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With the adoption of the new European Innovation Agenda back in July, the EU entered into an innovation spree, both at the political and operational level. The Innovation Agenda proposes bold actions to foster deep tech innovation, a new wave of innovation, as the EU Commissioner, Mariya Gabriel highlights in her article for TerritoriALL. However, she writes, innovation policy documents - as usual - are not enough to achieve the necessary transformations. We need deep tech innovation to drive Europe’s competitiveness and to ensure the health and well-being of its citizens, she adds.
This is also the focus of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU: the possible role of societal innovations in helping the regions lagging behind, as the Czech Minister of Regional Development, Ivan Bartos, underlines.
The close correlation between economic performance and innovation is well known, according to Minister Bartos, but we need to realise that that not only states, but also regions are important actors in promoting innovation. Indeed, the ‘Entrepreneurial Regional Governance’ study that ESPON conducted for the Czech Presidency concludes that the role of regional governance in introducing innovation into regions is essential.
But, can we diffuse innovation at the regional level, engage local actors and combine territorial competitiveness with cooperation?
JRC Director for Growth and Innovation, Mikel Landabaso, Tanya Hristova, Mayor of Gabrovo, and Chair of the CoR CEDEC Commission, Maurizio Mensi, EESC rapporteur for the New European Innovation Agenda, Pirita Lindholm, Director of the ERRIN Network give some answers to these questions.
And you can read an the interview with the new director of URBACT, Teofil Gherca, and DG Regio team leader, Thomas de Bethune and how you can engage with ESPON 2030.