Definition of Smart Specialisation Strategy established by the Regulation (EU) N° 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council: ‘Smart specialisation strategy’ means the national or regional innovation strategies which set priorities in order to build competitive advantage by developing and matching research and innovation own strengths to business needs in order to address emerging opportunities and market developments in a coherent manner, while avoiding duplication and fragmentation of efforts; a smart specialisation strategy may take the form of, or be included in, a national or regional research and innovation (R&I) strategic policy framework.
Smart Specialisation is an innovation policy concept that aims to boost regional innovation, contributing to growth and prosperity by helping and enabling regions to identify and develop their own competitive advantages, simply put: focus on their strengths. Smart Specialisation is based on partnerships between businesses, public entities and knowledge institutions. Through its partnerships and bottom-up approach, Smart Specialisation brings together quadruple helix (4H) actors such as local authorities, academia, businesses and the civil society, working for the implementation of long-term growth strategies supported by EU funding.
In Päijät-Häme, Smart Specialisation means that our 4H actors have selected the strongest areas of expertise that have the potential to create sustainable growth, jobs and welfare. The spearheads for Smart Specialisation in Päijät-Häme Region (2022-2025) are Sport, Food and beverage and Manufacturing. All these three spearheads have sustainability as a cross-cutting principle.
The European Commission launched the concept of Smart Specialisation in order to support regions to find their Innovation in territories potential in business sectors and services. One of the most important targets is to help regions reinforce their R&D activities by utilising the EU’s different financial instruments and programmes. This is supported, for example, by Thematic platform and Thematic Smart Specialisation partnerships, which give tools to the development of interregional co-operation and the formation of European value-chains.
Starting in 2015, the European Commission has launched four dedicated S3 Thematic Platforms related to Agri-Food, Energy, Industrial Modernisation and since March 2022 a new platform on the Sustainable Blue Economy.
The Industrial Modernisation platform supports regions with shared ambitions in their Smart Specialisation Strategies aiming to modernise their industry base through and in collaboration with other regions. Under this platform there are several thematic partnerships, one of them the Sport & Vitality partnership (ClusSport), in which The Lahti Sports Hub and the Sport spearhead of the Päijät-Häme S3 is involved.
The Agri-food platform includes regions focussing on agriculture and food in their Smart Specialisation Strategy priorities. These regions aim to strengthen core areas of expertise in agriculture and food complementary to and in collaboration with other regions. Under this platform there are several thematic partnerships, one of them the Plant Based Food Innovation parthership, in which The Regional Council of Päijät-Häme and the Food and beverage spearhead of the Päijät-Häme S3 is involved.
For further information, please contact
Elina Aakko
Senior Advisor
+358 44 371 9458
elina.aakko(a)paijat-hame.fi
Riika Kivelä
Regional Development, Manager
+358 44 371 9454
riika.kivela(a)paijat-hame.fi
