Strategic development and innovation partnerships as a tool to strengthen innovation capability of Slovenian economy

General information

Code: V5-1646
Period: 1.10.2016 - 30.9.2019
Project leader at FDV: prof.dr. Maja Bučar
Research activity: Social sciences

Abstract

The analyses of Slovenian innovation systems (OECD 2012; ERAC 2010; MVZT 2011; RIO reports on Slovenia) often stress two central problems: lack of specialisation in research financing as well as insufficient and improper cooperation between relatively well developed public research sphere and business sector. One of the ways which should, not just in Slovenia, but also in other EU countries, help in improved and more focused research and innovation activity and closer interlinkage of public research domain and business sector, is to be the development of smart specialisation strategy. In parallel, there should be new measures formulated which will help in implementing the strategy. The key objective of the strategy of smart specialisation, as defined by EU is to »set priorities at national and regional level to build competitive advantage by developing and matching research and innovation own strengths with business needs, to address emerging opportunities and market developments in a coherent manner, while avoiding duplication and fragmentation of efforts.[i]  The Slovenian focus is captured in the introductory section of the Slovenian smart specialisation strategy (S4): » Smart specialisation is a platform for concentrating development investments in areas where Slovenia has the critical mass of knowledge, capacities and competences and where there is innovation potential for placing Slovenia within global markets and thus enhancing its recognisability«. (SVRK 2015:1) During the design of the objectives of the Operational Programme for the implementation of the European cohesion policy 2014-2020 (SVRK, 2014) in the fields of research, development, innovation and entrepreneurship a new instrument was proposed within the framework of Smart specialisation strategy (SVRK, 2015a). This new instrument should enable a formation of a novel model for cooperation between business entities, public research organisations and other stakeholders. The establishment of so called »strategic partnerships« (SVRK, 2015b) should contribute to the formation of long-term public-private partnerships with the leading role of the stakeholders (not the government) in establishment of value chains and organisation of complex support to the research and innovation activity with the objective of transition to the market in priority areas of S4. With the interlinkages build among the strategic partners the upgrading of the existing cooperation mechanisms (centres of excellence, competence centres, clusters, etc.) will be achieved, providing for improved competencies to enable a strategic breakthrough in the individual priority areas of S4.  Since the instrument is designed so that its financing and content focus will be in the hands of stakeholders and not the government, it is expected that strategic partnerships will be successful in the formation of linkages which would lead towards long-term partnerships with objective of increased value added in Slovenian economy. The concepts and objectives of strategic partnerships are defined in the documents accompanying the preparation of S4 and in their concept represent a novelty in Slovenian research and innovation system. The specific attention is given to the active role of business sector, focus on promotion of joint research and development objectives, which are not driven by scientific goals only, but primarily aimed at promoting access to market in the identified priority areas, also through formation of value chains, where the result is high value added.  A systematic participation of stakeholders from Slovenia in the international value chains is a highly demanding task, which assumes new quality in the cooperation of stakeholders. The demanding process of establishment of strategic partnerships will have to be followed in the development of the methodology to evaluate their results. Such a methodology will have to be multi-layer and integrate the use of standard evaluation techniques as well as c

The phases of the project and their realization

Project milestones and their implementation 1st phase: Overview of evaluation of similar measures in Slovenia: March 2017 2nd phase: Analysis of the measures applied by other countries/ regions for promotion of co-operation between business and public research institutions: Oct 30th, 2017 3rd phase: development of the methodology to evaluate business models of SRIPs: June 30th, 2018 4th phase: Pilot testing of the methodology Dec 31st, 2018 5th phase: implementation of the first evaluation/ monitoring of SRIPs: Sept. 30, 2019

Research Organisation

http://www.sicris.si/public/jqm/prj.aspx?lang=eng&opt=2&subopt=403&hits=1&id=10377&search_term=V5-1646

Researchers

http://www.sicris.si/public/jqm/prj.aspx?lang=eng&opt=2&subopt=402&hits=1&id=10377&search_term=V5-1646

Citations for bibliographic records

http://www.sicris.si/public/jqm/prj.aspx?lang=eng&opt=2&subopt=400&hits=1&id=10377&search_term=V5-1646