About EmpInno Monitor S3

Project description

“EmpInno Monitor S3” is the extension stage of the project “EmpInno - S3 Empowering for Innovation and Growth in Medium-Sized Cities and Regions”.

Main objective of the extension stage project is to develop and test innovative monitoring elements and thereby to improve the monitoring systems of the smart specialisation strategies (=RIS3) in the seven partner regions.

Therefore, the partners will take up and pilot parts of the main outputs “feedback papers” from the regular EmpInno project, in which the testing of RIS3 monitoring approaches was proposed to “strategy owners” (authority responsible for the smart specialisation strategy).

Firstly, the partners build upon the needs stated in the feedback papers. Secondly, they exchange, discuss and further refine monitoring approaches during the extension stage on a transnational level and use them as basis for their regional testing. Thirdly, these concrete testing/pilot activities are carried out by the project partners and involve the related strategy owner. Fourthly, the tested monitoring approaches are finally included in the overall RIS3 monitoring set-up in the regions.

The extension stage project will produce as first main output 7 improved RIS3 monitoring systems in the partner regions. The RIS3 monitoring systems will be improved through the inclusion of piloted monitoring elements. The strategy owners in the partner regions are the target group of this output. They will use the main outputs for better monitoring (and evaluating), hence implementing their smart specialisation strategies – and also improve their innovation policy instruments based on monitoring results. The target group is partly included as project partners and associated organisations. They are closely involved in the activities by preparing and piloting RIS3 monitoring approaches together with partner organisations.

As second main output the partners produce a “Compilation of findings from monitoring pilot regions” which includes good stories, processes and main lessons learnt from each of the 7 regions. Target group are innovation actors beyond the partnership, including managing authorities, innovation intermediaries, and political bodies responsible for regional development/innovation policy. They will be involved via events as well as face-to-face meetings and further already established communication channels. The project offers them with the main output practical hands-on experiences and proven guidance of implemented and adapted RIS3 monitoring approaches with visual appealing material and stories.

Being equipped with improved and more realistic, fine-grained RIS3 monitoring systems as raised capacity, regions in the BSR can better assess and adjust their innovation policy instruments. This will lead to higher efficiency and effectiveness of the innovation policies and finally a more innovative Baltic Sea Region.

Key facts

Project Title:

EmpInno Monitoring Smart Specialisation Strategies

Funding Programme: 

Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2014-2020
Priority 1: Capacity for innovation
Specific Objective: 1.2 Smart specialisation: To enhance growth opportunities based on increased capacity of innovation actors to apply smart specialisation approach

Project Duration: 

August 2019 – July 2021

Project Budget: 

Total budget: 854 050 EUR (total programme co-financing  672 787.50 EUR, total own contribution 181 262.50 EUR)

Lead Partner: 

Rostock Business and Technology Development GmbH (Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Technologieförderung Rostock mbH), Germany

Project Partners:

9 partner organisations from the EmpInno project are involved in the extension stage: Denmark (1), Estonia (2), Finland (2), Germany (1), Latvia (1), Poland (2).

6 associated organisations.

Main objective of the extension stage project:
to develop and test innovative monitoring elements and thereby to improve the monitoring systems of the smart specialisation strategies (=RIS3) in the seven partner regions.