CONTEXT OF LITHUANIAN VALLEYS IN SMART SPECIALIZATION

Ramojus Reimeris 2015 05 28Janas Mateika, Battle of Grunwald, 1878

MOSTAState budgetary institution established by the Ministry for Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania (April 27, 2007) which:

• Provides recommendations on the development of the national research, higher education (HE) and innovation system

• Organizes research HE and innovation monitoring• Analyses the conditions of Lithuanian research, HE and innovation system• Participates in development and implementation of research, HE and

innovation policy

ramojus.reimeris@mosta.ltwww.mosta.lt

What is a Lithuanian Valley?

Valley is a potential of research, studies and knowledge intensive business (the entirety of entities), usually concentrated in single area, with a common or related infrastructure, purposefully contributing to the knowledge society and knowledge economy and the competitiveness of the Lithuanian economy

Concept of integrated research, study and business valleys, Government of Republic of Lithuania (2014)

Valleys and R&D infrastructure specialization

Valley investments

96

36

136

Investments into laboratory equipment, MoES fundsInvestments into buildings, MoES fundsInvestments into infrastructure, MoE funds

Mln. Eur. Source: Ministry of Education and Science

23 R&D infrastructure projects, total 269 mln. Eur.

Why Smart Specialization is an imperative?Cohesion Funds 2007-2013: 86 billion € for innovation. IMPACT?:

• Lack of inter-institutional coordination• Regions invest in „fashionable“ areas creating overlap• No critical mass• Aiming at R&I capacity building, lack of concentration on results• European R&D gap with US and Asia

Lessons learned:• Transformation requires resource concentration• Need to improve policy development and implementation• Extra: economical crisis: a) greater orientation towards efficiency; b) need to

strengthen economic competitiveness

Valleys?

Concept of Smart SpecializationStrategic imperative:It‘s an integrated, place-based economic transformation agenda that:1. focuses policy support and investments on key regional priorities, challenges

and needs for knowledge-based development2. builds on each region’s strengths, competitive advantages and potential for

excellence3. supports technological as well as practice-based innovation and aim to

stimulate private sector investment4. gets stakeholders fully involved and encourages innovation and

experimentation5. is evidence-based and includes sound monitoring and evaluation systems

Administrative imperative:6. Implementation of European agenda: Europe 2020, Innovation union, Horizon

20207. Ex-ante conditionality of the new Cohesion Policy 2014-2020, aimed at

increasing the impact of structural support for research and innovation

Development of Smart specialization in Lithuania

Why Lithuania?• One of the first EU regions to develop Smart specialization

strategy• Among the very first EU regions to submit Smart

specialization strategy for review (DG REGIO and DG RTD)• Among the very first EU regions to fulfill the ex-ante

conditionality• Selected as a best practice case in multiple events• Consultation partner for Smart specialization platform

The process: From analysis to implementation

Priority field

Priorities

Roadmaps

Priority implementation plans

6 broad Priority fields

20 Priorities within 6 broad Priority fields

For every Priority (total 20 roadmaps)

Developed according to roadmaps (total 20 plans)

Analysis of challenges, research potential and structure of economy

In-depth analysis in every Priority field + expert panels

Expert panels + broad survey

Consultation with National expert institutions + implementing ministries

1

2

3

4

„Priority field“ and „Priority“Priority field – response to the global and national challenges by Lithuanian R&I system.

Priority – new technologies or processes that have high potential to transform Lithuanian economy.

What‘s new?• Entrepreneurial discovery• Concentration on results• Intersectorial / interdisciplinary approach• Identification and implementation of priorities as an

inclusive process

Development of strategy and Valley involvementSteering group by

ministries and implementing

agencies

Research and innovation strategic council under PM

Steering committee

International independent expert groupAnalytics

MOSTA

Expert panels

Valleys Valleys

Priority fields

PRIORITY FIELDS R&D potential

Economic potential

Challenges Valleys

Agro-innovation and food technologies Prospective „Consumers“ Most important

Nemunas

Energy and sustainable environment High or prospective

„Consumers“ (excl. IT)

Most important + survey

Saulėtekis, Santara, Santaka, Nemunas

Health technologies and biotechnology High „Creators“ and „Consumers“

Most important

Santara, Santaka

Inclusive and creative society Prospective „Consumers“ (excl. IT)

Most important + survey

-

Novel production processes, materials and technologies

High „Creators“ and „Consumers“

Most important

Saulėtekis, Santaka, Santara

Transport, logistics and information and communication technologies

Prospective „Consumers“ (excl. IT)

Most important

Saulėtekis, Santaka, Santara, Marine

PrioritiesAgro-innovation and food technologies• Safer food and sustainable usage of biomaterials• Functional food• Innovative development, improvement and processing of

biological raw materials (biorefinery) Energy and sustainable environment• Smart systems for energy efficiency, diagnostic, monitoring,

metering and management of generators, grids and customers

• Energy and fuel production using biomass/waste and waste treatment, storage and disposal

• Technology for the development and use of smart low-energy buildings – digital construction

• Solar energy installations and technologies for using them for the power generation , heating and cooling

Health technologies and biotechnology• Molecular technologies for medicine and biopharmaceutics• Advanced applied technologies for individual and public

health• Advanced medical engineering for early diagnostics and

treatment

Inclusive and creative society• Modern self-development technologies and processes promoting

formation of creative and productive individuals• Technologies and processes for the development and

implementation of breakthrough innovations Novel production processes, materials and technologies• Photonic and laser technologies• Functional materials and coatings• Structural and composite materials• Flexible technological systems for product development and

fabrication Transport, logistics and information and communication technologies• Advanced electronic content, content development technologies

and information interoperability• ICT infrastructure, cloud computing solutions and services• Smart transport systems and ICT• Technologies/models for the international transport corridors’

management and integration of modes of transport

Synergy and potential

ValleysGeographical concentration

Smart specialization

Thematical concentration

SynergyPotential

Further development

Valleys

• Employment of infrastructure• Political attention for activities

• Funding for research

Smart specialization

• Based on the Valleys potential• Dependent on success of Valleys

projects• Gateway for regional dimension

Thank you!