A strategic approach defined by the EU and implemented in the 2014-2020 framework. It targets support for research and innovation, aiming to supplement previous industrial policies to include more educational and innovation policy approaches. Specifically aimed at the regional level for a more granular, place-based approach to EU cohesion, it is a process of identification, definition and development of regional strengths for enhanced competitiveness. While S3 engenders the involvement of varied regional stakeholders in the strategy process, it highlights the role of higher education institutions as guides in what is ultimately a knowledge-based innovation strategy.
Published in Chapter:
Entrepreneurial Universities and Regional Innovation: Matching Smart Specialisation Strategies to Regional Needs?
Liliana Fonseca (University of Aveiro, Portugal) and Maria Salomaa (University of Lincoln, UK)
Copyright: © 2020
|Pages: 26
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-0174-0.ch014
Abstract
Universities are expected to play a leading role in the smart specialisation strategy process, However, a gap between discourse and practice is marking the RIS3-related regional development programmes, which can be extended to the involvement of universities in the process. A mismatch can be speculated between the expectations towards universities' roles in RIS3 implementation and actual practice, and its repercussions on a regional innovation ecosystem. This chapter addresses the extent to which the role played by universities in a region's innovation and entrepreneurial practice aligns with the smart specialisation strategic outline. As an in-depth case-study of the University of Aveiro (Portugal), it draws on both quantitative and qualitative data, with an analysis of RIS3 approved projects in the Portuguese NUTS II Centro region, and interviews with key actors within the university and the regional administration. Through this, it weighs the contribution of entrepreneurial universities to the RIS3 goals, drawing lessons for public policy and discussing the future of RIS3.