We are all aware that technology is changing the way we work. During the 90s, there was an implosion of web pages: from 18,000 in 1995 to one million pages in 1997 and 10 million in February 2000. Since then, technology is in our lives and our businesses. The arrival of smartphones has only increased this trend, which will continue to grow over the next years.
In this context, the knowledge-based economy appears as a key opportunity to fight against youth unemployment and to promote economic growth.
The crisis that the European Union has suffered over the last years has had serious effects on the employment and production systems of many of its member states. If the EU wants to remain competitive in this globalised world, innovation throughout all its productive sectors is certainly an obligation that public authorities must promote.
Therefore, regional funds cannot ignore the increasing role of technology in our society. That is why the current operational programmes for the 2014-2020 period established the research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation (RIS 3) as an ex ante conditionality to persuade regions to create a strategy if they want to apply for funding in this area.
Thanks to this, regions have developed their RIS 3 to use funds for innovation. In this process, regions have discussed the strategy with a wide range of economic and social sectors.
Moreover, they have carried an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses to guide its future growth strategies towards the sectors in which they believe they should to specialise. It is important to continue investing in the knowledge-based economy.
In this regard, the report on cohesion policy and research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation voted on 13 September by the European Parliament is a clear signal of support to the RIS 3.
The report highlights the importance of the European Union intensifying its efforts to achieve smart, sustainable and economic growth in the current period of crisis through research, technological development and innovation.
A document that stresses the need to develop triple and quadruple helix strategies with the participation of public administrations, universities and citizens, the need to promote multilevel governance and administrative capacity, as well as the need to carry out a proper analysis of the capabilities, assets and skills in each region in order to focus on the discovery process of business opportunities.
We should also stress other key aspects of the report such as the need to invest in finding macro data at the regional level, the need to take into account regional and local authorities to design strategies, avoiding national RIS3 strategies and, above all, the need to review strategies in 2017 to increase its efficiency and effectiveness.
If we want to continue investing in the knowledge-based economy, we need to learn from the experiences of the RIS 3 strategies during the implementation phase, to have effective evaluation mechanisms that will ensure a proper use of public money and to correct any errors or dysfunctions to improve and further develop the knowledge-based economy in Europe.
It is crucial for that knowledge that regions, cities, businesses and individuals possess is converted into innovation and production. This will eventually result in more "made in Europe" labels.
Other institutions are also very involved in this topic; the Committee of the Regions recently presented the publication, "Regional innovation ecosystems", in which it focuses on the take up.
Smart specialisation and innovation should be among the foundations of the future cohesion policy post 2020: connecting the front-runners and enabling the followers.