SMART_watch

Improving the regional integration of smart specialisation

In central Europe regional innovation strategies (RIS) and the real needs of end users for smart specialisation (SmartS) are too often not well aligned. As each region gathers relevant data in different structures, the SMART_watch project will develop a common methodology and benchmarking tools to improve the situation. More concretely, the project will develop a model for regional branch observatories equipped with a set of monitoring and benchmarking tools, available to all RIS stakeholders and intelligent markets’ actors.

As the project will coincide with the mid-term evaluation of RIS, partners will elaborate policy recommendations for EU institutions, based on international pilot projects and research results. A newly created network of regional branch observatories will enable national and EU authorities to monitor RIS implementation across the EU. Technology areas that are prioritised in SmartS in partner regions cover health, life science, ICT, future services, sustainable production technics and Industry 4.0.

Regional observatories

It is a network of entities that have different roles in the process of entrepreneurial discovery, the purpose of which is to provide different types of information on specific specialisations for diversified audiences (institutions, local authorities, companies, R&D sector).

Competence map for smart specialisations in Central Europe

The tool will allow RIS implementation monitoring, graph visualisation of key areas and correlation between key actors in smart specialisation in Central Europe. The competence map will consist of useful data base of trends, S3 services and regional observatories competences dedicated for enterprises.

Project Consortium: 12 Partners. 7 Countries.

• ATI erc gGmbH – education, research and furtherance of cooperations (ATI), Germany
• Confindustria Veneto SIAV S.p.A. (SIAV), Italy
• FH JOANNEUM – University of Applied Sciences, Austria
• Hochschule Wismar – University of Applied Sciences: Technology, Business and Design (HSW), Germany
• INNOVA Észak-Alföld – Regional Development and Innovation Agency Nonprofit Ltd., Hungary
• Jasa Association, Slovenia
• Langhe Monferrato and Roero Development Agency (LAMORO), Italy
• Lubelskie Voivodeship, Poland
• Regional Innovation Agency of South Great Plain Association of Public Utility (RIA-SGP APU), Hungary
• Research and Development Center of Electric Machines (TECES), Slovenia
• The University of West Bohemia (UVB), Czech Republic
• Upper Silesian Agency for Entrepreneurship and Development Ltd. (GAPR), Poland