Smart Specialisation as a Strategy for Implementing the Regional Innovation Development Policy—Poland Case Study

Magdalena Kogut-Jaworska,Elżbieta Ociepa-Kicińska

doi:10.3390/su12197986

Magdalena Kogut-Jaworska, Elżbieta Ociepa-Kicińska

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197986

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Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Sep 27, 2020
Citations: 23	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Szczecin

Abstract

Regional Innovation and Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3) are treated as one of the key tools in implementing the concept of smart and sustainable growth. The strategies make it possible to focus investments on research, development and innovation (RD & I) in the areas showing the greatest economic and competitive potential of the regions. The article is based on the assumption that innovativeness on the one hand determines and on the other hand is determined by smart and sustainable growth. The aim of the analysis is to present new research assumptions and the results of the regional benchmarking based on a synthetic measure of development, and verification of the relationships between the level of innovative development and the economic development in the regions. This article presents the results of a research study covering all the sixteen regions of Poland, the outcome of which is an indicator of regional innovativeness based on 17 features, which means that the study considered a total of 2992 features. The methods applied in the study included the zero unitarisation method, the linear ordering method, and the Pearson correlation coefficient. The completed research study has shown the stability of positions held by the individual regions and the considerable, persisting disproportions in the innovation development between the regions taking the positions at both ends of the ranking. Moreover, a moderate positive correlation was identified between the GDP per capita level and the value of the synthetic measure of regional innovation development in 2009. The completed analyses made it possible to formulate the conclusions that show the benefits, weaknesses and dilemmas related to the introduction of smart specialisations for sustainable and innovative regional development in Poland over the past decade.

Highlights

Regional strategies for smart specialisation function under the Regulation (EU) no. 1301/2013 of the European Parliament and of Council dated 17 December 2013, according to which they are aimed at achieving a competitive advantage via developing and combining strengths in the area of scientific research and innovations with business needs, in order to meet any arising opportunities and to develop the market in a coherent manner, at the same time avoiding any doubling or fragmentation of efforts [1]
We can state that currently innovation strategies for smart specialisation with the new framework for organising innovation support in European regions and states [3] have become the reality [4], and smart growth means enhancing the role of knowledge and innovation as a driving force for economic development [5]
In the context of the above mentioned findings and analyses of the rate of development of the innovation potential of Polish regions based on the constructed synthetic measure of regional innovation development (SMRID) indicator, general relationships were identified in the periods before and after the introduction of smart specialisation strategies (RIS) at the regional level

Summary

Introduction

Regional strategies for smart specialisation function under the Regulation (EU) no. 1301/2013 of the European Parliament and of Council dated 17 December 2013, according to which they are aimed at achieving a competitive advantage via developing and combining strengths in the area of scientific research and innovations with business needs, in order to meet any arising opportunities and to develop the market in a coherent manner, at the same time avoiding any doubling or fragmentation of efforts [1]. The Europe 2020 strategy requires that the member state legislators should consider how the different aspects of smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth are interconnected, and how the smart specialisation strategies meet the complex, development-related challenges by adjusting the policy to the regional context [1]. In this approach, it is necessary to properly understand the interactions between the policies and their outcomes [2]. We can state that currently innovation strategies for smart specialisation with the new framework for organising innovation support in European regions and states [3] have become the reality [4], and smart growth means enhancing the role of knowledge and innovation as a driving force for economic development [5]

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