2027 is out

On 20 March, the Commission adopted the second Horizon Europe strategic plan. The plan sets out three key strategic orientations for the EU's research and innovation funding for the last three years of the programme (2025-2027). Find out what novelties the new strategic plan brings.

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.

Latest Updates

  • By Ewa Chomicz

Call for Expression of Interest - 'Clusters meet Regions' workshops

The European Cluster Collaboration Platform launched a Call of Expression of Interest to select the national/regional authorities and clusters organisations to run 13 European ‘Clusters meet Regions’ workshops in the second half of 2022 and throughout 2023. The new deadline for making an application is 2 December 2022, at 18:00 CEST. 

  • By Lucy Hammond

Second set of calls for proposals under CEF Digital programme launched

The European Commission has launched the second set of calls for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility Digital programme, with a budget of €277 million. The deadline to apply is 23 February 2023. One of the calls that could be of particular interest to ERRIN members is the '5G for Smart Communities'.

  • By Lucy Hammond

Lubelskie region is looking for cooperation in the area of bioactive substances of natural origin

Lubelskie Voivodeship, continuing its work on regional ecosystem of life science as a part of the ELISE Interreg Europe project, is looking for partner regions to jointly apply to the Interreg Europe programme, the call for which will run from 15 March until 9 June 2023.

  • By Magdalena Ujejska

Małopolska Region's search for partners - Adapting cities and regions to climate change

Małopolska Region looking for partners for a project within LIFE Subprogramme Climate Action (Adapting cities and regions to climate change).

  • By Ewa Chomicz

Management Board elections 2022 – call for nominations launched!

Every year ERRIN holds elections for the Management Board. You can put forward your candidature for this year’s elections until 17 October.

  • By Ewa Chomicz

REGIONS2030: Call for expression of interest - deadline extended

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) is inviting European regions to express their interest to contribute to the Pilot Project "REGIONS2030: Monitoring the SDGs in the EU regions - Filling the data gaps", supported by the European Parliament. The deadline for submitting an expression of interest is now extended until 10 October 2022.