Regional Smart Specialization Research Articles

Inter-organisational Sustainability Cooperation Among European Regions and the Role of Smart Specialisation

AbstractInnovation represents one of the most crucial levers for regional prosperity and sectoral renewal. Additionally, it is applied to address challenges such as a sustainable transition and the battle against climate change. Since innovation is the result of cooperation between different actors with different backgrounds, the topic is increasingly studied from a systemic perspective. Here, not only internal cooperation but also cross-border connections between regions become important. While smart specialisation, a European policy for innovation and cohesion, highlights the role of interregional cooperation, practical manifestations and research on this aspect have remained limited so far. This article addresses this gap by discussing the relevance of interregional cooperation for knowledge creation and presents empirical evidence on cooperation between organisations in different European regions in the field of environmental sustainability. The underlying dataset was constructed from Horizon 2020 (H2020) research projects with Northern Germany as an exemplary set of regions chosen as the core of a social network analysis (SNA). The findings reveal that involvement in interregional projects is concentrated particularly in urban regions and correlates with GDP and population density. On the other hand, also organisations in regions with different structural characteristics are involved in interregional cooperation, and H2020 managed to introduce new cooperation patterns. Finally, the empirical data do not adequately match the regional smart specialisation strategies (S3) which raises questions on updating smart specialisation as a policy.

Smart specialization of regions as a basis for sustainable development of the Russian Federation

The article is devoted to the implementation of the concept of "smart specialization" of regions for the purposes of sustainable development of the Russian Federation. The purpose of the study is to justify making adjustments to the issues of strategic planning and territorial management at the federal level for the effective implementation of the principles of smart specialization in the regions. The current macroeconomic conditions prevailing in Russia have led to the formation of a strategic course of socio-economic development of the state in the public administration system, which is based on diversified specialization and sustainable development of the subjects of the Russian Federation. This article offers recommendations on the formation of the concept of smart specialization of the subjects of the Russian Federation at the strategic level. The subject of the research is the concept of smart specialization for sustainable development and the possibility of its reflection in the strategic documents of the Russian Federation. The relevance of the research topic is beyond doubt, since the issues of sustainable development of the subjects of the Russian Federation are still topical. The present study is based on the dialectical method of cognition, which includes such methods as comparative, institutional analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction. This methodology provided an opportunity to study this problem through the prism of theoretical and practical aspects. It was concluded that "smart specialization" will make it possible to most effectively identify and implement the vector of regional development, select specific measures that are most effective for each of the subjects of the Russian Federation. One of the important tasks when using this approach is to minimize competition between regions, implement the transition from competition for investment and business to joint development of value chains by regions and strengthen interactions between enterprises. The necessity of developing and implementing institutional and methodological foundations for detailing and updating the most economically promising specializations of the regions was justified. The results of this study, the conclusions drawn and the formulated proposals can be used to improve the strategic foundations of territorial management with a view to their sustainable development. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the proposal to make changes to the fundamentals of strategic planning for the territorial development of the regions of the Russian Federation, which will contribute to the implementation of the principles of smart specialization in practice.

Responsible research and innovation in academia – context of regional smart specializations

Responsible research and innovation in academia – context of regional smart specializations

Strategic management of smart specialization in regional economic development: connection of export, sectoral, scientific, and technological competences

The article proposes a methodological approach to determining the priorities of smart specialization based on the conjugation of industry-specific specialization at the global, national, and macroregional levels and the scientific and technological competences of the region in the context of geographical, structural, technological, and cognitive proximity. As exemplified by the Central Black Earth macroregion, the study establishes a managerial matrix and scenario models based on competences. As a result of testing the research tools, a unified template of the managerial matrix for conjugating the directions of export (national, macroregional) and scientific and technological specialization of the macroregion was developed and scenario models for determining the priorities of smart specialization of regions within the Central Black Earth macroregion were built as part of entrepreneurial search procedures with the participation of all parties involved (regional authorities, business community, scientific community, and local residents). The proposed approach will allow all regions, including those not widely included in the global or national division of labor, to find a promising niche for development at the macroregional (local) level. In addition, it considers the possibilities of intersectoral convergence and the use of the accumulated competences of these regions in the field of end-to-end digital technologies.

Do Regional Smart Specialization Strategies Affect Innovation in Enterprises?

According to the European Commission, the smart specialization strategy is intended as a response to complex development challenges and a tool for stimulating innovation at the regional level. At the same time, it is known that the conditions in which businesses operate, including institutional framework, socio-economic aspects, infrastructure and forms of business support, do not always meet their needs. The research and analyses carried out in this study were aimed at testing the relationships mainly between the external activities that most create/develop innovation in enterprises, networking within the innovation ecosystem, and barriers inhibiting innovation development. For this purpose, 250 survey interviews were conducted with representatives of innovative enterprises from five regions in Poland. Our research and analyses have shown that regions make considerable efforts to comprehensively define rather complex RIS3 (Research and Innovation Smart Specialization Strategy) policy priorities, while in reality these priorities often do not coincide with the expectations of entrepreneurs.

Directions for improving smart-specialization strategy of the regions of Ukraine from the positions of schumpertianity, institutionalism, and developmentalism

Smart specialization is one of the key modern economic policies implemented in the European Union. Its essence is to ensure innovative development depending on a specific region's existing conditions and features. Smart specialization is aimed at ensuring the regional development of the countries that are part of the European Union and those countries that have a cooperation agreement with it. This tool involves taking into account the peculiarities and capabilities of each region and identifying competitive advantages, which helps to unlock economic potential and more effectively develop innovations at the regional level. Smart specialization aims to: (1) identify the most promising investment areas through a thorough analysis of existing opportunities, assets, competencies, and competitive advantages of the region; (2) more efficient spending of state resources by concentrating on the main industries of a certain region; (3) elimination of duplication of measures that may lead to waste of public resources; (4) implementation of mechanisms that ensure strategic development based on multilateral interaction. The purpose of the study is to determine directions for improving the strategizing of smart specialization in the regions of Ukraine from the standpoint of Schumpeterianism, institutionalism, and developmentalism. The theoretical provisions of ensuring the smart specialization of Ukraine's regional development process in practice face several problems that can be systematized and solved from the positions of different schools of economic theory at the regional and national levels. From the standpoint of the Schumpeterian school of economic theory, the priority direction for improving the smart specialization strategy of the regions of Ukraine is to combine innovation policy with regional smart specialization strategies, as well as the creation of innovative infrastructure to support smart specialization. From the standpoint of the institutional school of economic theory, the priority direction for improving the strategizing of smart specialization in the regions of Ukraine is the systematic alignment of institutions with the goals of smart specialization, the harmonization of the regulatory and legal framework for ensuring innovative activity and strategizing regional development, as well as the elimination of institutional deficiencies in the formulation of strategic documents at the state and at the regional level, which prevent the application of the principles of smart specialization. From the standpoint of the developmental school of economic theory, the priority direction for improving the strategy of smart specialization in Ukraine’s regions is improving economic policy at the national level in the area of stimulating high-tech exports.

Sustainable development of agriculture based on the smart specialisation approach: cases of the Central and Eastern European countries

Purpose. The purpose of the study is to analyse and systematise the smart priorities of the territories of Central and Eastern Europe with a focus on the sustainable development of the agricultural sector and to identify current trends in the innovative development of agriculture.
 Methodology / approach. The main research method is benchmarking which includes identification, comparative analysis, generalisation and application of best practices in various fields of activity. The authors’ methodology of regional benchmarking has been tried out in the work. The methodology provides implementation of a set of scientific and analytical measures at the following stages: (1) mapping and identification of smart priorities in focal economic activities; (2) analysis of regional priorities according to the European goals of smart specialisation policy including the structure of their selection; (3) studying the content and goals of the regional priorities establishing cross-sectoral links; (4) examination of the exploit of established and emerging clusters in the regional smart specialisation with identification of their localisation and selected priority areas; (5) analysis of interregional cooperation in smart specialisation domains; (6) processing and formalisation of the obtained research results.
 Results. We identified and analysed 44 priorities involving the agricultural sector, which belongs to 12 Central and Eastern European countries. The dominant policy objectives of smart specialisation of these territories are Sustainable Innovation, Public Health & Security and Key Enabling Technologies, which are mainly focused on achieving sustainable agriculture, establishing bioeconomy and providing food security & safety. These smart specialisation domains at the national and sub-national levels clearly contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. Priorities were grouped according to their internal goals and content, which allowed identifying key trends of innovative development of the territories with the involvement of the agricultural sector. It is concluded that the regions combine knowledge and assets through the intensification of cross-sectoral, interregional cooperation and the use of clusters. We determined that cross-sectoral links within smart priorities are mostly formed within existing value chains, but recently, new cross-sectoral and interregional partnerships emerge and actively develop. They are mainly focused on the diffusion of innovative bio- and digital technologies in agro-food systems. We highlighted the key issues that need to be addressed by regional working groups while selecting the smart priorities of the Ukraine’s regions. 
 Originality / scientific novelty. This paper presents the results of the thematic research in a new understudied direction – Smart Specialisation Strategies for Sustainability. Based on the authors’ methodology of regional benchmarking, the smart priorities in the agricultural sector of Central and Eastern European countries have been analysed.
 Practical value / implications. The results of the study can be used by regional working groups of the Entrepreneurial discovery process to draw up possible ways of agricultural development. The obtained results may also be of interest to researchers from different countries involved in the implementation of smart specialisation approach and the improvement of its methodology.

Putting Space in Place. Multimodal Translation of the Grand Challenge of Regional Smart Specialization from Policy to Cross-sector Partnerships

Putting Space in Place. Multimodal Translation of the Grand Challenge of Regional Smart Specialization from Policy to Cross-sector Partnerships

Translating in practice: On the role of translation in entrepreneurial discovery processes in Norway

ABSTRACT The article examines a key component of regional smart specialisation strategy, namely the entrepreneurial discovery process (EDP) and how it unfolds in three regions in Norway. The authors seek to understand the interpretation and operationalisation of the EDP by conducting a constructivist thematic analysis of regional strategy documents and associated material in Rogaland, Vestland, and Nordland. They find that while similarities exist in the use of the EDP, the regions differ markedly across several key dimensions, most notably the interpretation of the EDP and its implementation across the regions. To have a better understanding of these differences in a region’s EDP, they propose the integration of translation theory with more conventional theoretical approaches on understanding regional policy differences. The authors shed light on the diffuse understandings of the EDP in practice across regions, thereby providing richer evidence of how the interpretations can differ considerably even within one country, and they conclude that this indicates the relevance of translation theory for future regional comparative studies of smart specialisation.

Архетипні основи інституційно-інноваційних проєктів сталого розвитку територій в умовах постмодерну

The decentralization and post-war recovery processes raise the issue of sustainable territorial development to a qualitatively new level, based on innovation and the search for appropriate resources. The study aims to analyse the features of building institutional and innovative projects within the new concept of territorial development resources based on the archetypal approach and develop practical recommendations for their implementation on the example of sub-ethnic groups of the Sumy region. The study based on world experience substantiates that the process of innovative development of territories should not focus solely on economic issues and technological change but should consider socio-cultural aspects that can be viewed as an essential component of the potential. Considering territorial archetypes when initiating changes and resolving issues of territorial development will allow the development of effective measures through the rational use of resource potential. It is determined that the question of considering socio-cultural historical and modern approaches to to studying settlements, cities, and landscapes (regional and local aspects), analysis of their formation, change and development in developing strategies. The importance of the regional component is illustrated by the experience of the EU, where local authorities are gaining more and more ground in finding the most practical and concrete opportunities for territories. It is determined that public administration undergoes significant changes under the influence of postmodernism, a new philosophy of building organizational structures, government, and management. It considers the uncertainty and ambiguity of new types of social systems and is seen as open to the future. The authors consider the application of postmodern theories to be fruitful in studying the impact of the socio-cultural environment on socio-economic processes and adaptation of innovations. This factor’s impact on economic entities’ behaviour has traditionally been regarded as exogenous. Given the use of postmodern methodology must be studied when trying to return people and actual processes to a place occupied by abstract variables and modelled dependencies. The influence of postmodernism at the territorial level is determined based on the evolution of innovation communities. This approach is consistent with the current EU regional policy, which aims to enhance regions’ development by improving competitiveness efficiency. It is proposed to consider the possibility of using institutional and innovative projects for sustainable development of territories, considering the archetypal resource component and the concept of innovation communities. Institutional and innovative projects are considered so-called «security-related products» of territorial development, which may include innovative projects and programs that involve a wide range of resources, including socio-cultural, focused on achieving sustainable development goals. It is substantiated that the use of tools for institutional and innovative projects should be considered in the context of the smart specialization of regions, making it possible to consider the socio-cultural component practically. Examples of the use of archetypes for the construction of innovation and institutional projects in the instance of two sub-ethnic groups of the Sumy region are considered. The main archetypes of goryuns and sevryuks are generalized, and paper provides the related institutional and innovation projects they will promote.

Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into a Region’s Smart Specialisation Strategy through Corporate Responsibility

The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the accompanying 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been widely adopted in EU policies, such as the European Green Deal, and Member States, highlight the need for responsible and sustainable investments by the business sector. The present paper argues that in the EU framework where development policies are sufficiently decentralised at the level of Regions, the materialization of “shared value” from business towards the achievement of SDGs can be accomplished via close cooperation between regional governance authorities and the business sector itself, in the spirit of SDG 17 (“Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development”). In this framework, EU Regions shall support the identification of regional industries and/or market segments that guarantee innovation potentials and regional comparative advantages. This entrepreneurial discovery process, in the context of Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies, shall be followed by private investments, exploiting the relevant business opportunities and creating “shared value” towards the achievement of SDGs.

The contribution of interregional and inter-field knowledge spillovers to regional Smart Specialisation

ABSTRACT Industrial policy based on Smart Specialisation emphasizes the exploitation of industrial linkages based on technological rather than intermediate product linkages. This paper develops microlevel analysis using the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) patent citation database on the intensity of technical relatedness depending on the cited and citing technological fields. The results are used to estimate the patterns of interregional knowledge spillovers in the European Union and explain spatial differences in patent growth. The approach to identifying spillovers provides an improved toolbox to guide implementation of Smart Specialisation policies.

Smart specialization of regions as an innovative vector of industrial policy

It is proven that the country’s post-war recovery policy should take into account previous development miscalculations, and the recovery itself should be considered as a “window of opportunity” for the formation of a new highly productive and high-tech “smart” and “green” economy, an important component of which should be modern industry. It is substantiated that smart specialization involves not so much the stimulation of innovations as the activation of long-term structural changes in the region’s economy with an orientation to the future, that is, the formation of such a policy that will enable the region to occupy important niches in global markets. The experience of implementing the strategy of smart specialization in the European Union is considered. Together with the development of entrepreneurship and the cluster structure of industry, it is part of the economic decentralization of Ukraine. Attention is focused on the fact that, against the background of a slight increase in the share of high-tech industries in the overall structure of the country’s industry, there is a decrease in the specific weight of medium-tech industries and an increase in the share of low-tech industries. The results of the application of the smart approach to the strategic planning of the development of regions should be the modernization of industry and its transition to a new technological structure, the activation of the innovative technological and “digital” potential of the territories. The necessity of implementing the concept of smart specialization for effective synergistic use of public investments, supporting countries/regions in building their innovation potential while simultaneously focusing limited human and financial resources on several competitive areas in order to promote economic growth has been proven. Ways to achieve and tasks of implementing the smart specialization approach in the national economic strategy are systematized. The strategic vectors of ensuring sustainable development and smart specialization of industry are substantiated.

ІТ-кластери як інструмент забезпечення смарт-спеціалізації регіонів України

Smart specialization strategies are actively implemented as part of a large-scale action plan for the development of the EU economy. Ukraine also comprehensively implements approaches to smart specialization in the development and implementation of regional development strategies. At the same time, IT clusters are developing both in the EU and in Ukraine. But the vast majority of studies do not pay attention to the specific characteristics of IT clusters in the context of the formation and implementation of smart specialization strategies. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to determine the role of IT clusters as a tool for ensuring smart specialization strategies in Ukraine. The concepts of smart specialization and regional clusters are similar in their emphasis on (1) productivity and innovation as key factors of competitiveness; (2) regional integration of local advantages. The differences between the concepts lie in the final result. For smart specialization, the search and dissemination of knowledge for the emergence of new opportunities on the market are important. At the same time, the increase in productivity of cluster members and the development of related industries are important for regional clusters. Regional clusters can be considered as an element of the smart specialization strategy. We can talk about smart clustering in the process of smart specialization. A comparative analysis of the functioning of foreign and domestic IT clusters showed that the action of foreign clusters is aimed at cooperation with local/regional authorities, educational institutions and business. The clusters presented in the work provide support to enterprises (including industrial ones) in the transition to sustainable digital technologies. The majority of domestic IT clusters are formed in regions with limited industrial potential and are involved in educational and social projects, projects on the interaction of IT clusters with the local authorities of the regions. Based on the nature and modern role of IT clusters, they can be considered as a resource and accelerator for all areas of smart specialization. Ukraine has two main ways of using the potential of domestic IT clusters to ensure smart specialization. The first way involves the maximally accelerated integration into the S3 Platform of all regional initiatives regarding smart specialization. The second way involves the creation of the national S3 Platform (for Ukraine) with the aim of consolidating all initiatives within the framework of regional smart specialization strategies, their coordination at the national level with further integration into the pan-European S3 platform. There is also a third intermediate path, which involves the simultaneous integration of individual initiatives into the European S3 platform, and the creation of its own nationwide S3 Platform (for Ukraine).

The role of MNEs in regional smart specialisation strategies: evidence from San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Smart specialisation strategies have been adopted in Mexico to guide innovation policy towards strategic domains in particular regions. In San Luis Potosi, the presence of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the automotive sector has fostered growth and shaped regional strategy. The sector is considered one of the three state priorities as an outcome of smart specialisation strategies. The article follows a case-study methodology based on secondary data as well as 16 interviews and 40 responses to a perception survey to shed light on the role of MNEs in regional innovation. The findings show that the presence of MNEs in the region has had productivity impacts but limited innovation impacts. A framework is suggested to guide policy action according to the MNE as well as regional characteristics. Moreover, the findings reveal the importance of facilitating related entrepreneurship.

The role of MNEs in regional smart specialisation strategies: evidence from San Luis Potosi, Mexico

The role of MNEs in regional smart specialisation strategies: evidence from San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Implementation of the Integration Component of Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies: Scientific and Methodological Approach

The article discusses the formation issues of the integration component of regional strategies for smart specialisation, including the use of Interregional and cross-border cooperation in strategically important areas. The relevance and potential of activating European partnerships for Ukrainian regions within the framework of strategies for smart specialisation were emphasized. In order to adapt and develop the methodological support developed in the EU, a scientific and methodological approach to assessing potential partnerships in the formation of regional smart specialisation strategies has been justified. It is proposed to perform a set of diagnostic and communication procedures to identify and assess the prospects for interregional cooperation for each project initiative at the participatory stage of the entrepreneurial discovery process. Measures to identify potential partnerships include the following: justification of the feasibility of partnership and integration into existing cluster-network structures; identification of possible partners and study of their potential and interests; assessment of the readiness of regional stakeholders for partnership; formation of partnership proposals for a specific smart priority. This additional stage will allow to determine the possibilities of resource-competent strengthening of regional priorities of smart specialisation by combining knowledge and assets with innovatively active European regions. The proposed author’s scientific and methodological approach to assessing the potential of cluster-network partnership of Ukrainian regions and EU member states is based on the calculation of an integral indicator that takes into account the assessment of innovative cooperation of each region and its cluster-network activity in a specific thematic area of smart specialisation. The structure is shown and the content of calculation procedures for determining the integral indicator of the potential of cluster-network interaction of the region based on information and analytical data of European ratings and platforms is developed. The scientific and methodological approach has been tested on the example of Chemicals thematic partnership. The definition of groups of indicators for assessing innovative cooperation and cluster-network activity of 13 regions of the European Union, which are part of this partnership, has been consistently disclosed. A rating of chemical regions was formed to assess the potential of cluster-network interaction.

ОБМЕЖЕННЯ І МОЖЛИВОСТІ НАУКОВО-ОСВІТНЬОЇ ТА ІННОВАЦІЙНОЇ СФЕР УКРАЇНИ В КОНТЕКСТІ ФОРМУВАННЯ РЕГІОНАЛЬНИХ СМАРТ-СПЕЦІАЛІЗАЦІЙ

European methodology Strategy for Smart Specialization is being implemented in Ukraine. The success of this process is largely predetermined by the readiness and ability of regional scientific and innovation systems to effectively interact within the country and abroad. The characteristics of these systems are determined by the general state of the national spheres of scientific educational and innovative activities. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to comprehensively assess the actual situation in the scientific educational and innovation spheres of Ukraine and identification of constraints and opportunities for establishing scientific technological and innovative cooperation with EU regions in the context of smart specialization of regional economies. To achieve this goal, the SWOT analysis method, which is a classic strategic management tool, was applied. Literature review of the application of this method and the specificity of the research object showed the need to clarify the methodology for performing the SWOT analysis. Three stages of this analysis have been proposed. At the first stage, the formation of groups of factors of the external and internal environment of the research object and selection to the list of the most significant of them was carried out. The second stage included an assessment of the selected factors using the experts' intuitive-logical analysis. A feature of the applied approach is that the experts determined a quantitative assessment for the factors of the internal environment and a qualitative one for external ones. The third stage involved the establishment of strategically important logical relationships between internal (Strengths and Weaknesses) and external (Opportunities and Threats) factors, which were discovered at the first stage of the SWOT analysis. Because of performing three stages of analysis using an expert survey, limitations and opportunities that affect the prospects for Ukraine's integration into the European Research Area were identified. It was concluded that it is necessary to design a comprehensive state policy for the development of the knowledge and innovation sphere, which will also contribute to the achievement of the goals of regional smart specialization.

The Impact of the Inter-Section Smart Specialization, Social Enterprise, and Innovation on Health Promotion and Equity

Smart specialization has been a central strategy for regional smart specializations (RS3s) across the European Union (EU), as a way to stimulate innovative development of the EU regions. The strategy aims to stimulate development in areas or regions that do not necessarily have the highest technological advancement but that have specialized and have had a comparative advantage to implement innovations based on research. This paper aims to initiate a discussion on the potential use of S3 as a platform for social entrepreneurship and innovation with the goal to promote and improve population health through the lens of health equity. Social entrepreneurship and innovation embedded within smart specialization presents a unique opportunity for health promotion and health equity in an agenda for regional development. However, empirical research is needed to develop new models for investigating the intersections between S3, SE and SI, and health promotion, health equity and sustainable development goal 3 (ensure healthy lives at all ages).

Потенційні напрями фінансового стимулювання розвитку науково-інноваційних кластерів

The purpose of the article is to study the mechanisms of support of cluster formations abroad. To reveal modern aspects of the national institutional environment to stimulate the genesis of scientific and innovative agricultural clusters and to identify the main possible areas of financial support for their development. Research methods. General scientific and specific methods of empirical research were used: comparative-historical and monographic, which allowed to assess the dynamics of state support for clustering processes in the European Union and Ukraine, as well as to identify sources of financial incentives; system approach - contributed to the study of the mechanisms of interaction of the cluster as a system with the social environment, to perceive the cluster formation with a dynamic integrity that is constantly evolving; analysis and synthesis provided an opportunity to reveal potential financial methods of cluster support and to integrate approaches to the formation of a mechanism for stimulating cluster associations; cognitive operations of comparison and description are used; the abstract-logical method is used for theoretical generalizations and conclusions. Research results. The implementation of current cluster policies in the countries of the European Union is analyzed. It is established that the studied approaches have some progressive similarities despite the specific development and implementation of cluster programs and their dependence on the context and validity of national/regional policy in different areas. The analyzed approaches have some progressive similarities. The priority opportunities of smart specialization of the region are given, in the development of which cluster formations are the main "blocks". The best European projects related to the socio-economic prosperity of the regions, which stimulate the development of clustering, are highlighted. The components of sustainable financing of regional cluster formations in Ukraine have been revealed, providing initial state support. The possibility of stimulating the process of clustering with funds allocated from the state budget to develop the regions and the financing of the Sectoral Policy Support Program was assessed. Possibilities of self-financing and self-crediting of scientific and innovative agricultural clusters to be formed based on interregional research centres of NAAS have been confirmed. Scientific novelty. The conceptual ambiguity of the formulation of the financial security of the establishment and elaboration of scientific and innovative cluster models adopted based on the interregional scientific centres of the NAAS has been developed. Based on successful European advice, the theoretical and methodological approach inspiring the financial mechanisms of clustering in Ukraine has been justified. Practical significance. The directions of financial stimulation of clustering processes within the limits of national, branch and regional strategies, particularly strategies of smart specialization of regions and territorial communities, strategies of support of small and medium business as the fundamental element of business initiative and the primary driver of clusters are offered. Tabl.: 1. Figs.: 1. Refs.: 20.