IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i19p11912-d921225.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Addressing the European Green Deal with Smart Specialization Strategies in the Baltic Sea Region

Author

Listed:
  • Rita Lankauskienė

    (Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Institute of Economics and Rural Development, A. Vivulskio St. 4A-13, 03220 Vilnius, Lithuania)

  • Vitalija Simonaitytė

    (Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Institute of Economics and Rural Development, A. Vivulskio St. 4A-13, 03220 Vilnius, Lithuania)

  • Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė

    (Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Institute of Economics and Rural Development, A. Vivulskio St. 4A-13, 03220 Vilnius, Lithuania)

  • Jerker Johnson

    (Regional Council of Ostrobothnia, Österbottens Förbund—Pohjanmaan Liitto, PB 174, 65101 Vaasa, Finland)

Abstract

Despite the extent and importance of the Smart Specialization strategies, achieved in a short cohesion policy period from 2014 to 2020, the evidence on the assessment of their actual effect on the economic development and the mobilization via the Smart Specialization implementation of the regions is still pending. In light of green transformation, accelerated by the European Green Deal, the heart of Smart Specialization strategies of EU regions is to avoid fragmentation and to reach a complementary in reaching the joint EU ambition of climate neutrality by 2050. This article aims to demonstrate how to identify the region-specific (place-based and bottom–up) pathways for green transformation and align them with the European Green Deal-focused Smart Specialization strategies in regions, using moderated co-creation in DPSIR analysis and policy modeling. The findings of this article are based on the moderated experimental experience from the two interconnected projects in the area, i.e., “LARS” and “GRETA”, implemented in the Baltic Sea Region (October 2017 to September 2021). The research proposes how moderated learning and knowledge transfer between matured innovators and young innovators embodies the identification of place-based pathways and help develop political course recommendations for green transformation, thus solving the homogeneity issues of the Smart Specialization strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Rita Lankauskienė & Vitalija Simonaitytė & Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė & Jerker Johnson, 2022. "Addressing the European Green Deal with Smart Specialization Strategies in the Baltic Sea Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:11912-:d:921225
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/11912/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/11912/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Javier Barbero & Olga Diukanova & Carlo Gianelle & Simone Salotti & Artur Santoalha, 2022. "Economic modelling to evaluate Smart Specialisation: an analysis of research and innovation targets in Southern Europe," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(9), pages 1496-1509, September.
    2. I. Yegorov & Yu. Ryzhkova, 2018. "Innovation policy and implementation of smart specialisation in Ukraine," Economy and Forecasting, Valeriy Heyets, issue 3, pages 48-64.
    3. Kougias, Ioannis & Taylor, Nigel & Kakoulaki, Georgia & Jäger-Waldau, Arnulf, 2021. "The role of photovoltaics for the European Green Deal and the recovery plan," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    4. Geels, Frank W. & Schot, Johan, 2007. "Typology of sociotechnical transition pathways," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 399-417, April.
    5. Attila Varga & Norbert Szabó & Tamás Sebestyén, 2020. "Economic impact modelling of smart specialization policy: Which industries should prioritization target?," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(5), pages 1367-1388, October.
    6. Wenqi Wang & Yuhong Sun & Jing Wu, 2018. "Environmental Warning System Based on the DPSIR Model: A Practical and Concise Method for Environmental Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-20, May.
    7. Pierre-Alexandre Balland & Ron Boschma & Joan Crespo & David L. Rigby, 2019. "Smart specialization policy in the European Union: relatedness, knowledge complexity and regional diversification," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(9), pages 1252-1268, September.
    8. Rodríguez-Labajos, Beatriz & Binimelis, Rosa & Monterroso, Iliana, 2009. "Multi-level driving forces of biological invasions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 63-75, November.
    9. De Noni, Ivan & Ganzaroli, Andrea & Pilotti, Luciano, 2021. "Spawning exaptive opportunities in European regions: The missing link in the smart specialization framework," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(6).
    10. Roberta Capello & Henning Kroll, 2016. "From theory to practice in smart specialization strategy: emerging limits and possible future trajectories," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(8), pages 1393-1406, August.
    11. Kaija Valdmaa & Rhiannon Pugh & Jaanus Müür, 2021. "Challenges with strategic placed-based innovation policy: implementation of smart specialization in Estonia and Wales," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(4), pages 681-698, April.
    12. Diego D'Adda & Donato Iacobucci & Roberto Palloni, 2020. "Relatedness in the implementation of Smart Specialisation Strategy: a first empirical assessment," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(3), pages 405-425, June.
    13. Manuel Laranja, 2022. "Translating Smart Specialisation and entrepreneurial discovery into a process-oriented policy," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(5), pages 853-865, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Carlo Gianelle & Fabrizio Guzzo & Javier Barbero & Simone Salotti, 2022. "The economic implications of Smart Specialisation governance: a general equilibrium analysis for Italy 2014-2020," JRC Working Papers on Territorial Modelling and Analysis 2022-05, Joint Research Centre.
    2. Kowalski Arkadiusz Michał & Mackiewicz Marta, 2022. "Behavioral additionality: the role of cooperation with research institutions in fostering technological maturity of enterprises," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 58(2), pages 179-191, June.
    3. Ron Boschma, 2021. "Designing Smart Specialization Policy: relatedness, unrelatedness, or what?," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2128, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Sep 2021.
    4. László Szerb & Raquel Ortega‐Argilés & Zoltan J. Acs & Éva Komlósi, 2020. "Optimizing entrepreneurial development processes for smart specialization in the European Union," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(5), pages 1413-1457, October.
    5. Giovanni Mandras & Simone Salotti, 2020. "An Input–Output Analysis of Sectoral Specialization and Trade Integration of the Western Balkans Economies," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-14, October.
    6. Ricard Esparza-Masana, 2022. "Towards Smart Specialisation 2.0. Main Challenges When Updating Strategies," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(1), pages 635-655, March.
    7. Agnieszka Janik & Adam Ryszko & Marek Szafraniec, 2020. "Mapping the Field of Smart Specialisation and Regional Innovation Strategy Literature – A Bibliometric Analysis," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 655-673.
    8. Jason Deegan & Tom Broekel & Rune Dahl Fitjar, 2021. "Searching through the Haystack:The Relatedness and Complexity of Priorities in Smart Specialization Strategies," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 97(5), pages 497-520, October.
    9. E. Marrocu & R. Paci & D. Rigby & S. Usai, 2020. "Smart Specialization Strategy: any relatedness between theory and practice?," Working Paper CRENoS 202004, Centre for North South Economic Research, University of Cagliari and Sassari, Sardinia.
    10. Shvets, Nataliia & Shevtsova, Hanna & Pidorycheva, Iryna & Prokopenko, Olha & Maslosh, Olha, 2023. "Sustainable development of agriculture based on the smart specialisation approach: cases of the Central and Eastern European countries," Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal, Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal, vol. 9(1), March.
    11. Schipfer, F. & Mäki, E. & Schmieder, U. & Lange, N. & Schildhauer, T. & Hennig, C. & Thrän, D., 2022. "Status of and expectations for flexible bioenergy to support resource efficiency and to accelerate the energy transition," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    12. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Di Cataldo, Marco & Monastiriotis, Vassilis, 2020. "How ‘smart’ are Smart Specialisation strategies?," CEPR Discussion Papers 15442, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    13. Wonsub Eum & Jeong‐Dong Lee, 2022. "Alternative paths of diversification for developing countries," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 2336-2355, November.
    14. Giedrė Dzemydaitė, 2021. "The Impact of Economic Specialization on Regional Economic Development in the European Union: Insights for Formation of Smart Specialization Strategy," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-15, May.
    15. Ron Boschma, 2021. "Global Value Chains from an Evolutionary Economic Geography perspective: a research agenda," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2134, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Nov 2021.
    16. Varga, Attila & Sebestyén, Tamás & Szabó, Norbert, 2021. "Az intelligens szakosodási politika gazdasági hatásainak modellezése [Economic impact assessment of smart specialization policy]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(9), pages 901-929.
    17. Marco Di Cotaldo & Vassilis Monastiriotis & Andres Rodriguez-Pose, 2020. "Populism Amidst Prosperity: How ‘smart’ are Smart Specialisation strategies?," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 162, European Institute, LSE.
    18. repec:ehl:lserod:107085 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Nils Grashof & Stefano Basilico, 2023. "The dark side of green innovation? Green transition and regional inequality in Europe," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2314, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jun 2023.
    20. Biagi, Bianca & Brandano, Maria Giovanna & Ortega-Argiles, Raquel, 2021. "Smart specialisation and tourism: Understanding the priority choices in EU regions," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    21. Marco Di Cataldo & Vassilis Monastiriotis & Andrés Rodríguez‐Pose, 2022. "How ‘Smart’ Are Smart Specialization Strategies?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(5), pages 1272-1298, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:11912-:d:921225. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.