About the project
The LARS project attempts to help the public sector in leading smart specialisation processes in their regions and to connect innovation networks across regions. It helps find solutions tackling the fragmentation of regional systems of innovation looking for entrepreneurial discoveries within such topics as blue growth, bio and circular economy, advanced production methods and technologies for energy efficiency, as well smart materials and smart technologies.
The project period is October 2017 – December 2020.
Project is financed by INTERREG Baltic Sea Region programme that support regional development through transnational cooperation.
Total project budget – 1 643 705 EUR.
MoEPRD budget part in project - 125 550 EUR (including 106 717,50 EUR ERDF financing, 18 832,50 EUR own contribution).
Objectives:
• Enhanced knowledge and competence in S3
• Growth opportunities through improved performance of the regional innovation system
• Networks of partners exploring and exploiting opportunities in different regional innovation systems
• Extension of the findings into macro regional strategies
• Development of a base for implementing EDP
Expected Results:
• Enhanced capacity of regional governance
• The use of gap analysis as a planning tool for increased efficiency
• Increased capacity to evaluate good practices by using gap analysis as a method and bridging found gaps
• Increased governance abilities of the project actors
THE CHALLENGE FOR THE PROJECT
Fragmentation of the innovation systems. Increased sophistication of value-chains causing increasing demands on policy making. ”Critical mass” through transnational learning.
POLITICAL AND STRATEGIC BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
Post EU 2020 policies is likely to centre on macro-regional strategies, development of local, regional and interregional S3 strategies. Moreover on ETC. LARS is ”flagship” and should play into this.
TRANSNATIONAL VALUE OF THE PROJECT
Above challenges cannot be addressed at an organizational or national level. Good practises may inspire to greater mobility between TH-networks and may function as development inspiration.
CONTRBUTION TO THE EU STRATEGY FOR BSR-REGION
The approach in LARS is that innovation systems are different but may learn from each other i.e exploit the complementarities. Successful pilots.
SYNERGIES WITH OTHER INITIATIVES
The ”Smart Blue Regions”, ”Empinno”, ”BSR Stars” and ”Smart-up BSR” builds on the idea of pooling resources and cluster development. Complementaries will be discussed within the framework of EUBSR strategy PA-inno.