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Regional Innovation StrategiesRIS

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About Regional Innovation Strategies

•The RIS projects aimed to support regions to develop regional innovation strategies that would enhance regional innovation and competitiveness through optimising innovation policies and infrastructure.

•32 regions have been supported to formulate regional innovation strategies with RIS projects.

•It is based on a common methodology based on three main elements:

• consensus-building among key actors • analysis of the regional innovation system• development of strategic frameworks on innovation support

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Today competitive trends

Increasing competitive pressures

Global Markets

KnowledgeThe way to compete

The key actorsFirms

R&D institutions

Public sector

Society

The instrument Regional Innovation Strategy

The threats

Str

engt

hen

Fos

ter

Pro

mot

e

Competitive Advantage

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Performance framework of RIS

•SMEs play a key role in developing and implementing the strategy

•It means a significant mobilization and utilization of regional endogenous resources

•Priorities and actions defined within a long term framework

•High level of consensus requires during the whole process

•Bottom up process ensuring the participation of all regional key Actors

• Public Authorities as promoting agents

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RIS designing process

Analysis

Global trends

Regional industry

RegionalRDi system

Identify innovation and technology sources

Identify technological and innovation needs

Regional weaknesses and opportunities

Contrast

Debate

Interaction

Consensus

Reg

iona

l Inn

ovat

ion

Str

ateg

y

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RIS as mechanism for regional development (I)

•Globalization VS Regionalization. Enterprises gain competitive advantage taking the most of their closest resources.

•A mixture of close competition with collaboration generate an environment where firms can growth being able to compete in global markets.

•This performance of the industrial tissue requires an strong innovation system with fluent relations among its members (triple helix)

•RIS encourages the formation of networks, thin relationships between the public sector, the research community and the business tissue.

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RIS as mechanism for regional development (II)

•So, a Regional Innovation Strategy is the first step in order to turn a region in a learning region able to compete in today global economy.

•The clarity of the objectives defined, the long term scope and the consensus among participants ensure a sustainable growth model based on knowledge.

Regional Innovation Strategies are powerful instruments to develop regional economic systems and the best model to ensure a sustainable competitive growth.

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RIS as mechanism for regional development (III)

RIS

Strengthening the regional innovation

system

Defining objectives and actions to

compete internationally

Promotion of collaboration and networks formation

Spreading innovation culture across the entire region

•Knowledge transfer

•Clusters

•Technology platforms

•Networks

•Fostering innovation

•Focusing on critic technology & sectors

•Development of technology offer

•Medium & long term

•Consensus

•Wide scope

•Clear identification of need and opportunities

•Change of mind

•Entrepreneurship

•Innovation culture

Measures/ ActionsCommon Targets ScopeGeneral Objective

Sus

tain

able

com

petit

ive

grow

th

RDi support to business tissue

Strong and competitive productive

system

A clear path for development

Continuous improvement

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Foreseen results of RIS

•Identification of key sector and technologies in the region

•Positioning the region within the global competitive trend

•Establishment of medium and long term objective within a strategic framework

•Definition of a sufficient range of actions to reach the objectives defined

•Development of mechanisms to follow-up and evaluate the accomplishment of the Strategy

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Foreseen results of RIS

•Consensus about the path followed to gain the regional competitive advantage

•Strengthening of regional technology offer

•Development of a working method based on collaboration and networking relations

•Improved capacity of regional firms to assimilate research results through collaboration with research agents

•Fist attempt to introduce “innovation culture” and “innovation awareness” not only among regional system but society itself.

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Foreseen results of RIS

•Level and quality of innovation raised. Levels of RD expenditures and personnel employed grew.

•Enterprises more involved in regional innovation system.

•Disparities with more developed regions both in RDi and economic and competitive terms reduced.

•A widen perception by economic agents that measures implemented within RIS framework contribute to improve the regional situation