1. PANEL 1: ROLE OF CLUSTERS AND COMPETENCE
CENTERS IN SMART SPECIALISATION STRATEGY
m
Carmen Sillero
International Programmes Head of Unit
October, 26th 2011

2. Smart Specialisation Strategy. The concept
EU 2020: Flagship Union for Innovation
Communication “Regional Policy Contributing to Smart Growth in Europe”
Conditionality on the new cohesion framework 2014-2020
Regions will be required to identify the sectors, the
technological domains, or the major areas of likely
competitive advantage, and then focus their regional
policy as to promote innovation in these fields.

3. Smart Specialisation Strategy. The rationale
Knowledge for Growth Group (K4G) “Transatlantic productivity gap”
Fragmentation and repetition. All regions
looking at the same technological domains. Focus on specific domains, exploiting
Lower level of technological and economic their position and regional –based
comparative advantage in innovation
specialisation
European clusters are not the best
ranked on the global market, because Open Innovation System
of low level of competitiveness and
international integration, and the failing
capacity to internalise the growing
knowledge spillovers in innovation and More complex form of governance,
decentralised coordination
value chains.
The current and most likely lasting time of austerity and tightening of public spending.
To concentrate resources on few key priorities rather than spreading investment thinly
across areas and business sector.

4. S3 Elements
SPECIALISATION
Identifying the
technological
domains to be
prioritised as a part GLOBAL CONTEXT
of a regional strategy Searching elements on which to base COMPETITIVE
to reach a ADVANTAGE and consistency as a part of a global value
competitive chain
advantage: CONNECTIVITY
CONTEXT AND ACCESS TO MARKETS
HISTORY Critical development of local linkages
Searching and exploiting the TECHNOLOGICAL
ENTREPRENEURIAL RELATEDNESS, to build new technological domains and
SEARCH PROCESS sectors: BRANCHING EFFECT
EMBEDEDNESS

5. S3 and peripheral regions. Questions and doubts
In peripheral regions, entrepreneurial Lack of connectivity
Small market potential
processes tend to be less successful
Low level global integration
Too specialised economy,
insufficiently diversified
Searching and exploiting the
Will S3 approach TECHNOLOGICAL RELATEDNESS, the forthcoming
Will the core How will
drive lagging advanced regions be Cohesion Framework
regions to focus the only ones able to continue supporting the
on its traditional focus their emerging domains in
domains? specialisation on
TECNOLOGICAL DIVERSIFICATION OF regions, launched
peripheral
knowledge based
MAJOR EMBEDED INDUSTRIESperiod 2007-2013?
in the
technologies?
Following region
Fostering learning linkages Regional policy focus on access to problem
with industrial production zones foster human capital solving expertise
and knowledge regions formation for the new
Outflow of
“knowledge needs”
knowledge
skills???

6. IC-MED PARTNERS ARE INVITED

7. Thank you for your attention
csillero@agenciaidea.es