IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ipt/termod/202505.html

When cohesion meets excellence: analysing the drivers of synergies between EU R&I funding instruments in EU regions

Author

Listed:

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel approach to measuring synergies between Horizon 2020 and cohesion policy funding in the field of R&I during the 2014-2020 programming period. Leveraging project-level data, we calculate regional cosine similarity indices based on societal grand challenges (SGCs) addressed to assess alignment between the two EU funding instruments in EU NUTS-3 regions. Results indicate that synergies are less likely in rural areas, emerging innovators, and – though not statistically significant – less developed regions, highlighting the role of business environments and innovation ecosystems. Regression analysis reveals that funding alignment is positively linked to the presence of universities and specialization in knowledge-intensive services, though the latter exhibits a nonlinear effect under certain circumstances. However, a higher number of SGCs addressed in smart specialization (S3) policy objectives is negatively associated with thematic funding similarity, likely due to fragmentation and dilution of focus. Regions that prioritize too many SGCs may reduce their ability to develop strong specialization and align different funding sources effectively.

Suggested Citation

  • BACHTRÖGLER-UNGER Julia & Gabelberger Fabian & Marques Santos Anabela & Doussineau Mathieu, 2025. "When cohesion meets excellence: analysing the drivers of synergies between EU R&I funding instruments in EU regions," JRC Working Papers on Territorial Modelling and Analysis 2025-05, Joint Research Centre.
    • Handle: RePEc:ipt:termod:202505
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC141964
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gloria Cicerone & Alessandra Faggian & Sandro Montresor & Francesco Rentocchini, 2023. "Regional artificial intelligence and the geography of environmental technologies: does local AI knowledge help regional green-tech specialization?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(2), pages 330-343, February.
    2. Krugman, Paul, 1991. "Increasing Returns and Economic Geography," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(3), pages 483-499, June.
    3. Riccardo Crescenzi & Guido de Blasio & Mara Giua, 2020. "Cohesion Policy incentives for collaborative industrial research: evaluation of a Smart Specialisation forerunner programme," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(10), pages 1341-1353, October.
    4. Santos, Anabela M. & Cincera, Michele & Cerulli, Giovanni, 2024. "Sources of financing: Which ones are more effective in innovation–growth linkage?," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 48(2).
    5. Robert Huggins & Piers Thompson, 2015. "Entrepreneurship, innovation and regional growth: a network theory," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 103-128, June.
    6. Carlo Gianelle & Fabrizio Guzzo & Krzysztof Mieszkowski, 2020. "Smart Specialisation: what gets lost in translation from concept to practice?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(10), pages 1377-1388, October.
    7. Anabela M. Santos & Andrea Conte & Francesco Molica, 2025. "Financial Absorption of Cohesion Policy Funds: How Do Programmes and Territorial Characteristics Influence the Pace of Spending?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(1), pages 227-245, January.
    8. Isabel Almudi & Francisco Fatas-Villafranca & Carlos M Fernández-Márquez & Jason Potts & Francisco J Vazquez, 2020. "Absorptive capacity in a two-sector neo-Schumpeterian model: a new role for innovation policy," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 29(2), pages 507-531.
    9. Deleidi, Matteo & Mazzucato, Mariana, 2021. "Directed innovation policies and the supermultiplier: An empirical assessment of mission-oriented policies in the US economy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(2).
    10. J. van den Bergh & J. Castro & S. Drews & F. Exadaktylos & J. Foramitti & F. Klein & T. Konc & I. Savin, 2021. "Designing an effective climate-policy mix: accounting for instrument synergy," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(6), pages 745-764, July.
    11. Barbero, Javier & Diukanova, Olga & Gianelle, Carlo & Salotti, Simone & Santoalha, Artur, 2024. "Technologically related diversification: One size does not fit all European regions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(3).
    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. Raquel Ortega-Argilés, 2022. "The evolution of regional entrepreneurship policies: “no one size fits all”," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 69(3), pages 585-610, December.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Matteo Deleidi & Walter Paternesi Meloni & Luigi Salvati & Francesca Tosi, 2021. "Output, investment and productivity: the Italian North–South regional divide from a Kaldor–Verdoorn approach," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(8), pages 1376-1387, August.
    5. 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.
    6. Casas, Pablo & Christou, Tryfonas & García Rodríguez, Abián & Heidelk, Tillmann & Lazarou, Nicholas Joseph & Monfort, Philippe & Salotti, Simone, 2024. "The updated RHOMOLO impact assessment of the 2014-2020 European cohesion policy (including REACT-EU)," MPRA Paper 122873, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.
    9. Fischer, Bruno & Meissner, Dirk & Vonortas, Nicholas & Guerrero, Maribel, 2022. "Spatial features of entrepreneurial ecosystems," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 27-36.
    10. 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.
    11. Davenport, Sally, 2005. "Exploring the role of proximity in SME knowledge-acquisition," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 683-701, June.
    12. Mark Partridge & M. Rose Olfert & Alessandro Alasia, 2007. "Canadian cities as regional engines of growth: agglomeration and amenities," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 40(1), pages 39-68, February.
    13. João Juchem Neto & Julio Claeyssen, 2015. "Capital-induced labor migration in a spatial Solow model," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 115(1), pages 25-47, May.
    14. Arcalean, Calin & Glomm, Gerhard & Schiopu, Ioana, 2012. "Growth effects of spatial redistribution policies," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 988-1008.
    15. Marcel Bednarz & Tom Broekel, 2020. "Pulled or pushed? The spatial diffusion of wind energy between local demand and supply," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 29(4), pages 893-916.
    16. Joan R Rosés & Nikolaus Wolf, 2021. "Regional growth and inequality in the long-run: Europe, 1900–2015," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 37(1), pages 17-48.
    17. Emma Howard, 2017. "Social networks, geographic proximity, and firm performance in Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-69, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    18. Ingrid Ott & Susanne Soretz, 2006. "Governmental activity, integration, and agglomeration," Working Paper Series in Economics 57, University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics.
    19. Gao, Ting, 2004. "Regional industrial growth: evidence from Chinese industries," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 101-124, January.
    20. María Ayuda & Fernando Collantes & Vicente Pinilla, 2010. "From locational fundamentals to increasing returns: the spatial concentration of population in Spain, 1787–2000," Journal of Geographical Systems, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 25-50, March.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:ipt:termod:202505. 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: Publication Officer (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ipjrces.html .

    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.