POLISS – Policies for Smart Specialisation

POLISS is an Innovative Training Network funded by the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (H2020-MSCA-ITN) bringing together 7 European Universities and 13 Partners with the aim of contributing to the improvement of the EU’s Smart Specialisation Policy.

Smart Specialisation is a successful innovative approach that aims to boost sustainable growth, levels of employment and social cohesion in Europe, by enabling each region to identify and develop its own competitive advantages. The process of setting up Smart Specialisation is known as Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3) and involves different stakeholders such as local authorities, academia, civil society, businesses and entrepreneurs.

Based on the early implementation of Smart Specialisation, scholars and policy makers identified a number of gaps in its conceptualisation, design and implementation. The POLISS Network aims to address these gaps, contributing to a more effective design, implementation and evaluation of RIS3 actions in EU regions, through

  • training a new generation of experts in regional development and innovation policy, explicitly linking research with policy practices related to RIS3 actions;
  • providing new systematic evidence and methodological tools for designing, implementing and assessing RIS3 actions in EU regions.

Within POLISS, 14 PhD research fellows will be trained; they will work together to achieve the objectives of the POLISS Innovative Training Network. Each research fellow will contribute by working on a defined research project.
The network will run for a 4-year period, ending in December 2023.