Integrating the territorial dimension for cohesive S3 Smart territorial mapping for enhanced multilevel governance of S3: Inputs for inter-regional learning Policy learning document October 2020 Prepared by Ainhoa Arrona, Miren Estensoro, Miren Larrea and James R. Wilson (Orkestra – Basque Institute of Competitiveness) Table of Content 1. Introduction 2 2. Background and aim of the Smart territorial mapping exercise 4 3. Smart territorial mapping: steps 9 3.1. Mapping multilevel specialization and governance 9 3.2. Assessment 10 4. Summary of results of smart territorial mapping exercise in Cohes3ion 12 4.1. The mapping: territorial levels, specialization capabilities, innovation actors and governance spaces 12 4.2. Assessment: strengths and areas of improvement 15 5. Summary 24 Appendixes 25 Appendix 1. Smart territorial map matrix 26 Appendix 2. Smart territorial map Assesment document 27 Appendix 3. Summary of conclusions by partner region 29 Appendix 4. Areas of improvement identified through Smart territorial map exercise in each region grouped by challenge 34 Appendix 5. Smart territorial map: Bizkaia 37 Appendix 6. Smart territorial map: Calabria 47 Appendix 7. Smart territorial map: Mazovia 60 Appendix 8. Smart territorial map: North West Romania 76 Appendix 9. Smart territorial map: Ruhr Metropolis 88 Appendix 10. Smart territorial map: Southern Region Ireland 100 Appendix 11. Smart territorial map: Region Stockholm 119 Appendix 12. Smart territorial map: Wales 133 Smart territorial mapping 1 1. Introduction Regional and national governments play a entrepreneurs) into discovery processes main role as managing authorities of smart supporting more effective policy. While regional specialization strategies (S3) in the European and national governments have a certain Union (EU). Their role has been proposed in capacity to horizontally open up their policy theoretical and analytical frameworks that processes, a collaborative vertical governance have inspired policy makers and materialized where various levels of government activate in a variety of policy initiatives. Meanwhile, their horizontal connections in a coordinated cities and other sub-regional levels remain way has a better chance of reaching the unaddressed as potential managers/ relevant actors. Indeed, a multilevel approach leaders/facilitators of these processes in an does not deny or undervalue the relevance of explicit way in the main S3 policy initiatives horizontal governance but reinforces it. (Larrea, Estensoro and Pertoldi, 20191). Notwithstanding, some of them are already Aware of the relevance of the territorial playing a role in their areas of influence. The dimension and multilevel governance in RIS3 goal of this project is a better understanding strategies, 9 institutions from 8 regions have of how different levels of government can be articulated the Cohes3ion Interreg project, integrated into a multilevel S3 strategy. This is which aims at improving the performance especially relevant for the case of sub-regional and impact of S3 and ERDF operational governments and their role in S3. programmes through the integration of the territorial dimension into S3 governance and Multilevel governance (MLG), interpreted as policy mixes. The partnership is led by Beaz, the a governance that considers sub-regional competitiveness and innovation agency of the governments together with regional, national Provincial Council of Bizkaia (Basque Country, and EU levels, can increase the overall Spain) and is composed by other 9 partners effectiveness of S3 strategies. Multi-level from 8 regions. These are: Azaro Foundation governance is defined in this context as a (Basque Country), Southern Regional Assembly complex process of collaboration between (Southern Region Ireland), Calabria Region different levels of governments and public (Calabria), North-West Regional Development administrations, with the aim of opening Agency (North West Romania), Business up S3 to other actors (in the production Metropole Ruhr (Ruhr Metropolis), Region and knowledge systems) simultaneously at Stockholm (Stockholm), Office of the Marshal various scales. of the Mazowiecke Voivodeship of Warsaw (Mazovia), Welsh Government (Wales) and Governments working with S3 have been Orkestra – Basque Institute of Competitiveness challenged to horizontally open up their as advisory partner. traditional policy networks so as to integrate actors from the knowledge subsystem (university, technology centres) and, especially, from the productive subsystem (firms and 1 Larrea, M., Estensoro, M., and Pertoldi. M. (2019): Multilevel governance for Smart Specialisation: basic pillars for its construction. EUR 29736 EN, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. DOI:10.2760/425579 Smart territorial mapping 2 One of the core instruments for intra and inter-regional learning developed in Cohes3ion has been Smart Territorial Mapping (STM), a diagnosis exercise aimed at identifying areas of improvement for the alignment of S3 strategy at all territorial levels in each of the regions. Each of the partner regions has developed a STM following a common methodology and applied through a participative approach in consultation with partner regions. This document describes the aim, method and steps followed to develop the regional smart territorial maps and summarises the overall findings of the mapping exercises. The report is structured as follows. Section 2 describes the background that frames the development of the STM method, and Section 3 presents that method, describing the steps and documents used to develop it. Section 4 provides a brief summary of the mapping exercise developed by Cohes3ion partners, which are included in full in Appendices, and presents the overall conclusions putting a special focus on the shared challenges identified. The document ends with a brief summary. Smart territorial mapping 3 2. Background and aim of the Smart territorial mapping exercise Smart territorial mapping (STM) is an exercise among partners around relevant elements developed within the framework of Cohes3ion, of the integration of the territorial dimension and as such it responds to a specific logic and in S3 strategies; and d) regional stakeholder objectives. It is not an instrument created in groups, with whom learnings are shared within a vacuum with the objective of generating the regions and who co-define Regional Action the best methodological way of analysing Plans (RAPs), in a varied way depending on the the territorial dimension in S3 strategies and existing dynamics of the region. identifying existing gaps in a region in terms of specialization and governance. Rather, it is an Aim of the Smart territorial map in the exercise created to respond to the objectives learning process and conditions of the context of the project in The common challenge defined by the which it has been defined. Hence, it is important 8 regional partners that compose Cohes3ion to know the key elements of the context in is to align S3 among relevant territorial levels. which it was developed and the principles that This encapsulates 2 more specific aims: have guided the design of the method in order (1) the identification of complementarities to better understand its logic, objectives and and synergies between the different levels, method. in terms of priority or niche opportunities, allowing for the further specialization of specific Inter-regional learning process oriented territories (region, county, city, metropolis to action level); and (2) the coordination of innovation Being an Interreg project, Cohes3ion is an support players promoting the mobilization of action-oriented interregional learning project. stakeholders and delivering innovation support The general goal of Interreg projects is to foster services throughout the territory. learning between European regions in a way that these learnings are shared within their In the frame of these goals, the specific regions. With stakeholders’ involvement, this objective of the STM exercise is to carry out an learning should shape Regional Action Plans initial regional diagnosis that helps to identify aimed at defining and developing actions that complementarities and synergies in the fields of will improve a specific policy instrument. specialization and areas for improvement in the governance of RIS3. As illustrated in Figure 1, In this regard, Cohes3ion seeks to promote it is a baseline study that makes it possible learning that will define actions which to identify areas for improvement in the two contribute to improving the performance and areas that should later help to articulate impact of S3 and ERDF operational programmes intra- and inter-regional learning and to define through the integration of the territorial improvement actions. dimension into S3 governance and policy mixes. The learning process itself is structured around different instruments: a) Sharing good practices of partner regions; b) study visits to the regions to learn about their experiences; c) thematic workshops developed to promote learning Smart territorial mapping 4 Figure 1. Cohes3ion interregional process and STM in the process. Implementation of nterregional learning proe ear an tion lan ear Semeter Semeter Semeter S S gt a 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 St iit Case studies Case studies iaia peer review (1st) r alaria sessions (online) Peer review iaia Field Study visits: learrning r alaria Thematic workshops: good practices nterregional Workshop: S STM