Abstract
This work aims to assess how regional innovation systems support research and innovation smart specialization strategies (RIS3) in coal intensive regions. Although many authors have analyzed energy transition paths for the European coal regions, no study has assessed how the network properties of their innovation systems are aligned with the priorities identified in their RIS3. This work fills this gap, relying on social network analysis (SNA) to assess innovation systems’ underlying networks, considering the active role of their nodes, thus, contributing to the innovation systems literature in the areas of modelling, simulation and performance evaluation. Within this work, regional innovation systems are modelled as research networks. These networks are promoted by the consortia funded by the European H2020 program. The assessment of the topology and properties of these networks enables the evaluation of the functioning of the innovation system, its technological strengths, as well as the key players involved. Based on these results, the characteristics of the innovation systems are compared to the priorities established by the RIS3. Three Spanish coal intensive regions (Aragón, Asturias and Castilla y León) are considered as use cases in this study. The obtained results indicate that, in some cases, the technological strengths of the regional innovation systems are not considered in the identification of the RIS3 priorities, while some RIS3 priorities are not supported by the innovation system. Considering these results, this paper proposes recommendations for regional and European policymakers, as well as for participants in the European research programs.
Highlights
In line with previous works [9,10], this study considers that these regional innovation systems are generated by the Horizon 2020 program (H2020) funded research projects and consortia and present underlying networks in which entities are linked by joint projects and projects linked by common partners
It is assumed that funding research consortia is the mechanism that the EU uses for the development of its research policy, which is creating a network of relationships between projects and partners, forming the regional innovation system
The first group of contributions extends the literature on regional innovation systems in terms of their modelling and effectiveness, for the coal in transition regions [68,69,70]
Summary
For the regions that are not major innovation players, RIS3 aligned policies are crucial to promote innovation in those sectors or technological domains that may provide them with a competitive advantage [2]. This is the case of the European coal regions in transition, which are facing the challenge of shifting towards a low carbon economy, and which may significantly benefit from a well designed and implemented RIS3 [3]. While most of the related literature focuses on the deployment of other energy technologies [4,5,6] or in the evaluation of the social impacts—especially in the employment—of the energy transition in these regions [7,8], there is a gap in addressing how the innovation systems promoted in the coal in transition regions contribute to their
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