The concept of smart specialisation has challenged European regions to establish innovation driven development strategies that focus on areas of strength and competitive advantage. The BSR Stars S3 project seeks to enhance growth opportunities in the Baltic Sea Region, focusing on the bio-/circular and digital economy fields. The main objective is to improve capacities of the regions to implement regional smart specialization strategies (RIS3) through tools and methods that engage bio- and circular business and research, support management of innovation processes and enhance transnational cooperation opportunities.
The BSR Stars S3 project has received a flagship status and contributes to realising the goals of overall Baltic Sea Region Stars flagship programme and thus to the Policy Area for Innovation (PA INNO) within the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). The project contributes to realising the expanded scope of PA INNO – addressing the objectives for integrated support infrastructure for SMEs (through Enterprise Europe Network), for a strengthened digital internal market, and for further steps towards facilitating linkages and building longerterm innovation partnerships. In addition, the BSR Stars S3 project contributes to realising the strategic priorities of the EUSBSR Action Plan Priority Area Bioeconomy (coordinated by the BSR Stars S3 project partner Nordic Council of Ministers).
Key activities of BSR Stars S3 project include:
- Pilot tools and methods that will engage business and public actors also across borders and support development of new business value chains within the bio-/circular and digital economy fields, such as public-research-business matchmaking events, cross-sectoral business coaching, a voucher system for transnational usage of R&D facilities and S3 acceleration camp.
- Develop and pilot an online innovation process management tool and provide guidelines for the regions to enhance regional innovation process management and support infrastructures
- Organise regional peer/learning visits and produce policy recommendations to improve the knowledge among decision makers at different levels on more ecosystem based and cross-sectoral approaches to RIS3 and business support