Guide to Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation

have to spend 20% of their ERDF allocations on this topic, and the less developed regions
6%. Rural development policy has also reinforced its contribution for the energy investments.
Yet, achieving the EU's 20-20-20 objectives on greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency
and renewables will require further innovations and a revolutionised energy system. In
addition to this large scale roll-out of already established solutions, research and innovation
will thus be critical to make new, cleaner, more efficient energy sources commercially
attractive at the scale needed. The Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) 161 provides a
long term agenda to address the key innovation bottlenecks. Thus, in assessing their position
and assets in the context of the development and the subsequent implementation of their
innovation strategies for smart specialisation, regions are invited to make full use of the
knowledge developed in the framework of the SET-Plan.
Eco-innovations
The forthcoming EU Eco-Innovation Action Plan underscores that eco-innovations are central
to addressing the challenges of resource scarcity, air, water and soil pollution or water
efficiency. Eco-innovations also create major opportunities for growth and jobs and increase
European competitiveness within the global market, which is estimated to grow to a trillion €
market after 2015 162 . Already 45% of companies have introduced some type of ecoinnovation.
It has been estimated that around 4% of eco-innovations led to more than a 40%
reduction of material use per unit of output 163 , highlighting the great future potential.
They must be promoted not only through technologies, but also through business processes
and organisational change. In particular a closed-loop economy that aims to reduce, in
absolute terms, inputs, waste and the release of harmful substances along the value chain and
foster re-use, recycling and resource substitution should be further reinforced.
This needs new business models, industrial symbiosis, product service systems, product
design, full life cycle and cradle-to-cradle approaches. Managing authorities are encouraged
to put eco-innovations at the core of their innovation strategies as a cross-cutting requirement
in all sectors, liaising with the area specific stakeholders in the field of energy, water and
other natural resource management. The aim is to embed eco-innovations from the outset in
the design and development of the strategies and programmes for innovation and tap into its
opportunities.
Nature
Eventually, the challenges regions face in terms of adaptation to climate change and the
preservation and management of their natural assets ask for innovative approaches for regions
to fully benefit from the underlying opportunities. Nature and its resources need to be fully
integrated in the regional approaches to sustainable growth and the national/regional
innovation strategies for smart specialisation.
161 http://ec.europa.eu/energy/technology/set_plan/set_plan_en.htm
162 European Parliament 'Policy Department Economic and Scientific Policy, Eco-innovation - putting the EU on
the path to a resource and energy efficient economy, Study and briefing notes', March 2009.
163Eco-innovation Observatory 'The Eco-Innovation Challenge - Pathways to a resource-efficient Europe -
Annual Report 2010', May 2011.
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