Smart Specialization (S3) Forum 2023
On the 28th of November 2023, the highly anticipated S3 Forum will take place at the historic venue “La Llotja de Mar” in Barcelona, hosted by Generalitat de Catalunya.
The S3 Forum offers stakeholders a unique opportunity to network, discuss S3 implementation, and exchange insights and best practices.
This year’s Forum holds great significance, marking the first EU-level, in-person gathering on S3 since the 2020 pandemic.
While the foundational principles of S3 – specialization, prioritization, and participation for knowledge-based development – remain vital, the substantial global shifts of recent years require a fresh examination of what Smart Specialization means today.
New challenges are the core concern of national and regional policy makers.
Here, S3 steps up to play a vital role, offering responses firmly rooted in research, innovation, and targeted territorial approaches.
The New European Innovation Agenda has identified pressing issues, such as reducing fossil fuel reliance, enhancing global food security, embracing digital transformation, advancing healthcare, and achieving circularity; these urgent challenges demand immediate attention, and S3 stands ready to address them head-on.
At the same time, S3 is also ingrained in regulatory and administrative frameworks, to which policy makers need to provide answers.
Issues such as identifying the right policy mix for S3, sustaining the entrepreneurial discovery process, and monitoring and evaluating public measures linked to S3, are still at the forefront of the S3 process.
The S3 Forum will address both the strategic and regulatory aspects of S3 policy making. Reflections on the evolution of Smart Specialization and its ability to address emerging challenges will be framed against the key structural elements of S3.
While the S3 Forum will be a one-day event, there will be a set of side events on the 29th of November.
The hosts of the S3 Forum, Generalitat de Catalunya, will host a side event in the same venue, namely: “Catalunya’s S3 in action: Shared Agendas explained by their main players”.
During this event, the regional government and key stakeholders will share in detail the process of creation and implementation of RIS3CAT Shared Agendas, which have been acknowledged as good practices across the EU.
The S3 Forum promises to be an inclusive and insightful experience, where a diverse line-up of speakers will ensure the event resonates with participants across all areas of expertise.
