INVESTING IN OUR SHARED FUTURETHE 8TH CONFERENCE ON THE EVALUATION OF EU COHESION POLICY

DATA SOURCESOP information systems data, a survey addressed to operations promoters, and case studies.

MAIN FINDINGS• Rival theories for explaining the results

achieved by RIS 3 implementation were considered. Innovation policies have achieved a high level of persistence and maturity in previous programming periods.

• RIS3 approach arrived in the right moment allowing to focusing RIS3 priorities and to increase a moderate selectiveness in a context of high level of maturity of innovation policies.

• Flexible governance models implemented in each NUTS II region contribute for the minimization of increasing returns risks (trend to benefit regions presenting more robust regional innovation systems and more diversified specialization profiles since that model). It was also partially successful in increasing the institutional quality of regions with less robust RIS3

and in creating conditions to increase the technological effort of those regions (R&D expenditures/GDP).

• With a very high contribution of ESIF to national and regional RIS3 implementation, the anticipated effects on Smart Growth goals are: creation of more favourable conditions to increase technological effort (less robust RIS3); intensification of technological efforts (robust RIS3); intensification of collaborative practices (research centres, interfaces and SME’s).

• The structural change of specialization profiles could be achieved through the persistence and sustainability of the most promising practices enhanced by RIS3 and enlarging the mass of SMEs involved, in a context of external demand-pull.

• The principles of upgrading related to variety should be more present in projects selection criteria and more effective links between RIS 3 development and support to technologically-based entrepreneurship will be welcome.

MAIN OBJECTIVE To evaluate: the implementation of National and Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies in Portugal; pertinence of administrative procedures; role of management practices; appropriateness of RIS3 governance models; effects on entrepreneurial discovery processes; expected contribution of ESIF; expected contribution to Smart Growth goals.

METHODOLOGY USEDTheory of Change and contribution analysis.

FUND(S) COVERED• European Regional Development

Fund (ERDF)• European Social Fund (ESF)• European Agricultural Fund for Rural

Development (EAFRD)• European Maritime and Fisheries

Fund (EMFF)

PROGRAMMING PERIOD• 2014-2020

PROGRAMME(S) COVERED• National OPs: Competitiveness and

Internationalisation, Human Capital • Regional OPs: Norte, Centro, Alentejo,

Lisboa, Algarve, Madeira and Açores • OP EMFF, EARDF • Continental Rural Development

Programme (RDP), Açores RDP, Madeira RDP

THEMATIC OBJECTIVE(S)• T001: Research and innovation• T003: Competitiveness of SMEs• T008: Employment and labour mobility• T010: Education, training and

vocational training

TYPE OF EVALUATION• Process

YEAR OF COMPLETION• Ongoing

AUTHOR(S) OF THE EVALUATION CONTACT PERSON Quaternaire Portugal, SA Carla Leal

carla.leal@adcoesao.pt

Implementation of the National and Regional Research Strategies for Smart Specialization

Evaluation (RIS3) •

Cohesion and Development Agency

Continuity and maturation of R & D,

innovation and internationalization

policies; clusters and EEC

National and regional

strategies

ActivitiesOn Going Structural Change

To define:

Outputs 1st level outcomes 2st level outcomes/Impacts Major transformation goals

National and Regional S3 put in place

and articulated

Intensi�ed knowledge production and I&D in S3 priority areas

of national productive

specialization and its knowledge

intensity

Smart Growth and

Specialization

Progression in the

value chain

Better systemic collaborative

indices

processes of translation

and valorization of knowledge

consolidation and maturing of the

Portuguese RIS and their systemic

interaction

territorial basis for economic

competitiveness

corporate absorption of quali�ed human

resources

Sustained dynamics of interaction: producers

of knowledge and technology, and advanced users

Collective e�ciency strategies at sectoral and territorial levels

Intermediate and highly quali�ed human

resources training articulated with

business innovation.

Operational coordination

and monitoring mechanisms

Instruments (operation typologies,

criteria, calls…) articulated with S3

and promoting adequate policy mix

Active EDP (Entrepreneurial

Discovery Processes)

Demand in accordance with expected

Institutional and functional conditions

for adequate governance  

Policy mix

Instruments

Coordination and government

arrangements

Deepening and widening in the

productive structure

 Increase extroversion ratio,

tradables and e�ects of

international competition