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Internationalising Smart Specialisation: Assessment and Issues in the Case of EU New Member States

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  • Slavo Radosevic

    (University College London)

  • Katerina Ciampi Stancova

    (European Commission, JRC-IPTS)

Abstract

Smart specialisation is currently probably the largest innovation policy experiment in the world. Its aim is to move the EU less developed countries and regions on path of R&D-based growth. This transformation requires not only endogenous knowledge and technology accumulation building but also coupling with international knowledge and production networks. Yet, internationalisation does not seem to be a crucial component in the design and development of Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3), which are at odds with the strong dependence of the EU New Member States (EU-13) on FDI and global value chains. Our analysis is grounded in the key ‘stylised facts’ related to EU-13 R&D&I activities, and the complex link between innovation and internationalisation. Innovation systems in the EU-13 are fragmented and based on largely public R&D systems and on predominantly production-oriented foreign direct investment (FDI). This structural weakness calls for stronger support for innovation-oriented activities and for the integration of global value chains (GVCs) and FDI into local innovation systems. We explore the main obstacles to the internationalisation of smart specialisation and discuss ways to overcome them. We highlight the policy action areas related to providing support for technology upgrading in relation to the internationalisation of smart specialisation.

Suggested Citation

  • Slavo Radosevic & Katerina Ciampi Stancova, 2018. "Internationalising Smart Specialisation: Assessment and Issues in the Case of EU New Member States," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 9(1), pages 263-293, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s13132-015-0339-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-015-0339-3
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    2. Zhelyu Vladimirov, 2018. "Discussing Innovation Policy Biases in the New EU Member States," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 5, pages 3-26.
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    7. 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.
    8. Katarina Baèiæ & Zoran Aralica, 2017. "Regional competitiveness in the context of “New industrial policy” – the case of Croatia," Zbornik radova Ekonomskog fakulteta u Rijeci/Proceedings of Rijeka Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Economics and Business, vol. 35(2), pages 551-582.
    9. Robert Hassink & Matthias Kiese, 2021. "Solving the restructuring problems of (former) old industrial regions with smart specialization? Conceptual thoughts and evidence from the Ruhr," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 41(2), pages 131-155, October.
    10. Katerina Ciampi Stancova, 2020. "Learning opportunities stemming from place-based transformative Smart Specialisation. Examples from Visegrad Group countries," JRC Research Reports JRC120702, Joint Research Centre.
    11. 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.
    12. Will Bartlett & Besnik Krasniqi & Jasmina Ahmetbasic, 2019. "Attracting FDI to the Western Balkans: Special Economic Zones and Smart Specialisation Strategies," Croatian Economic Survey, The Institute of Economics, Zagreb, vol. 21(2), pages 5-35, December.
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    15. 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.
    16. Auktor, Georgeta Vidican, 2022. "The opportunities and challenges of Industry 4.0 for industrial development: A case study of Morocco's automotive and garment sectors," IDOS Discussion Papers 2/2022, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    17. Iwona Kowalczuk & Dagmara Stangierska & Jerzy Gębski & Agnieszka Tul-Krzyszczuk & Edyta Zmudczyńska, 2021. "Digital Consumers in the Foodservices Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-18, July.
    18. Schulz Sebastian, 2019. "Ambitious or Ambiguous? The Implications of Smart Specialisation for Core-Periphery Relations in Estonia and Slovakia," TalTech Journal of European Studies, Sciendo, vol. 9(4), pages 49-71, December.
    19. Lopes, João & Farinha, Luís & Ferreira, João J. & Silveira, Paulo, 2018. "Does regional VRIO model help policy-makers to assess the resources of a region? A stakeholder perception approach," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 659-670.
    20. Bukhari, Esraa & Dabic, Marina & Shifrer, Dara & Daim, Tugrul & Meissner, Dirk, 2021. "Entrepreneurial university: The relationship between smart specialization innovation strategies and university-region collaboration," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).

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