Territoriality and multi-level governance of missions

"This report explores the role of local and regional actors in mission-oriented innovation and industrial policies. It examines how current mission-oriented approaches engage regions, cities, and rural communities in mission design and implementation, and whether these policies have the potential to contribute to ‘competitive sustainability’ in the European Union (EU). The study finds that despite the development of vertical coordination structures, EU missions and many national mission-oriented innovation policies (MOIPs) lack effective multi-level collaboration mechanisms resulting in limited regional and local ownership of missions. There is a need for a higher degree of involvement of territorial stakeholders in the design and implementation of missions. The study provides lessons for place-based industrial missions, using the example of the automotive industry and sustainable mobility. It argues that a socially concerned industrial mission for the automotive sector should address differing dimensions depending on the type of region, such as urban or rural areas. The report emphasises the need for enabling frameworks that allow regions and cities to co-shape missions, and for mechanisms of ongoing evaluation and learning to capture new ideas and channel them into MOIPs."