Regional Branch Observatories of Intelligent Markets in Central Europe

A common challenge for all project partners (PP) is the missing link between the monitoring of regional innovation strategies (RIS) and the actual needs of smart specializations (SmartS) of the end users. There is no methodological support and tools for benchmarking at the national level. Each region collects data, but in a different structure, sometimes without a monitoring institution. The main objective of the project is to close this gap and establish a link between the RIS and its end users. This can be achieved by elaborating a model for Regional Branch Observatories (RO) equipped with a set of monitoring and benchmarking tools available to all RIS stakeholders and smart market actors. As the project coincides with a mid-term evaluation of RIS, the PPs will prepare policy recommendations for the EU Commission based on international pilot projects and research results. A network of ROs will enable national and EU authorities to monitor the implementation of RIS across the EU. Based on SmartS in PPs regions, specific technology areas have been selected for which tools and knowledge management services for RO will be elaborated: health, life sciences, ICT, future services, sustainable production technologies and Industry 4.0. The project approach ensures that the needs of all RIS stakeholders are defined as representatives of the target groups (TGs) from each PP region are involved in the process (participatory approach). The involvement of these CGs ensures that the elaborated results cover all RIS markets in CE. The RIS and SmartS issues have already been addressed by several projects within and outside Interreg, but none of them were focused on this thematic orientation. Moreover, the lack of monitoring tools will lead to a significant problem in the mid-term evaluation of RIS and the need to change the direction of EU policy. These steps can only be taken within the framework of international action. The CE regions involved in this project cover 32% of the EU Member States, which is a significant probe that can be used as a benchmark for the whole EU.