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EU Local and Regional Authorities'Contribution to the
Mid-term Review of Europe 2020
Assessment of the Innovation Unionflagship initiative
Three years after its launch, the Committee of the Regions will take stock of the Innovation Unionflagship initiative at a conference to be held on 27 November 2013 in Brussels. This conference will be the seventh in a series of CoR events and monitoring initiatives surrounding the mid-term review of Europe 2020. More news on this conference can be found on the CoR website[1].
By participating in this survey, you will:
ensure that your views are taken into account in the debate held during the conference;
contribute to the CoR's consultative activity in this field over the coming months;
provide inputto the CoR's contribution to the mid-term review of Europe 2020.
If you wish to participate in this survey, please complete this questionnaire in any eu language, using the spaces provided, and return it in text format to:
by 27 September 2013
For more information on this survey and for details on how to join the
Europe 2020 Monitoring Platform, go to:
The questionnaire is available on this website in all official EU languages
You can find more information onInnovation Union, as seen from thelocal and regional authorities' viewpoint, in the Committee of the Regions' publication Delivering on the Europe 2020 Strategy - A Handbook for Local and Regional Authorities[2]. General information on Europe 2020 may be found on the strategy's official website[3].
Contributor information[4]
Name of sender: / ......Contact details:
(address, telephone, email) / Anna Lindberg, Director International Relations, East Sweden Region, Box 1236, SE-581 12 Linkoping, Sweden, tel +4670 259 70 65, ......
On behalf of:
(name of local or regional authority) / ...... East Sweden Region
Type of organisation / City/Town/Municipality X Region
County/Province Association of local and/or regional authorities
Other (please specify)
Country: / ...... Sweden
Member of the EUROPE 2020 Monitoring Platform: / X Yes No
Policy challenges and responses at regional and local level
BOX 1Innovation Union as specified in the European Commission's Communication
The Innovation Unioninitiative[5] was adopted in 2010, as an integral part of Europe 2020[6]. The overall aim of this flagship initiative is to re-focusresearch and development(R&D) and innovation policy on the challenges facing our society, such as climate change, energy, health and demographic change. Innovation Union is a crucial investment in our future. For example, it is estimated that achieving the target of investing 3% of EU GDP on R&D by 2020 could create 3.7 million jobs and increase annual GDP by €795 billion by 2025. The flagship initiative contains the following aims:
- In times of fiscal constraints, the EU and Member States need to continue to invest in education, R&D, innovation and ICTs.
- EU and national research & innovation systems need to be better linked up with each other and their performance improved.
- Education systems at all levels need to be modernised. Excellence must become the guiding principle even more than before. Researchers and innovators must be able to work and cooperate across the EU as easily as within national borders. The European Research Area must be completed.
- Access to EU programmes must be simplified and their leverage effect on private sector investment enhanced,sinceour research needs to result in more innovation. Cooperation between the worlds of science and business must be enhanced, obstacles removed and incentives put in place.
- The remaining barriers for entrepreneurs to bring "ideas to market" must be removed: we must have better access to finance, particularly for SMEs, affordable intellectual property rights, smarter and more ambitious regulations and targets and a faster setting of interoperable standards.
- European Innovation Partnerships should be launched.
- Strengths in design and creativity must be better exploited.
- Social innovationmust be championed and a better understanding of public sector innovation developed, identifying and giving visibility to successful initiatives.
- Better work with our international partners is needed. That also means adopting a common EU front where needed in international (trade) negotiations.
1) What type of policy programmes/actions are being implemented in your city/region to support the policy goals of the Innovation Union (see Box 1)?
1.1 Investing in R&D, innovation and ICT (own resources, public-private partnerships, other sources…) / Policy programmes/actions contributing to this aim?
X Yes No Don’t know
Brief description:
The East Sweden Region has recently developed a Regional Innovation strategy and is currently developing a Smart Specialisation Strategy.
......
1.2 Providing support to potential beneficiaries to access EU funds and participate in EU initiatives in the field of research and innovation / Policy programmes/actions contributing to this aim?
X Yes No Don’t know
Brief description:
...... The following local and regional initiatives have received ERDF-funding:
IVM project arena (Interactive and visual media)
PEA (printed electronics arena)
Twin Parks (cooperation between the science parks in the two major cities in the region - Linkoping and Norrkoping)
New Tools for Health and the project CASA (Consortium for Assistive Solutions Adoption, funded by the INTERREG IVC) and the AAL-conference (Ambient Assisted Living) in Norrkoping.
1.3 Encouraging the use of the results of research projects in innovative products and services / Policy programmes/actions contributing to this aim?
X Yes No Don’t know
Brief description:
One example is the GIN (Greening Industry Network) conference that was arranged in East Sweden in 2012.
......
1.4 Removing barriers to innovation, such as expensive intellectual property rights and limited access to finance / Policy programmes/actions contributing to this aim?
X Yes No Don’t know
Brief description:
The region has initiated the following initiatives:
A venture capital fund based on ERDF-funding.
Open Innovation Accelerator
Creactive Mjärdevi (an integrated incubator facility for SMEs int the field of ICT and creative industries)
Demola East Sweden (a concept where SME:s in the region have the possibility to develop ideas together with students from the University of Linköping)
......
1.5 Participating in one of the European Innovation Partnerships / Policy programmes/actions contributing to this aim?
X Yes No Don’t know
If so, which one?
...... Active and healthy ageing.
1.6 Stimulating social innovation / Policy programmes/actions contributing to this aim?
X Yes No Don’t know
Brief description:
1)...... The East Sweden Region has initiated a concept of an innovation portal led by the County Council (in charge of health care issues). The aim is to boost innovations in the health care sector and provide support to employees in the development of a new product or services.
2)Publishing of the book “Innovation in public organisations – a guide for public employers”
3)CSR-study (Corporate Social responsibility) and support to social entrepreneurship (a regional study initiated by the East Sweden Region)
1.7 Cooperation with international partners in the field of research and innovation / Policy programmes/actions contributing to this aim?
X Yes No Don’t know
Brief description:
...... Cooperation in the following networks/projects:
Demola East Sweden (see 1.4)
Casa-project (Consortium for Assistive Solutions Adoption, funded by the INTERREG IVC)
3C4 Incubators (MED-project, focusing on incubator facilities for CCI’s)
1.8 Encouraging innovation in the public sector[7] / Policy programmes/actions contributing to this aim?
X Yes No Don’t know
Brief description:
1)The East Sweden Region has initiated a concept of an innovation portal led by the County Council (in charge of health care issues). The aim is to boost innovations in the health care sector and provide support to employees in the development of a new product or services.
2)Publishing of the book “Innovation in public organisations – a guide for public employers”
......
2) One of the main aims of the Europe 2020 Strategy is to increaseinvestments in R&D to 3% of EU GDP. This target is underpinned by several actions under Innovation Union. The latest Innovation Union Scoreboard[8] of the European Commission, a progress monitoring tool, shows that there are big differences in the progress made towards this target across the EU. Which of the following challenges would you consider as the most urgent to address?
Multiple answers possible
XUnder-investment in the existing knowledge base (infrastructure, public research centres etc.);
X Poor access to finance for innovative start-ups;
High costs of intellectual property rights (IPRs);
Ineffective use of the innovation possibilities offered by public procurement;
X Fragmentation and costly duplication of projects and programmes;
No strategic approach to innovation at national level;
X No real cooperation between research and industry, limited scale of bringing ideas to market;
So-called "brain-drain"(best talents leaving Europe for opportunities elsewhere);
X Other (please specify)
The challenge of providing a firm regional platform and leadership in order to match the strategies and initiatives developed on a national and European level, and to join forces between local and regional stakeholders in a more efficient way.
......
BOX 2
Regional Policy contributing to smart growth in Europe
The Communication of the European Commission entitled"Regional Policy contributing to smart growth in Europe 2020[9]" [COM(2010) 553] sets out the role of regional policy in implementing the Europe 2020 strategy[10]in the area of smart growth and in particular the flagship initiative Innovation Union.[11] The Communication calls on national and regional governments todevelop smart specialisation strategies to maximise the impact of regional policy in combination with other EU policies. As a follow-up, in June 2011 the European Commission launched an online platform with a set of tools which can be used to optimise the development of local and regional smart strategies. The Smart Specialisation Platform (SPP) provides users with practical guidelines such as the latest news and events, as well as many other features. In the Communication document, the European Commission provides a non-exhausive list ofideas which regions could use to design their strategies:
1. Innovation clusters for regional growth
Clusters provide a favourable environment for fostering competitiveness and driving innovation. Support for their development needs to be concentrated on areas of comparative advantage.
2. Innovation-friendly business environments for SMEs
Regional and national authorities should support innovation-friendly business environments to assist SMEs, R&D-intensive ones especially, and the creation of new firms.
3. Lifelong learning in research and innovation
Focusing school, vocational and higher education curricula on cross-sector skills such as creativity and entrepreneurship will help young people to develop their full potential for innovation.
4. Attractive regional research infrastructure and centres of competence
National and regional authorities should consider, in particular, how EU regional policy can contribute to the 2015 objective of the Innovation Union flagship of completing or initiating 60% of the research infrastructure currently identified by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI)[12].
5. Creativity and cultural industries
Cultural and creative industries, which flourish at local and regional level, are in a strategic position to link creativity and innovation.[13]They should be integrated into regional development strategies.6. Digital Agenda
With regard to the significance of ICT for the innovation system, Member States should consider how to better use the ERDF to accelerate achievement of the EU 2020 objectives for broadband access.
7. Public procurement
Innovative public procurement means the public sector taking on the role and risks of a lead customer, while improving the quality of its services and productivity.
3) In line with theInnovation Unionflagship initiative and the additional Communication on "Regional Policy contributing to smart growth in Europe 2020" (see Box 2), local and regional authorities are encouraged to build smart specialisation strategies, as a condition for having access to EU Structural Funds available for investments in research and innovation. Does your region/city have a smart specialisation strategy?
X Yes No Don’t know
If you answered "yes" please describe briefly its main elements and the opportunities you have identified in your smart specialisation strategy, corresponding to the list in Box 2.
...... The East Sweden Region is currently implementing a regional initiative “East Sweden Business Region” where the issue of Smart Specialisation Strategies is included. The strategy will be finalised during 2013/2014 and the content corresponds very well with the content in Box 2.
If you answered "no" please let us know whether your region/city was asked by your national government to initiate a smart specialisation strategy.
Yes No Don’t know
4)Innovation Union and the concept of smart specialisation encourage a better integration of cultural and creative industries in the overall economic development. Although they have a high innovation potential, they are notalways included in strategies or projects. Are cultural and creative industries included in the economic development strategy and/or in the smart specialisation strategy of your city/region?
X Yes No Don’t know
If you answered "yes"please describe how.
...... The East Sweden Region has carried out several projects (regional and international) focusing on the CCI’s, and the two science parks in the region has developed and implemented special methods and projects to stimulate the development of the CCI’s.
How is the Innovation Unionrelevant to your city or region?
5) The Innovation Union contains 34 actions, which are listed with a detailed description on a dedicated platform: Innovation Union Information and Intelligence system (I3S)[14]. All actions are grouped under 12 thematic headings and an additional one on monitoring progress.[15]In your opinion and from a regional perspective, please state in which of these chapters has the EU made the most significant progress, which ones have good prospects and in which ones hasthe EU not done enough.Significant progress / Some progress and good prospects / No visible progress, more effort needed
Promoting excellence in education and skills development / X
Delivering measures for the European Research Area to be completed by 2014 / X
Focusing EU funding instruments on Innovation Union priorities / X
Promoting the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and itsKnowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) as a model of innovation governance in Europe / X
Enhancing access to finance for innovative companies / X
Creating a single innovation market / X
Promoting openness and capitalising on Europe's creative potential / X
Spreading the benefits of innovation across the EU / X
Increasing social benefits / X
Pooling forces to achieve breakthroughs: European Innovation Partnerships / X
Promoting excellence in education and skills / X
Leveraging our policies externally / X
Reforming research and innovation systems / X
Additional comments:
......
6)Overall, what are the strong and weak pointsof theInnovation Unionflagship initiative, as seen from your regional/local standpoint?
...... The strong point is the distinctness – the regions have to focus more on their strengths. The weak point is the scattered picture of funds available, publishing of calls etc, which makes the situation complicated and unstructured.
7)Would you recommend any specific changes to the Innovation Unionflagship initiative, during the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy in 2014?
Please explain
...... --
Are your country's policies relevant to your city or region?
8)Does your country's 2013 (current) National Reform Programme[16] (NRP) for Europe 2020 adequately respond to your regional/local needs in the policy areas covered by the Innovation Unionflagship initiative (e.g. investments in R&D, bringing ideas to market, smart specialisation)?X Yes No Don’t know
Please explain
...... In general, the content in the NRP respond to the regional/local needs.
9)Would you suggest any changes in your country's National Reform Programme for 2014 in the area of innovation?
X Yes No Don’t know
Please explain
The East Sweden Region would like to see a more distinct support to regional authorities in charge of regional development in order to implement and coordinate the activities more efficiently. There are at the moment too many organisations, calls, projects, initiatives etc going on in the region with different stakeholders, which makes it difficult to work efficiently and in a more focused way. It would be better to canalise this through the regional authorities in charge of regional development......
Policy and funding issues
10)Which of the sources of funding listed below are used to finance your actions under the Innovation Unionflagship initiative? Are any other policy/financial instruments involved?Multiple answers possible
X FP7 (The Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development)
X Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP, 2007-2013):
►X Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP)
►X Intelligent Energy-Europe Programme
X European Regional Development Fund
X The Lifelong Learning Programme
X Others? Please specify: ...... ESF, EU':s programme for Public Health, BSR, Central Baltic.
11)Are any of the actions you have undertaken to implement the Innovation Unionflagship initiative (as stated in your answers to questions 1 and 2) carried out in partnership with different tiers of government? If so, please state (a) which administrative levels are involved and (b) which practical arrangements are taken to manage these actions jointly.
...... – Ministry of Industry (national level: seminars about RIS3)
Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (national level: project funds, seminars, networks)
Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA) (national level: cluster development etc)
Contacts and activities are carried out in different ways depending on the specific conditions for programs and calls.
12)The policy goals under Innovation Unionrequire an integrated, multi-sector approach.They can be achieved only if relevant stakeholders are also involved.Do you have a strategy for involving these various actors, such as the different research institutions, innovation centres, hi-tech companies (especially SMEs) and members of the public? If so, what kind of involvement have you pursued (e.g. information campaigns, dedicated events, PPPs)?
Please explain.
Various stakeholders are engaged ...... within the East Sweden Business Region-concept such as research institutes, networks of SMEs/organisations, Science Parks, clusters etc.
13)Please add any further comments you wish to make on the issues covered in this questionnaire.
...... In Sweden, the national level expects the regional level to manage the regional development process and all activities in that area, but in general the regions don’t have enough resources to create a firm base and commitment to coordinate the development in cooperation with the stakeholders on local and regional level as expected.
SHARE YOUR GOOD PRACTICE
As part of the preparations for the CoR conference to be held on 27 November 2013and to showcase good practices in areas covered by the Innovation Unionflagship initiative (e.g. smart specialisation strategies, hi-tech clusters, bringing ideas to market, innovation in public administration), you are invited to submit examples of good practice from your local area.
Please complete the form available on our website:
/ JOIN THE EUROPE 2020 MONITORING PLATFORM
To help convey the voice of EU cities and regions in the implementation of Europe 2020 at EU level and in your country, join us. For more information, visit:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!