ERAWATCH Country Reports 2012: France

This analytical country report is one of a series of annual ERAWATCH reports produced for EU Member States and Countries Associated to the Seventh Framework Programme for Research of the European Union (FP7). The main objective of the ERAWATCH Annual Country Reports is to characterise and assess the performance of national research systems and related policies in a structured manner that is comparable across countries. The Country Report 2012 builds on and updates the 2011 edition. The report identifies the structural challenges of the national research and innovation system and assesses the match between the national priorities and the structural challenges, highlighting the latest developments, their dynamics and impact in the overall national context. They further analyse and assess the ability of the policy mix in place to consistently and efficiently tackle these challenges. These reports were originally produced in December 2012, focusing on policy developments over the previous twelve months. The reports were produced by independent experts under direct contract with IPTS. The analytical framework and the structure of the reports have been developed by the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies of the Joint Research Centre (JRC-IPTS) and Directorate General for Research and Innovation with contributions from external experts.JRC.J.2-Knowledge for Growt

Measuring progress in transnational coordination of research programming in Europe

Cooperation in the EU between Member States and with Associated Countries on national public research programming has received a lot of attention in recent years, and will continue to do so under Europe 2020. This NETWATCH Policy Brief looks at the current policy context and rationales for transnational coordination of research programming, and aims to measure progress made so far in doing so. It looks both at coordination of public national research budgets and at cooperation between nations under the framework programmes, Horizon 2020 and Cohesion policy.JRC.J.2-Knowledge for Growt

An assessment of the impact of the FP7 ERA-NET scheme on organisations and research systems

The NETWATCH online platform collects and presents information to support the analysis of transnational research programme cooperation. Its content centres on the participants and activities of ERA-NETs and ERA-NET Plus. Building on these data, this report sets out an assessment of the impact of the FP7 ERA-NET scheme on stakeholder organisations and on the research systems in which they operate. In July 2012, the European Commission's ERA Communication gave renewed impetus to the realisation of ERA, targeting its completion in 2014. Transnational coordination of research at the programming level was identified as playing a prominent role in this, with ERA-NETs being a key instrument. These developments highlight the need to understand better the impact of the ERA-NET scheme. NETWATCH has accumulated substantial information on transnational research programme collaboration, which provides a solid basis for this impact assessment, together with complementary data from various secondary sources and additional data collection by JRC-IPTS. The issues addressed by the current report are threefold: -The direct impact of the ERA-NET scheme on the collaborative dimensions of national research programming practices, reflecting the extent to which the scheme is meeting its core objectives ; -The impact of the scheme on the behaviour of participating organisations and; -The overall impact on the national and European research landscape, particularly the nature and level of transnational collaborative behaviour.JRC.J.2-Knowledge for Growt

Monitoring mechanisms and institutional arrangements for the implementation of place-based innovation strategies through the smart specialisation concept. Evidence from empirical analysis

There is no one-size-fits-all governance model for regional innovation policies. Policy instruments and organizations that support policy implementation can help address socio-economic and environmental objectives, bridging the divide between the generic concept of place-based innovation policy and its implementation in different territorial contexts. This thesis investigates the way a place-based innovation policy concept such as smart specialisation can better fit the reality of the diversity of governance capacities of EU regions. The research question is addressed from two distinct perspectives: on the one hand, the thesis explores the institutional arrangements underpinning place-based policies and smart specialisation design and implementation with the creation of regional innovation agencies. On the other hand, the thesis explores the monitoring activities from the perception of policymakers in charge of the design and the implementation of the innovation strategies. One way to address a regional institutional weakness is through the creation of Regional Innovation Agencies (RIAs). RIAs can be thought of as "one-size-fits-all" institutional arrangements that let organizations enhance their Regional innovation system in a systematic way by designing and implementing a place-based policy. In other words, RIAs can be seen as “adjustment variables”, allowing a generic place-based policy to fit unique territorial contexts. The analysis shows policy implications relevant for any regional innovation system and inextricably linked to the good governance of innovation policies such as smart specialisation. The agency should reflect a shared vision between the public and private sectors. It appears that the most appropriate and effective level of governance for the agency is the metropolitan level, as one single agency in a region would lead to institutional complexity and coordination failures. However, as the agencies studied are very specific to the places in which they are established, the impact on their respective territories should be thoroughly evaluated before deciding if the policy should be replicated in other peripheral regions of the EU. In any case, regional governance with appropriate institutional arrangements equipped with an efficient monitoring system that can collect the needs of stakeholders and capture weak signals coming from outside makes the region more resilient to external shocks. Monitoring is an important component of a strategy for innovation and territorial development. The challenge raised by monitoring activities goes hand in hand with the complexity of the S3 concept itself. Analysis shows policymakers view monitoring as a management tool and a means of communicating with stakeholders. However, this perception may have some limitations when implementing the strategy. So far, the analysis indicates that, while the theory of smart specialisation is well known, converting what should be done in theory into practice constitutes a significant challenge in terms of stakeholder engagement in all phases of strategic management

Deliverable 3.3.1 Options for Assessing the Impact of the ERA-NET Scheme: an exploration of methodological approaches

The NETWATCH on-line platform collects information in support of analysis of transnational research programme cooperation. Its content centres on ERA-NETs and ERA-NET Plus, however, information is also collected on Article 185s and networks that continue but no longer receive EU support (known as self-sustaining networks). The information collected is used to map and monitor the transnational research programme landscape and to produce policy briefs on issues pertinent to the policy debate, which are also published on the platform. This report constitutes the first NETWATCH impact assessment and focuses on ERA-NETs and the development of an approach to assess their impact against the policy goals, including wider European Research Area (ERA) objectives.JRC.J.2-Knowledge for Growt

ERA Communication Synthesis Report

This report is a synthesis of progress towards achievement of the ERA, based on an analysis of country data on the five ERA priorities (as defined in the 2012 EC Communication) collected with the support of independent country experts in the first semester 2013, complemented by other relevant indicators and study results (taking into account in some cases limitations regarding data availability and quality). It offers a synthetic and cross-country analytical overview by ERA priority of relevant policies and related policy support measures adopted and implemented (including necessary legal changes enacted) in EU Member States. It covers the 28 EU Member States and 13 Associated Countries. This report aims to identify behavioural patterns across countries, take into account progress in relation to the ERA baseline indicators, and contribute to the ERA Monitoring Mechanism.JRC.J.2-Knowledge for Growt

Collaboration and networks: EU13 participation in international science

In this issue - In the 2007-2013 period the overall international co-publication intensity of EU13 countries was low compared to EU15 countries. - In FP7, the EU13 countries had low participation and were again largely on the periphery of the network. - In the EU focussed co-publication network EU13 countries were outside of the core group comprised of EU15 countries. However, for the FP7 network some countries (Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland) had stronger links to the core again comprised of EU15 countries. - Germany is an important collaborative partner for EU13 countries for both co-publication and FP7 participation, Austria also appears to have an important role linking to Central European Countries. - This work suggests there is a need for EU13 countries to improve international research collaboration, particularly with EU15 Member States.JRC.B.3 - Territorial Developmen

Exploring Synergies between EU Cohesion Policy and Horizon 2020 Funding across European Regions: An analysis of regional funding concentration on key enabling technologies and societal grand challenges

Over the course of the 2014-2020 period, the European Union has invested more than €125bn into support to research and innovation through two main channels: the excellence-based Horizon 2020 programme and its cohesion policy implemented through the European Structural and investment funds (ESIF) and in particular the European Regional Development fund (ERDF). While projects funded by ESIF are selected in the context of place-based operational programmes and smart specialisation strategies (S3), Horizon 2020 grants are assigned based on the quality of the project proposals and consortia without any geographical criteria. A concentration of R&I funding from both funding schemes in the same technological or policy area could point to the creation of a synergy between EU funding as suggested by the concept of smart specialisation and encouraged by the European Commission. This report uses project data to analyse the regional distribution of Horizon 2020 and ESIF funding among key enabling technologies and societal grand challenges and to map potential synergies between different EU funding policies.JRC.B.3 - Territorial Developmen

ERA Fabric Map - Second Edition

This ERA fabric map gives a snapshot of the ERA today. It looks at the division of responsibilities between EU and Member States, and at institutions and bodies involved in the European research system. Starting from the six ERA dimensions described in the ERA Green Paper, the report then looks where we are today, and which direction the future is taking, given the policy context of Europe 2020. Involvement of stakeholders in further building the ERA is looked at by analysing their involvement in a number of existing ERA instruments, using a taxonomy of stakeholder roles and functions. The report has been written as part of the FP7 project Forward Visions on the European Research Area (VERA). This first edition will be updated twice as part of the VERA project.JRC.J.2-Knowledge for Growt

An intervention-logic approach for the design and implementation of S3 strategies

Smart specialisation is conceptualised as research and innovation policymaking encompassed in a holistic place-based view of development. It combines an organisational bottom-up approach with a structural approach, stressing interactions among local and international actors that participate and facilitate reflexive learning processes. The issue of governance is key and multi-level governance is instrumental for advancing with the goal of the strategy on the ground. The need to connect top-down EU policies with place-based facts and ambitions that translate into competitive advantage, generating growth and jobs, makes governance the cornerstone of the smart specialisation process. In the context of the revision of the existing strategies the need to reassess the coherence of policy intervention is of crucial importance to address the local but also the global challenges faced by EU territories.JRC.B.3 - Territorial Developmen