SMART SPECIALIZATION PROCESS: THE CASE OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

SERGIU PORCESCUJRC NCP KNOWLEDGE HUB MOLDOVA

WHY S3 APPROACH?Ranking

9th pillar Technological readiness 53/137

Firm-level technology absorption 106

11th pillar: Business sophistication 120

State of cluster development 134

Nature of competitive advantage 126

12th pillar: Innovation 128

Capacity for innovation 119

Quality of scientific research institutions 115

Company spending on R&D 135

University-industry collaboration in R&D 121

Gov't procurement of advanced technology products 130

Availability of scientists and engineers 120

PCT patents applications/million pop. 72

Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018

H2020 PSF Peer review (2016)

“Embed Research and Innovation (R&I) policy in the overall economic policy strategy of the country”

“Urgently review the framework conditions for innovation by putting in place a coherent set of policy measures to create and stimulate a supportive environment for business engagement in R&I activities”

WHY S3 APPROACH (2)?

S3 – in a wider

national environment

National Development Strategy Moldova 2030

R&I policies/ National R&I Program 2019-2022

Regional development/urban development

Industrialization policy

SMEs development policies&initiatives

Education/HEI/VET

Investment Attraction and Export Promotion(Agriculture, Automotive, ICT, Medicine, Renewable Energy, Textiles)

S3 DESIGN LEARNING WORKSHOP/Danube-INCO.NET,

February 18-19,2016 in Chisinau

Starting Smart Specialisation: Experiences from the EU for innovation and economic transformation/JRC E&I Action,

April 5th, 2017, Chisinau

AWARENESS RAISING

Activities Responsible bodies JRC role Time

MD1: Establish WG & Management Team and ensure commitment from the main stakeholders

ASM + MoEcon + Chamber of Commerce (CCI)

Feb

MD2: Prepare detailed roadmap (objectives & resources to design and implement RIS3)

S3 WG + ASM/National Institute of Economic Research

Give feedback on conceptual document & roadmap

Apr-May

MD3: Awareness raising campaign during 4 existing events (incl. Danube-INCO.net General Assembly)

ASM + MoEcon + Chamber of Commerce + Council of Rectors

Give feedback on agenda + present

Mar-Sep

MD4: JRC to support first joint meeting on mapping in Chisinau

S3 WG + Core analytical team + JRC expert

Create consensus on mapping specifics

Apr

MD5: JRC expert to support mapping (incl. recommendations for statistical office)

Core analytical team + BNS + JRC expert

Recruit and accompany expert

Apr-Aug

MD6: JRC expert to present preliminary mapping at workshop

S3 WG + Core analytical team + JRC expert

Liaise with expert Jun

MD7: Identify relevant and representative stakeholders based on mapping

S3 WG + HEIs+ identified key stakeholders Give feedback Jul-Aug

MD8: JRC to support EDP launch event Management Team + EDP team + JRC

Give feedback on agenda + present

Sep

MD9: Organise 3 pilot EDP workshops for one specific priority

S3 WG + HEIsGive feedback and guidance

Nov-Dec

MD10: Establish National R&I Agency and Council for S&D

ASM Provide feedback Feb-Dec

- Smart specialisation and strategy formation in EU enlargement and associated countries, January, 23-25, 2017, Seville

- Mapping for Smart Specialisation, 3-5 of July, 2017, Belgrade

- Smart Specialisation in the Enlargement and Neighbourhood Regions Beyond EDP Peer Review Meeting, 4th-5th of September, 2018, Kharkiv

CAPACITY BUILDING & TRAININGS (JRC E&I ACTION)

RIS3 DESIGN: WHERE WE ARE?• Discover the socio-economic and innovation

engines of regional/national growth, competitive advantages & weaknesses

ANALYSIS

• An inclusive and interactive process centred on entrepreneurial discoveryGOVERNANCE

• Define jointly what innovation is and what it is supposed to achieve

SHARED VISION

• Identify a limited set of priorities to concentrate investments PRIORITIES

• Choose right set of instruments to achieveobjectivesPOLICY MIX

• Feed information back into the policyM&E

EVIDENCE&DATA

Mapping of economic, innovative and scientific potential in the Republic of Moldova by Dr Hugo Hollanders (2017)

Characterisation of preliminary priority areas for smart specialisation in Moldova by SIRIS Academic S.L. (2018)

First National Survey on Innovation activity of enterprises in the Republic of Moldova in the years 2015-2016 by NSB (2018)

MAPPING OF ECONOMIC, INNOVATIVE AND SCIENTIFIC POTENTIAL (2017)

• Agricultural and biological sciences

• Computer science• Energy• Chemistry, Chemical

engineering

(Based on international publications)

Science

• Agriculture and food processing

• Textiles• Renewable energy • ICT• Others

(Employment, turnover and wages)

Economy

• Agriculture and food processing:

• Food chemistry (International patents)

• Wine, Foods, Planting (National patents)

• Pharmaceuticals

(Patents)

Innovation

"Smart Specialisation: Engine for Economic

Growth in the Regions of the Republic of

Moldova“ 6/10/2017

- More than 350 entrepreneurs, representatives from CPAs and LPAs

- S3 experiences of IT and RO

PRESENTING THE FINDINGS

CHARACTERISATION OF PRELIMINARY PRIORITY AREAS/SIRIS ACADEMIC (2018)

Out of the 4 preliminarily identified priorities , 2 found as very present in the data sources (“Agriculture and food processing”, “ICT”), one is moderately present (“Energy”) and one is almost non-existent (Textiles and apparel)

Some of the preliminary priorities listed as “Other” in 2017 report, shown significant figures:

Chemical industries, materials and nanotechnology, Health, biomedicine and pharmaceuticals”, Production technology and heavy machinery”, Electric and electronic technologies”, Environmental industries, services and sciences”)

1. PRELIMINARY PRIORITY DOMAINS/SIRIS ACADEMIC (2018)

2. MAPPING OF STAKEHOLDERS FOR EDP

A list of organisations and individuals connected to the S3 priorities at the national level and in each region was prepared,

The database structured based on: Scientific publications (4k were under scrutiny), Competitive national projects funded by the Academy

of Sciences of Moldova (1.2 k), National patent applications (2.8k).

3. Web app

CAPACITY BUILDING ON PRIORITY MAPPING AND EDP May 17-18, 2018, Chamber of

Trade and Industry The findings of the project

Network analysis for the identification of key stakeholders for preliminary priority areas for smart specialisation in Moldovawere discussed with national stakeholders

Romanian experience of EDP exercise at regional (RDA NE) and central level was presented

THE WAY FORWARD

Ministry of education, culture and research took the leading role,

4 priority areas were selected for the first EDP workshops (October - November), as well as the facilitators (Agri-food. ICT, Health &biomedicine, Energy),

Plans to launch a funding program for collaborative projects around Smart Specialization niches (end of 2019)

CHALLENGES Avoiding the silos mentality Developing the culture of “evidence based” policies Going beyond the interests of “usual suspects” Building trust between the Quadruple Helix actors, Attracting/motivating business representatives to be actively

involved within EDP Keeping dialog & EDP continuously “alive” Putting in place an efficient M&E system What comes after EDP? (building a proper mix of policies)

SUCCESS IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION. THE DOING IS OFTEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OUTCOME/ ARTHUR ASHE

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!