1 EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region as a tool to implement the EU2020 European Commission Directorate General Regional Policy Territorial Cooperation

2 Why an EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region? Requested by the European Council, inter alia helps to address the urgent environmental challenges A need to speed up implementation of important priorities An integrated approach to identify needs, solutions and match them to available resources Four pillars: 1) Environment 2) Economy 3) Energy and Transport 4) Safety and security

3 Outputs and Outcomes Outputs Rolling Action Plan for the Baltic Sea Region with 15 priority areas, actions and examples of flagship projects Analytical report on the Baltic Sea Region Outcomes 70 actions, 80 flagship projects Alignment of policies / funding Coordination in implementing of EU legislation Improvement of Spatial Planning Integrated Maritime Policy

4 Smart Specialisation Strategies – Why? Harnessing knowledge potential, investing smarter, mobilising all regions for Europe 2020 Mainly to be seen in the framework of spending Structural Funds more effectively, by focusing on local strengths and investing in research and innovation But also in terms of better synergies with R&I policies to avoid policy fragmentation and duplication and assure better governance Upgraded rationale for role of Regional Policy by ensuring the diffusion of innovation and its benefits across all regions

5 Smart Specialisation Strategies – Why? Main message: Investment in R&D, human capital and innovation is crucial for all regions But: no one size fits all Regional Policy model, diversity as asset for different growth path/policy mixes Policy mixes need to recognise regional diversity and innovation capacity (assets, not ambitions) There are potentially large gains from strategies that exploit areas of competitive advantage and focus investments rather than spreading them thinly across many sectors and areas

6 Implementation Simple implementation system: making better use of existing institutions, funding, and legislation (rule of three No) Policy development: European Council (assisted by High Level Group Meeting twice a year, composed of 27 MS representatives) Coordination, monitoring and follow- up: European Commission Implementation on the ground: Member State or equivalent to coordinate Priority Area; Ministry, agency, or other body to lead flagship projects Annual Forum with stakeholders

7 Smart Specialisation Strategies – How? Strong focus on bottom-up process and stakeholder involvement and interaction Combination of top-down setting of objectives (Europe 2020, Innovation Union) and bottom-up processes of entrepreneurial discovery Involving experts, businesses, research centres, universities and other knowledge-creating institutions and stakeholders Sound analysis, identification of competitiveness factors (e.g. critical mass) and bottlenecks, enabling technologies (sourcing in), concentrating resources on key priorities, …

8 First Results New projects created and financed in response to the needs identified in the Action Plan New momentum to existing projects across the four pillars New governance process (domestic re-organisation, better use of existing structures, etc.) Creation of new macro-regional networks in areas previously dominated by national approaches Extension of networks in otherwise established areas Reinforcement of cooperation with third countries (Russia) Macro-regional policy discussions

9 Examples of Flagship Projects launched within the area of Innovation –BSR Stars that focuses on creating and strengthens links between national research and innovation milieus, clusters and SME networks; –Create a Baltic Sea Fund for Innovation and Research –Set up cross-sectoral reference projects for innovation in health and life sciences –Setting up a Baltic Science Link

10 Next Steps To maintain high-level political pressure To intensify work on identification and promotion of cross-cutting links among priority areas To keep on working to align different sources of funding to the Strategy and policies (lab group, seminar in Gdansk 2011, trust fund, etc.). Strategy should guide policy in the region To better involve private sector To start reflection on results and impact of Baltic Sea Strategy: other macro regions enthusiastic to develop strategy - e.g. Danube, Alpine, Adriatic, etc.

11 Thank you for your Attention! EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region: an integrated framework to address the challenges and opportunities of the Baltic Sea Region