Smart Specialisation Platform on EnergyIsabelle SEIGNEUR

B3. Territorial Development Unit Joint Research CentreEuropean Commission

S3PEnergy: http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu

10th EMA Network Meeting – 2-3 December 2019

The concept of Smart Specialisation (S3)

as a place-based innovation policy

A place-based approach to research and innovation (R&I) policy that aims toboost growth and jobs in Europe

Based on a SWOT or similar analysis to identify region's own competitiveadvantages

Through concentration of resources on a limited set of R&I priorities (preferablygoing beyond sectoral definitions) in which innovation can most readily occur

Regional priorities are identified through an open dialogue between policy makers,industry, research and education institutions and civil society

The development of Regional R&I Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3)= introduced as an ex-ante condition to access cohesion funds for R&I in the 2014–2020 period (ERDF, TO1)

Over 120 smart specialisation strategies have been developed

2

The S3 Platform provides advice to EU countries and regions for the design and implementation of their S3:

• Provide guidance material:

RIS3 Guide, Implementation Handbook, Digital Agenda Toolbox…

• Support access to relevant data and tools:

S3 priorities (Eye@RIS3), Regional Benchmarking, Energy ESIF Monitoring, Digital Innovation Hubs…

• Facilitate peer-reviews and mutual learning

• Train policy-makers: MOOC on monitoring, Labs…

• Analyse: Conceptual and empirical developments, policy briefs, working papers…

The Smart Specialisation Platformsupporting innovation-led growth in EU regions

3

http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/home

•Deficiency of the governance system•Lack of a long-term strategic plan with a shared vision•Need for further coordination and communication between main actors•Accessing the necessary information on a timely manner•Administrative burden and complicated procedures

Quality of Governance

•Lack of capacity (infrastructure, HRs, etc.) for excellent research•Human capital, incl. researchers and administrative support•Limited networking capacities•Active interaction between academia and business•Brain drain & Salary differences for researchers

Capacity Building

•Continuous and sustainable financing•Different natures/legal framework of funding sources, as well as state-aid and public procurement procedures

•Lack of competences and experience in international collaboration•Considering ESIF as a guaranteed resource for short-term projects•Orientation of HEIs and PROs, as well as business-academy collaboration

Research & Innovation

Quality of Governance

•Better coordinate the current info channels between key stakeholders

•Exploit opportunities provided by EDP

•Independent coordination body•Learn from good practices & Train key staff

Capacity Building•Map existing research facilities•Facilitate accessing to public infrastructure

•Track brain-drain and develop motivational mechanisms for researchers

•Measures to mitigate the researchers remuneration gap

Research & Innovation•Impact-base evaluation & long-term monitoring for sustainable ecosystem

•Effective public funds and incentives for researchers and SMEs

•Efficient state-aid & Public procurement•Priority to market-oriented R&I activities

•Align S3 and research in where comparative advantages exist

Proposed policy actions

S3 in practice: Barriers and policy recommendations

4

Need for a coordinated approach beyond 2020

Cohesion policy maintains/enhances: Smarter/Greener/Connected/Social/Closer to Citizens

• More tailored approach to regions - locally-driven development

• Develop a stronger regional innovation ecosystem through improved internal connectivityo Knowledge transfer between key stakeholders – Active participation in EDP

o Synergies (not only funding, but in a broader scope)

o More support to interdisciplinary and cross-sectors investments

o More support for innovative companies and market-creating innovations

5Reinforced smart specialisation - S3 as a coordination tool

• Grow a larger, stronger and more dynamic regional innovation ecosystem by opening it up and connecting it to macro-regional and EU knowledge networks and systems of innovation, and

• Expanding innovation across borders

Implementing S3 through transational and interregional cooperation

3 Thematic Smart Specialisation Platforms have been set since 2015.

provide interactive & participatory environment supporting interregional cooperation

offer hands-on support to regions committed to implement together their S3 in European strategic growth areas

Agri-Food

Industrial

Modernisation

Energy

6

Implementing S3 through transnational and interregional cooperation

Interregional innovationReasons for opening up

To connect regional innovation ecosystems

To exploit complementing strengths, avoiding duplication of S3 investments and efforts

To overcome interregional fragmentation and lack of critical mass across the EU

To improve the existing business environment by identifying barriers to innovation, new investment or skills.

To get access to wider business and knowledge network

To join, enhance and even create new EU value chains in specific areas linked to their S3 priority areas, expanding business opportunities & realising joint investment projects

To develop shared infrastructures

To build synergies with other regional, national and EU networks and initiatives

…

7

Enabling condition Policy Objective 1:

Good governance of S3

Joint innovation investment? Preparation for the post-2020 interregional S3 agenda?

8

S3 Interregional Partnerships

9

Based on their local priorities, the EU regions have found areas of common interest and joined forces within S3 interregional partnerships.

The bottom-up component in this process has resulted in a wide variety of thematic partnerships, driven by a broad range of actors (quadruple helix).

o Currently 32 partnerships in totalo 197 territorial administrative units

Aims to support EU regions committed to generate a pipeline of industrial investment projects following a bottom-up approach - implemented through interregional cooperation, cluster participation and industry involvement.

o 21 partnerships

o 130 territorial administrative units

EC DGs involved: DGs REGIO, GROW, RTD and JRC

10

S3 Thematic Platform on Industrial Modernisation

• 5 partnerships:• Consumer Involvement in Agri-Food (4

regions/MS)

• High-tech Farming (27)

• Nutritional Ingredients (10)

• Smart Sensors for Agri-Food (15)

• Traceability and Big Data (21)

• 52 territorial administrative units

• 7 leading/co-leading regions

• Many participating regions come from: Italy (8), Spain (8), France (5), Hungary (4) and The Netherlands (4)

• EC DGs involved: DGs AGRI, REGIO, RTD and JRC

11

S3 Thematic Platform on Agri-food

Objectives:

1. Support the implementation of the S3 of the regions/countries that have chosen energy-related priorities in their RIS3 (TO1)

2. Assist countries in the optimal uptake of the Cohesion Policy funding opportunities for energy (TO4 & TO7e)

• Joint action between DG REGIO, DG ENER and JRC

of all MS/regions have chosen an energy-related priority in their S3!2/3

12

S3 Thematic Platform on

Energy (SP3Energy)

o 6 partnerships in energy

+ Heating & Cooling initiative

o 89 territorial administrative units, in 27 different countries

http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/s3p-energy13

Since 2016, S3PEnergy has been promoting interregional cooperation in energy innovation:

- encouraging collaboration for joint demonstration solutions (co-investments with ESIF, EU Value Chains linkages…)

- advocating for strategic alignment between regions regarding energy & innovation

new MFF!

Interregional innovation in energy

MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGYBIOENERGY

SMART

GRIDS

SOLAR

ENERGY

SUSTAINABLE

BUILDINGS

S3PEnergy Partnerships

GEOTHERMAL

14

The S3PEnergy HEATING & COOLING Initiative

15

Objective: to support regions to improve their H&C strategies and to enhance their chances to access EU funds for their projects.

3 workshops with regional representatives and experts: info about available technologies, good practices examples of implementation of H&C strategies and financial options.

4 public reports: (1) workshop summaries; (2) available EU funding sources; (3) case studies on EU funding strategies for four H&C projects from this initiative, and (4) an overview of the activities performed in the project.

https://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/heating-and-cooling

10REGIONS ANDMEMBER STATES

Interregional partnership for Smart Specialisation on BIOENERGY

Lapland (FI) and

Castile and Leon (ES)

Lapland (FI)

Castile and Leon (ES)

Leaders

23REGIONS ANDMEMBER STATES

This interregional

partnership aims at

developing a

collaborative

framework to facilitate

joint business among

EU regions with

bioenergy-related

priorities in their Smart

Specialisation

Strategies.

Biofuels

(bioethanol,

biogas)

H&C

(biomass-based)

Knowledge transfer

on biomass feedstock,

installations and energy

consumption

Electricity

(forestry power

plants,

agriculture

power plants)

Reference topics

16

TUSCANY (IT)

Leader

11REGIONS

Interregional partnership for Smart Specialisation on GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

ES: Asturias, Canary Islands; FI: Northern Ostrobothnia (Pohjois-Pohjanmaa; Oulu); IT: Tuscany, Lombardy; NL: Arnhem/Nijmegen, East Netherlands, Groningen city;PT: Azores; UK: Scotland; TK: West Turkish provinces (Zafer)

Partner regions of the S3 Partnership Geothermal Energy 2.0 will share, test and jointly develop new solutions that can help overcoming existing gaps and concerns in the geothermal sector, by developing a new governance model respecting territories and supporting private businesses

17

Scotland (UK) and Basque Country (ES)

Leaders 16REGIONS

Interregional partnership for Smart Specialisation on MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY (MRE)

18

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

(FR) and Basque Country (ES)

The aim of the

partnership is to increase

the competitiveness of

the partner regions by

collectively fostering new

business opportunities in

order to develop an

overall approach to the

value chain of smart

grids.

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (FR)

Basque Country(ES)

Leaders

10 REGIONS ANDMEMBER STATES

Interregional partnership for Smart Specialisation on SMART GRIDS

19

Extremadura (ES) and Alentejo (PT)

The aim of the

partnership is to increase

the implementation of the

cooperation mechanisms

set up under the RES

Directive across Europe,

promoting electricity

exports from solar

technologies from

Southern to Central and

Northern European

countries.

Leaders 12 REGIONS ANDMEMBER STATES

Interregional partnership for Smart Specialisation on SOLAR ENERGY

20

3 main areas of work:1. Develop a large-scale First of a Kind (FOAK) project: CSP

hybridized with PV, and incl. storage to provide fully dispatchable power to allow a more flexible generation.

2. Develop a research facility for solar technologies.3. Promote renewable electricity exports from Southern

to Central and Northern EU countries, by using the Cooperation Mechanisms defined in the EU Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC.

Interregional partnership for Smart Specialisation on SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS

The Sustainable Buildings Partnership was established to identify and solve key industrial challenges in the existing buildings and construction sector.

21

LeadersAndalusia (ES), North Great Plain (HU) and North West Croatia (HR)

42 REGIONS ANDMEMBER STATES

Reference topics

S3PEnergy support activities

• EWRC 2019, Brussels:Workshop on "Implementing Smart Specialisation in Energy through Innovation Procurement"

Sessions’ summaries, main conclusions and ref. documents online

S3PEnergy support activities

• July 2019, Budapest: Learning Lab, jointly with Stairway to Excellence (S2E) project Governance, incl. alignment Energy & R&I policies

Capacities and skills

Connectedness with wider EU R&I landscape

S3PEnergy support activities

• March 2019, Seville: TAIEX Workshop on State Aid Map in Energy Sector

Creation of a Community of Practice

• EUSEW 2018: Financing options for S3 implementation in Energy

• Social Innovation examples in Energy and S3

• Good practices in Energy and S3 call for new examples…

S3PEnergy support activities

• Support on Circular Transition Economy (e.g. in SI, BG), Industrial & energy transition, collaborations with EIT, KICs, EEN…

• etc. in response to bottom-up requests... Speak up!

• Save the date:

• 28 Jan 2020, Brussels: Working Group on Transnational R&I networks: the case of Smart Grids

Incl. match-making event between MAs in energy & S3 managers and other EU (and non-EU) actors active in smart grids R&I

In collaboration with Stairway to Excellence (S2E) Project

https://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/stairway-to-excellence

Isabelle.SEIGNEUR@ec.europa.euFernando.MERIDA-MARTIN@ec.europa.eu

S3PEnergy: JRC-B3-S3PLATFORM-ENERGY@ec.europa.eu

Thank you!

@S3Platform #S3PEnergy

More information:http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu

LEARN

CONNECT

DEMONSTRATE

COMMERCIALISE

SCALE-UP

Mapping of Competencies and Matching of business

opportunities

Scoping Note

Industry cooperation and design of projects

Business Plan and

Funding mix

Investment Projects

Access to new funding and

New Markets

Co-funded

Joint Calls

Areas of

Shared Interest

Demonstration Projects (TRL6/7)

Joint Pilots

New Productsand Services

New Value Chains

S3 Thematic Partnerships - Methodology

27

DEMONSTRATE

COMMERCIALISE

28

JRC S3 Platform support

To assist public authorities responsible for designing and delivering interregional investment projects in the S3 context and ensure that these joint projects attract private sector interest sufficient to ensure their sustainability.

S3P support:Methodological Manual

S3 Interregional Innovation Projects: Pilot Actions

Under the Energy Platform, two pilot projects are in place from2018, supported by DG REGIO withtechnical assistance:

1. "Smart Campus" Pilot, part of the Sustainable BuildingsPartnership, to improve the energy efficiency of University Campuses

2. "Sensing and Remote Monitoring" Pilot, part of theMarine Renewable Energy Partnership

29