tci 2015 smart specialisation through cross-clustering

Smart Specialisation through Cross-clustering

Ewa Andersson and Cecilia Johansson, Swedish Agency for Economic and

Regional Growth

Parallel Session 2.3: Cross-Sectoral Innovation

SWEDISH AGENCY FOR ECONOMICAND REGIONAL GROWTH

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Smart Specialisation

• Smart specialisation is a strategic approach to economic development through targeted support to Research and Innovation (R&I). It will be the basis for European Structural and Investment Fund interventions in R&I as part of the current Regional and Cohesion Policy's contribution to the Europe 2020 jobs and growth agenda.

• More generally, smart specialisation involves a process of developing a vision, identifying competitive advantage, setting strategic priorities and making use of smart policies to maximise the knowledge-based development potential of any region, strong or weak, high-tech or low-tech.


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Smart Specialisation in Sweden- on a national level

• We don´t know the key areas in advance

• We are looking for strenghts but also renewal


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How to get regions to collaborate around a specific area of strength?


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Learnings


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The Packaging Arena and Printed Electronics Arena

• How to combine excellent research for intelligent packaging and service related research for packaging?

• How can these clusters - one research based cluster and one cluster close to the market – provide and support each other to get stronger and more competitive?


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Learnings from cross-clustering• Legitimacy from the industry• Two leading clusters can take advantage of each other – if they

are complementary to each other• Cluster networking must be a bottom-up process. • Important with an engaged leadership in both clusters• Start with the market needs – research is a long term process• Mutual trust is essential


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BSR Innovation Express• Encompasses both a cluster-to-cluster

matchmaking event and a coordinated call (where approved projects are funded through distributed regional/national sources)

• An efficient way to facilitate linkages and initiate transnational collaboration projects

• Funding for common activities from Nordic Council of Ministers


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Results

• Strengthened presence/visibility in new markets• Access to new partners and broadened networks (with

other companies and public sector actors)• Knowledge sharing and inspiration; identification of new

opportunities (both within and between clusters)• Initiation of longer-term research and innovation

collaboration• Initiation of longer-term development processes or

commercial contract

.


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Our learnings from BSR Innovation Express

• Develop stronger (and more structured) cooperation with the regional level and coupling to ’smart specialization strategies’

• Develop clearer linkages with different available instruments and project phases:

- Improve transition between R&D to commercialization - Checks/grants to individual companies


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How to use these learnings?


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A call for cross-clusteringEach region has their key areas of strenghts

Our task is to connect these areas

A long-term development of some thematic areas

International competitiveness

Increased participation of the industry


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We focus on

Stimulate border crossing cooperation between constellations in different regions and nations

Support the development and renewal of Swedish key areas

Complement ongoing activities with new knowledge and competence


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Discussion


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What´s positive?


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Doubts?


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Thank you

tci 2015 smart specialisation through cross-clustering

Economy & Finance