Exploringthe potential of thematic Smart Specialisation Partnershipsto contribute to SDGs

Abstract

This research developsa number of conclusions contributing to both practice andtheory. The results of the study indicatethat this type of interregional thematic S3 partnerships are well positioned to allow partnerregions to combine their often-complementary strengths, exploit competences in research and innovation, get necessary research capacity, gain access to global value chains and overcome a lack of critical mass and fragmentation.The authors examine the extent to which various S3 priorities are linkedto the sustainable innovation, i.e. creating something new that improves performance acrossthe three dimensions of sustainabledevelopment: social, environmental and economic(1).Following this analysis, the authors will providean overview of the thematic approach to smart specialisation and its implementation throughthematic S3 partnerships across three thematic S3 platforms. This will be followed by a shortdescription of the monitoring tool tested by the S3 Platform and its results showing a distribution ofpartnerships and their link to various SDGs. The authors will then discuss the results and defineconclusions and policy implicationsMore specifically, this research argues that the smart specialisation approach facilitatesthe identification of strategic priorities that are increasingly aligned with the idea of sustainable development. While the EU overall has a good record ofpolicy initiatives supporting various SDGs, this record is a result of work across many institutions and organisations across the Union.Given the currently high degree of dispersion and fragmentation of capabilities across EU regions, it is imperative that industrial modernisationeffortsareeven better alignedacross regional,national and EU instruments in support of innovation, skills, and entrepreneurship.This is where research and innovation strategies canhelp strengthen the sustainability dimension of industrial modernisation policies and effectively contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.