1. The Role of Clusters and Competence Centres in Smart Specialisation
Dr Dimitri CORPAKIS, Head of Unit
Regional Dimension of Innovation - C5 Directorate for Research and Innovation DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
EUROPEAN COMMISSION

2. The EU Innovation Emergency

3. meeting the Europe 2020 target of increasing R&D investment to 3 percent of GDP could create 3.7 million jobs and increase annual GDP by up to €795 billion by One million extra researchers will be needed.
Source: P. Zagamé, (2010) The cost of a non-innovative Europe,

4. The knowledge economy is here with a price
Division of labour at global scale, increased internationalisation and global capital flows, coupled with the disparities of the knowledge economy may drive several European regions to technological obsolescence (failing clusters)
Regions need to reposition themselves at global level
Crucial roles of Clusters and Competence Centres as repositioning factors at regional level, towards Smart Specialisation Strategies

5. Some telling facts about Europe
Network analyses show that knowledge flows inside Europe (i.e. flows of students, electronic academic links, co-publications and co- patenting cooperation) are very unbalanced, with a strong concentration amongst a few Western European countries, marginal involvement of EU-12 Member States and of most Southern European countries.
In 2008, almost 11 % of the total EU budget was devoted to research and innovation, compared to less than 3 % in This has a considerable impact on the European research community. In most EU-12 Member States, Structural Funds directed to Research, Technological Development and Innovation represent more than 60 % of the national R&D budget, and even more than 100 % in a few cases. This is a unique opportunity for these Member States to increase their research and innovation capacity. As to the EU Research Framework Programme, according to preliminary Europe wide estimates, it represents some 20 % to 25 % of all project-based funding in Europe.
Source: Innovation Union Scoreboard 2011

6. The Heat-map of scientific collaboration in Europe 2005-2009

7. Concordance of regional innovation typologies
Source: DG Research and Innovation

8. Regional Clusters / Competence Centres
Clusters play a key role towards Smart Specialisation through a “natural process” of selection / adaptation / competence / skills building
Competence Centres Initiatives have focused on scientific and technological excellence to drive industrial skills through direct business involvement

11. Competence Centres (an example)
The Swedish Competence Centres Programme:
> build bridges between science and industry by creating excellent academic research environments in which industrial companies participate actively in order to derive long-term benefits.
> mission was to strengthen the very crucial links in the Swedish National Innovation System between academic research groups and industrial R&D.
Typically a Competence Centre has two main goals:
• Become a productive, academic Centre of Excellence by actively involving a number of companies and research groups in joint multidisciplinary research
• Promote the introduction and implementation of new technology and strengthen technical competence in Swedish industry, mainly through its industrial partners.
Strong and innovative academic research environments with researchers from different disciplines collaborating with a network of companies.
Research focused on problems that offer new and exciting challenges for scientists , of strategic importance for the companies involved.
Industrial involvement in the centres means that new ideas and knowledge are implemented and used by the companies.

12. Centres of Expertise Programme (Finland)
A fixed-term special programme pooling local, regional and national resources to utilise top expertise
Based on regional strengths and specialization (bottom up), coordinated on national level by multi sectoral committee (top down)
Concentrates on internationally competitive fields and on the development of business activities
Triple helix: Companies, research institutes and public sector
Competitive tendering: state basic funding as catalyst and status
Courtesy Antti Valle Head of Division, Innovation Department, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Finland
Mission: to utilise top level knowhow as a resource for business, job creation and regional development 12

13. Competence Clusters and the Centres of Expertise (Finland)
HealthBio
Kuopio, Oulu,Helsinki,
Tampere, Turku
Nanotechnology
Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kokkola, Mikkeli, Oulu,
Helsinki, Tampere
Living business
Joensuu, Hämeenlinna,
Lahti, Helsinki
Health and Well-being
Kuopio, Oulu, Helsinki, Tampere
Digital Content
Hämeenlinna, Helsinki, Tampere, Kouvola
Energy Technology Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Vaasa, Pori ja Tampere
Ubiquitous Computing
Jyväskylä, Oulu, Pori,
Helsinki, Tampere
Food Development
Kuopio, Helsinki,
Seinäjoki, Turku
Cleantech
Kuopio, Lahti, Oulu, Helsinki
Tourism and Experience Management
Helsinki, Rovaniemi, Savonlinna, Turku
Forest Industry Future
Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Kokkola, Mikkeli, Lappeenranta, Turku
Intelligent Machines
Hyvinkää, Hämeenlinna, Lappeenranta,
Seinäjoki, Tampere
Maritime
Lappeenranta, Pori, Turku, Vaasa, Raahe
Courtesy Antti Valle Head of Division, Innovation Department, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Finland

14. Thanks for your attention!