Policy instruments
Discover the policy instruments that the partners of this project are tackling.
A means for public intervention. It refers to any policy, strategy, or law developed by public authorities and applied on the ground to improve a specific territorial situation. In most cases, financial resources are associated with a policy instrument. However, an instrument can also sometimes refer to a legislative framework with no specific funding. In the context of Interreg Europe, operational programmes for Investment for Growth and Jobs as well as Cooperation Programmes from European Territorial Cooperation are policy instruments. Beyond EU cohesion policy, local, regional, or national public authorities also develop their own policy instruments.
The policy objective 1 of the OP is a More Competitive and Smarter Europe and the specific objective addressed is 1.3 “Improve the growth and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises”. North Middle Sweden (31) including Värmland is identified as a region that risks falling into the "middle-income trap" or even low-income trap as it has difficulty finding innovation capital and talents, including highly educated women. By not recognising women as a strategic resource, companies are endangered in developing and maintaining their competitiveness. The business community has a relatively one-sided industry structure and needs to develop the industry breadth to become more resilient, as well as increase the region's export maturity to take a larger place in international markets.
Adjustment is required to match the environmental and climate goals but also to be able to meet the region's social challenges. The development needs to take place in broad collaboration between civil society, the public sector and the business community in order to deal with these challenges. The OP identifies clusters as one of the most intermediaries to work with the SMEs. In particular the business promotion system i.e. via clusters needs to be developed based on the needs of new skills where women are at the forefront . This cannot be done without looking at gender equality and inclusiveness as drivers for growth and competitiveness for stronger and more resilient SMEs in Värmland.
Partners working on this policy instrument
The renewing of the Lapland S3 is done during 2022 and the new name will be Lapland Sustainable Smart Specialisation programme (S4+) 2023.
The current programme (Lapland - Arctic and international highflier – Lapland smart specialisation strategic priorities 2018-2022) advances three priorities, which support Lapland’s regional development via businesses’ international growth. In order for the industry and businesses to grow and evolve in the region, they need education, training, research and innovation activities and, finally, a regional ecosystem with its clusters and services enables the conditions for action, by strengthening the co-operation between regional actors and enabling better international co-operation.
Lapland lives out its natural resources and natural conditions, so the ability to maintain balance in societal sustainable development is a key issue in view of our survival in the Arctic conditions. In Lapland, the future business investments will, in one way or another, be based on the sustainable utilisation of natural resources and conditions, and on increasing the value added.
Lapland’s S3 implementation is based on Smart Cluster development. Clusters of Arctic Industry and Circular economy and Arctic Development Environments have identified I4.0 as a key driver for growth. Enhancement of gender equality in I4.0 supports their employment promotion.
Partners working on this policy instrument
Within ROP, the Policy Objective 1.A Smarter Europe is addressed, aiming for investments for SMEs growth and supporting collaboration between SMEs within clusters and integration into interregional, international and cross border value chains, supporting the business support structures and promotion of the entrepreneurship.
The project is addressing ROP Specific Objective (iii) - Increase sustainable growth and competitiveness of the SMEs and creating new jobs, including through productive investments by:
a) Increasing SMEs competitiveness through innovative equipment and technologies, by: purchase of equipment and investment in construction infrastructure for production and services; investments in new technologies, such as IoT, innovative production systems, or to improve medical and tourism services; purchase of intangible assets such as patents, licences or technical solutions; marketing and internationalisation costs for promotion of the regional products and services.
b) Supporting the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem, boosting specific entrepreneurship models and facilitation entrepreneurship models, creation of local/ regional value chains, business support structures, through: establishment and development of business support structures such as business incubators, accelerators and industrial parks; support for business support structures to develop specific services and management of direct grants to the supported SMEs, to ensure sustainability and resilience.
Partners working on this policy instrument
The Programme Clusters and Platforms Lower Austria is one of the public interventions that contributes to the implementation of the Lower Austrian Economic Strategy 2025 (= RIS3 in coherence with the national S3). It provides support for cluster management, i.e. the facilitation of networking and initiating collaborative research, development and innovation projects. (It does not provide funding for the projects as such.) It is financed by the Austrian ERDF OP and co-financed by regional funds of the regional government.
The implementing body of the program is the Lower Austrian Business Agency ecoplus. Based on comprehensive cluster potential analyses carried out by external experts, the decision of the regional government to support a cluster initiative and a multiannual funding contract between the regional government and ecoplus, ecoplus manages the Lower Austrian cluster initiatives as an “umbrella” cluster organisation, currently in the areas of green building, food, plastics and mechatronics.
Partners working on this policy instrument
E-R S3 21-27 takes into account the new global challenges highlighted by the objectives of the Cohesion Policy 21-27 and the 2030 Agenda. It crosses structural funds and regional programming tools. S3 14-20 promoted the launch of 7 regional CLUST-ERs as new associations gathering research organisations, university labs, companies and other stakeholders; CLUST-ERs are part of the S3 governance, coordinated by ART-ER.
The approach of the new strategy is transversal, based on priorities related to challenges rather than supply chains as previously. The well-being of people and communities, the fight against social, economic, cultural, ethnic, territorial and gender inequalities have been introduced also as drivers of competitiveness. Thematic area 15 “Inclusion and social cohesion: education, work, territories” favours diversity management, reconciliation of life and work times, equality at work. The gender equality issue is a quite new approach for the regional ecosystem actors, especially for businesses.
Our goal is to improve S3 by involving CLUST-ERs, to inspire and accompany them in the adoption of new measures and actions for raising awareness towards their members, especially SMEs. Italian legislation (Law 5/11/2021, n.162) provides that public and private companies employing up to 50 employees draw up a report every 2 years on the situation of male/female personnel, allowing also fiscal benefits, therefore specific actions to make this opportunity concrete are needed.
Partners working on this policy instrument
The Navarra Smart Specialization Strategy for Sustainability was adopted in 2021. The objective is to transition to a sustainable and inclusive growth model making Navarra a reference region in the sustainable and digital economy committed to the territory and people. The strategy shall promote economic growth, environmental protection, and social and territorial cohesion.
Six priorities are identified based on the economic, science and technological potential of the region: green energy industry, electric and connected mobility, healthy and sustainable food, personalized medicine, sustainable tourism, and audio-visual industry, looking for a transformation in sectors like automotive and energy. The green and digital transition are transversal to the thematic priorities. Clusters are involved in the strategy implementation, as the key intermediary bodies to connect with the main companies of the region.
The thematic priorities feed on competitiveness factors developed specifically through different plans of the regional government, that focus on the needs of the business sector. The factors are people and talent, business development, competitive environment, R+D+I, and internationalization.
Since 2007, Equality Plans have been mandatory for companies over 250 employees, and since 2020, over 50 employees. Navarra has helped smaller companies giving grants for the design of equality plans and funding the deployment of some of the actions to help with implementation.
Partners working on this policy instrument
The innovation strategy for Baden-Wuerttemberg defines digitization, artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0, sustainable mobility, the healthcare industry, resource efficiency and the energy transition and sustainable bioeconomy as key economic development fields for the future. To ensure national and international economic competitiveness, especially Baden-Württemberg's innovation dynamism has to be sustainably strengthened. Based on a critical review of the current situation, the innovation strategy identifies future and growth fields on which the region is focusing.
Through further strategic specialization, the consistent expansion of the research infrastructure and technology transfer, as well as by opening up new topics in research and development, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular have to be more closely integrated into the innovation process to stay competitive on long term. In search for cooperative solutions, networking activities in the form of clusters, competence networks and technology platforms have therefore gained in importance in recent years. Promoting and professionalizing cluster initiatives and networks is an important component of Baden-Württemberg's SME and innovation policy.
By founding the VDIVDEIT/RCA, which is unique in Germany, Baden-Württemberg created an individual support offer for the cluster initiatives and networks. (Chapter 3.3.5, Innovationsstrategie Baden-Württemberg 2020).
Partners working on this policy instrument
The cluster policy of the Pomorskie Voivodeship is outlined in the Regional Strategic Programme in the areas of economy, labour market, tourist offer and leisure time 2030 in Priority 1.1 Innovative economy, in Measure 1.1.3 Development of smart specializations and clusters.
In the current perspective, funds for clusters are planned in the operational programme European Funds for Pomerania under Priority 1. More competitive and intelligent Pomerania. The scope of activities carried out will include, among others: increasing R&D activity of entities from the smart specialisations areas (including professionalization of cluster management), support for entering into international consortia of entities operating within clusters, support for the potential of seed and regional clusters, support for the development of modern services clusters for industrial transformation.
Despite the high activity of regional authorities aimed at strengthening regional innovation, the Pomeranian potential in comparison to regions in Western Europe remains still low, although it is high in relation to other Polish regions. The emphasis on strengthening the participation of women in business will help to increase innovation in the region and its position on the international level.
Partners working on this policy instrument
The Smart Specialisation Strategy in Grand Est (2021-2027) could be defined as 3D-Matrix. The first dimension gathers three main activity domains: Industry, Health, and Bioeconomy, which gathers a critical mass of regional stakeholders. The second one is the three main transitions, these domains are facing: industrial, digital, and energetic-environmental-social. The third dimension is composed of transversal issues that cope within the two first dimensions: social innovation, responsible innovation, relocation companies, and development of local supply chains.
The implementation of the smart specialization strategy (S3) and especially for issues related to transformations (digital, industry, green) will be coordinated by regional networks of competencies named GET (Grand Est Transformation). The objective of a GET is to be “a one-stop shop” to accelerate the transformation of SMEs and territories. Grand Est Transformation will cover classical support actions (innovation projects, setting up of training) but also transversal activities related to ethics and inclusion (digital of trust).
Each GET will be plugged with the main stakeholders on the topic as for example, the companies (SMEs, Micaps,etc.), the clusters (competitiveness clusters, classical clusters) and the other stakeholders of the regional innovation ecosystems. Questions of gender, inclusion, and ethics are included as one the domains of activity of GET as it is the case for the first one set-up, GET DIGITAL.
Partners working on this policy instrument
The Hungarian Cluster Strategy is under development at the time of the submission of the application of the project, however we are expecting that in Q3 2022 it will be approved at higher level. The main objective of the strategy is improving the culture of collaboration among Hungarian clusters and as a result of collaborative economic development, the domestic cluster ecosystem will be at the forefront of Europe, and the international competitiveness of domestic businesses and economic actors will increase. This vision has several aspects beyond. on different areas.
Strengthening the culture of motivation in and cooperation between SMEs, making business cooperation attractive and promoting innovation cooperation with the support of creating the appropriate policy and regulatory environment are the pillars in which we have developed the wide range of financial and non-financial tools.
Although the main goal of the strategy remains focusing on the economic performance, and the pillars have been defined by the characteristics of different types of clusters, the strategy contains a diverse pool of tools to support the predefined KPIs, some of which are focusing more on specific challenges like green transition and digitalization. As the equality of both men and women and social inclusion in different ways are a widely spread challenge all-across the EU, we are having high hopes on including and addressing this issue in the cluster strategy.