Research and innovation in cross border regions:

Challenges and opportunities from a European perspective

Olivier Brunet, European Commission,

Directorate General Research and Innovation

2014 Conference

Association of European Border Regions

Rzeszow, Poland, September 11-12th, 2014

Research and

Innovation Policy

Challenges, opportunities

- Get the best out of the EU Research and Innovation policy

- Take advantage of the EU cohesion - regional policy

- Imply the companies in a clever way, industrial policy

- Do not forget universities, lifelong learning perspective

- Aragon, an interesting test case

- A few suggestions at the level of AEBR

Opportunities from HORIZON 2020

• A single programme bringing together three separate programmes/initiatives* - 70 billion Euros

• Coupling research to innovation – from research to the market, all forms of innovation: products and processes, social and eco-innovation…

• Focus on societal challenges facing EU society such as health, food, clean energy and “green” transport

• Simplified access for all applicants

*The 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7), innovation aspects of Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), EU contribution to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

Horizon 2020 and partnering

• Public public partnerships:

• « ERA-Nets » for topping up individual calls/actions

• participation in joint programmes between Member States

• Supporting agendas of Joint Programming Initiatives in line with Horizon 2020

• Public private partnerships:

• Joint Technology Initiatives

• Contractual agreements, which provide inputs for work programmes

• Increased attention paid to SMEs in the whole programme, not only a specific instrument for innovative SMEs coupled with an "access to risk finance"

• European Innovation Partnerships:

• Not funding instruments, but for coordination with broader policies and programmes, the example of active ageing

EU R&I policy and cross border cooperation opportunities

- Selection through calls of proposal and an external evaluation process, the excellence parameter is key

- European - International consortia, 3 partners at least

- Read the work programmes carefully, the cross border cooperation might be an asset in some calls- Research infrastructures (ESFRI roadmap), the ELI (Extreme light infrastructure) example (416 Millions funded by the ERDF in the Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary)

Get the best out of the European regional policy

Smart specialization RIS3 is a pillar of this policy:

- 376 billion for the period 2014-2020

- Innovation is the first priority

- All Member States and/or Regions must set up an innovation strategy, added value of a digital agenda

- Through an “entrepreneurial discovery process”- Process facilitated by an S3 Platform http://s3platform/jrc.ec.europa.eu

BELGIQUE• Région de Bruxelles-Capitale• Vlaanderen• WalloniaČESKÁ REPUBLIKA• Jihomoravský kraj• Capital City of Prague DEUTSCHLAND• Berlin• Brandenburg• Freistaat Sachsen• Weser-Ems• Sachsen-AnhaltELLADA• Attiki • Crete• Eastern Macedonia and Thrace• Western GreeceESPAÑA• Andalucía • Aragón• Canarias • Cantabria• Galicia • La Rioja• Madrid • Navarra• País Vasco • Catalunya• Principado de Asturias• Región de Murcia• Illes Baleares• Extremedura• Castilla y León• Castilla-La Mancha• Comunidad ValencianaFINLAND• Kainuu • Oulu• Päijät-Häme • Uusimaa• PohjaEtelä-Pohjanmaa (Ostrobothnia)• Satakunta • Lapland• Etelä-Pohjanmaa (South Ostrobothnia)• Tampere region

FRANCE• Alsace • Aquitaine• Bretagne • Centre• Champagne-Ardenne• Corse • Guadalupe• Guyane • Languedoc-Rousillon• La Réunion • Limousin• Martinique• Nord-Pas-de-Calais• Picardie • Rhône-AlpesITALIA• Lombardia • Marche• Piemonte • Puglia• Sardinia • Emilia-Romagna• Toscana • Umbria• Veneto • Sicily • Basilicata • Campania• LiguriaLITHUANIAMAGYARORSZÁG• North-Hungarian Region– Miskolc• Észak-Alföld • Dél-Alföld MALTANEDERLAND• Noord NederlandÖSTERREICH• Niederösterreich• OberösterreichPOLSKA• Dolny Śląsk (Lower Silesia)• Lubelskie• Lubuskie• Mazowieckie• Podkarpackie• Pomorskie• Świętokrzyskie• Wielkopolska• Województwo Podlaskie• Kujawsko-Pomorskie • Łódzkie• Warminsko-Mazurskie• MałopolskiePORTUGAL• Alentejo (Alto, Baixo, Central e Litoral)• Centro• Norte• Região Autónoma dos Açores• Lisboa e Vale do Tejo• Algarve• Região Autónoma da MadeiraROMÂNIA• VestSLOVENSKÁ REPUBLIKA • Bratislavský krajSLOVENIASVERIGE• Skåne• Västerbotten• Västra GötalandUNITED KINGDOM• Buckinghamshire• Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly• Kent• Northamptonshire• Northern Ireland• West Midlands • Wales • Devon

NORWAY • NordlandSERBIA • Vojvodina

Register here:

http://s3platform

.jrc.ec.eu

ropa.eu

/reg

istration

Less developed regions

More developed &transition regions

60% 20%

6%

44%

Research & innovationEnergy efficiency & renewable energy Competitiveness of SMEs

New EU Regional Development Fund

Key elements of RIS3

RIS3 is an entrepreneurial discovery process leading to an economic transformation of the regions by:

- selecting priorities based on existing and potential competitive advantages, to be reinforced and diversified

- Mobilizing and developing R&I potential for meeting business needs & capacities

- Targeting emerging market opportunities and promoting cooperation between regions to avoid fragmentation and duplication of efforts

- Involving public/private stakeholders & funding sources

Step 1: Analysis of regional potential for

innovation-driven differentiation

Step 2: RIS 3 design and governance –

ensuring participation & ownership

Step 3: Elaboration of an overall vision for

the future of the region

Step 4: Selection of priorities for RIS3 +

definition of objectives

Step 5: Definition of coherent policy mix,

roadmaps and action plan

Step 6: Integration of monitoring and

evaluation mechanisms

Steps to RIS3Steps to RIS3

(6) Monitoring

(5) Policy mix

(4) Priorities

(3) Vision

(2) Process

(1) Analysis

RIS 3 Strategy

RIS3 key challenges ahead

In principle:

- RIS 3 priorities should be reflected in the Structural Funds Operational programmes

- In particular at the level of ERDF, ESF and EARDF are less obvious but important too

- Cross border cooperation should take advantage of the priorities defined by the regions concerned

- Involving public/private stakeholders & funding sources in the implementation processes

Imply companies in a clever way

- More important in HORIZON 2020 than in the 7th Framework Programme

- Key in the setting up and implementation of RIS3, also from a cross border perspective

- Assess your own strengths and weaknesses, where are your opportunities and threats ? No "one size fits all"

- Pay attention to clusters: committed public policy leaders, innovative companies and strong Universities working together are usually the best components for a successful innovation policy at various levels, do not forget the citizens (quadruple helix)

A success story in terms of innovation involving cross border clusters:

- Political leadership, strong companies, clusters, Universities

- Many cross border projects www.rmtmo.eu, "Sciences offensive"

- Cultural parameters are key, trust and innovation culture ?

The Upper Rhein example

South Moravia, Brno,Czech Republic

Another interesting example among others:

- Long tradition in science and research, 80000 students

- Regional Innovation Agency since 2001

- Cooperation with innovative companies

- RIS3: biotechnologies, health…

- Cooperation with Austria and Germany,the “brain drain” challenge

- New EU programme for education, training, youth and sport- 15 billion Euros - Learning opportunities for individuals, more international focus- Erasmus for students, Marie Curie action for researchers - Institutional cooperation between higher education, businesses,local and regional authorities… creation of 400 "knowledge alliances" and "sector skills alliances"- Support for political reform in Member States, follow up to the Bologna process…

Universities in ERASMUS +

- ERASMUS + is not only focusing on higher education - But aims at promoting lifelong learning, all levels of education are important from a cross border cooperation perspective - Enhancing the innovation culture at school - Job opportunities, cross border labour markets and training - Cultural cooperation, languages and skills - Successful "nordic model", LLL and cooperation culture - Recent meeting with the Presidents of the French Universities

Lifelong learning and cooperation

In the frame of a 2 year exchange between civil servants

- Complexity of a regional innovation ecosystem- Strengths in Aragon in logistics, water management, mainly through innovative clusters www.zinnae.org, www.aliaragon.eu- EU programmes can help:www.socool-logistics.eu

- Structures do not always help, lack of a real Innovation Agency - Multilevel governance is a challenge, not only at regional –national and European level, also between regions and cities - Leading role of a Regional authority can be limited by its lack of administrative capacity and too much politics - The same applies to cross border cooperation, cleverness of the University of Zaragoza, french – spanish major opportunities- In the end, people are more important than institutions

An experience from Aragon

- Pay attention to innovation, at short term through RIS3 –INTERREG opportunities in particular

- Promote synergies with HORIZON 2020, ERASMUS +, LIFE…through concrete cross border success stories

- Increase your cooperation in this field with the European Commission and Parliament, the Committee of the regions…

- And other EU networks such as ERRIN (Innovative regions), EURADA, European Business Network, European Association of Universities…

- Set up a task force on innovation in order to work from a longerterm perspective ?

Suggestions to the AEBR

Thanks, let us discuss