Innovation Policy in Southern Europe: Smart Specialization Versus Path Dependence

Tsipouri, Lena

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-804137-6.00006-1

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Among the existing literature on smart specialization, RIS3 and innovation policy (e.g., Serbanica 2021;Valdmaa et al 2021;Tsipouri 2017;Rotaru 2015;Morgan 2013), we do not find texts focusing on the question of the potential of this approach to make poorer regions converge with richer ones, particularly in the European context. References to this issue do not abound, either.…”

Section: Growing Territorial Inequalities and The Logic Of Ris3 In The Context Of The Eu Cohesion Policymentioning

confidence: 60%

Smart Specialisation Strategies and Regional Convergence: Spanish Extremadura after a Period of Divergence

2021

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Smart specialization strategies are a new EU approach to cohesion policy, meant to deliver growth and development at EU national and regional level. Bearing in mind its focus on place-based development strategies, this paper intends to shed some light on its appropriateness to tackle uneven development and regional growth divergence. The paper showcases Spanish Extremadura growth trajectory. Extremadura is a poor region in the European context that between 2008 and 2014 diverged from the EU average, despite being eligible for EU funding as a convergence region by cohesion policy. In the 2014–2020 programming period, there was a positive dynamic at the beginning, but from 2017 onwards convergence stopped, which indicates that thematic and regional programmes have not delivered results or have not compensated for higher growth level of other Spanish regions. Moreover, research and innovation strategies for smart specialization (RIS3) seem to have limited impacts on place-based economic transformation in less developed regions. From this example, the suitability of the smart specialisation strategy as the core of cohesion policy in the programming period is discussed. It concludes that this strategy is interesting for intermediate development regions with some industrial base but does not seem appropriate as a convergence driver for poorer regions.

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Section: Growing Territorial Inequalities and The Logic Of Ris3 In The Context Of The Eu Cohesion Policymentioning

confidence: 60%