Guide to Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation

Step 5 - Definition of coherent policy mix, roadmaps and action plan
The experience with Regional Innovation Strategies throughout Europe has shown that it is a
good practice to combine the adoption of strategies with an agreement on an Action Plan and
even the simultaneous launch of pilot projects (IRE 2007) 35 . Analytical and Strategic phases tend
to remain invisible to many field actors. Strategies that stop before this step run the risk to
remain unimplemented and /or not credible. Pilot projects, when their success is proven, can be
used as flagship of the RIS3, to demonstrate that it goes beyond rhetoric and involves concrete
action.
When priority areas for the region’s transformation are defined in the previous step, a coherent
multi-annual Action Plan is to be elaborated by the RIS3 management bodies, including:
• Definition of the broad action lines corresponding to the prioritised areas and the faced
challenges within these areas;
• Definition of delivery mechanisms and projects Definition of the target groups;
• Definition of the actors involved and their responsibilities;
• Definition of measurable targets to assess both results and impacts of the actions;
• Definition of timeframes;
• Identification of the funding sources, targeted to the several groups and projects
(developing and completing Figure 5).
This planning process involves both the incorporation of existing programmes and instruments,
on the basis of evidence on their effectiveness and relevance for the prioritised areas, and
inclusion of new instruments, justified according to their contribution to the overall strategy
goals. The menu to choose from, in order to compose a balanced and appropriate policy mix is
wide: it is useful to use taxonomies, such as the ones presented in Table 5 and Table 6, to
determine whether these instruments are likely to address, collectively, the strategic goals of the
RIS3.
Tables Table 5, Table 6, Table 7, Table 8 and Table 9 present examples of strategies and
associated mixes of actions lines and instruments, according to regional types and to the
institutional power of the region: this latter element underlines the necessity to embed nationallevel
policies into the policy mix, seen from a regional perspective. Each action line and
instrument needs to be accompanied by measurable indicators reflecting results achieved,
according to the mission and objective, but also impacts reached, assessed through evaluations.
35 Innovative Regions in Europe Network (2007), RIS Methodological Guide, Stage 2.
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