IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jknowl/v11y2020i2d10.1007_s13132-018-0543-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Smart Specialization as a New Strategic Framework: Innovative and Competitive Capacity in European Context

Author

Listed:
  • Ewa Kopczynska

    (University of Beira Interior)

  • Joao J. Ferreira

    (University of Beira Interior)

Abstract

The smart specialization framework is an addition to the European policy agenda aiming to foster innovation and smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth. The framework is expected to boost innovativeness and competitiveness of the European Union. However, it raises a number of doubts and concerns, especially due to the currently limited state of knowledge about the concept and its possible implications. To contribute to the need for further analysis of the issue, the paper examines the current smart specialization framework, its basic assumptions, conceptual basis, and current developments in the field. The policy analysis aims to identify the strengths of the framework, as well as its weaknesses that will require attention and corrective measures. Basing on existing literature and declared by regions smart specializations, the authors provide a list of conclusions regarding the current shape of the smart specialization framework in the context of European Union strategic objectives and their implications for policy makers. Provided recommendations suggest improvements of the approach to smart specializations required for the realization of the EU strategic objectives.

Suggested Citation

  • Ewa Kopczynska & Joao J. Ferreira, 2020. "Smart Specialization as a New Strategic Framework: Innovative and Competitive Capacity in European Context," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(2), pages 530-557, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:11:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s13132-018-0543-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-018-0543-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13132-018-0543-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13132-018-0543-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Roberto Camagni & Roberta Capello, 2013. "Regional Innovation Patterns and the EU Regional Policy Reform: Toward Smart Innovation Policies," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 355-389, June.
    2. Autant-Bernard, Corinne & Fadairo, Muriel & Massard, Nadine, 2013. "Knowledge diffusion and innovation policies within the European regions: Challenges based on recent empirical evidence," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 196-210.
    3. Susan Bartholomew, 1997. "National Systems of Biotechnology Innovation: Complex Interdependence in the Global System," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 28(2), pages 241-266, June.
    4. Michael Porter, 2003. "The Economic Performance of Regions," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(6-7), pages 549-578.
    5. Watkins, Andrew & Papaioannou, Theo & Mugwagwa, Julius & Kale, Dinar, 2015. "National innovation systems and the intermediary role of industry associations in building institutional capacities for innovation in developing countries: A critical review of the literature," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(8), pages 1407-1418.
    6. Krugman, Paul, 1980. "Scale Economies, Product Differentiation, and the Pattern of Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(5), pages 950-959, December.
    7. Guisado-González, Manuel & Vila-Alonso, Mercedes & Guisado-Tato, Manuel, 2016. "Radical innovation, incremental innovation and training: Analysis of complementarity," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 48-54.
    8. Cooke, Philip & Gomez Uranga, Mikel & Etxebarria, Goio, 1997. "Regional innovation systems: Institutional and organisational dimensions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(4-5), pages 475-491, December.
    9. Julio Raffo & Stephane Lhuillery & Luis Miotti, 2008. "Northern and southern innovativity: a comparison across European and Latin American countries," The European Journal of Development Research, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 20(2), pages 219-239.
    10. Robert Huggins & Fumi Kitagawa, 2012. "Regional Policy and University Knowledge Transfer: Perspectives from Devolved Regions in the UK," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(6), pages 817-832, January.
    11. Soete, Luc, 2006. "A Knowledge Economy Paradigm and its Consequences," MERIT Working Papers 2006-001, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    12. Omar Belkhodja & Réjean Landry, 2007. "“The Triple-Helix collaboration: Why do researchers collaborate with industry and the government? What are the factors that influence the perceived barriers?”," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 70(2), pages 301-332, February.
    13. Aghion, Philippe & Howitt, Peter, 1992. "A Model of Growth through Creative Destruction," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 60(2), pages 323-351, March.
    14. Ricardo, David, 1821. "On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, edition 3, number ricardo1821.
    15. Frank, Alejandro Germán & Cortimiglia, Marcelo Nogueira & Ribeiro, José Luis Duarte & Oliveira, Lindomar Subtil de, 2016. "The effect of innovation activities on innovation outputs in the Brazilian industry: Market-orientation vs. technology-acquisition strategies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 577-592.
    16. Philip McCann & Raquel Ortega-Argilés, 2013. "Modern regional innovation policy," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 6(2), pages 187-216.
    17. Elias G. Carayannis & Dirk Meissner & Anastasia Edelkina, 2017. "Targeted innovation policy and practice intelligence (TIP2E): concepts and implications for theory, policy and practice," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 460-484, June.
    18. Krammer, Sorin M.S., 2009. "Drivers of national innovation in transition: Evidence from a panel of Eastern European countries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 845-860, June.
    19. Krammer, Sorin M.S., 2017. "Science, technology, and innovation for economic competitiveness: The role of smart specialization in less-developed countries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 95-107.
    20. Mercedes Delgado & Michael E. Porter & Scott Stern, 2010. "Clusters and entrepreneurship," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 10(4), pages 495-518, July.
    21. Fransman, Martin, 1999. "Visions of Innovation: The Firm and Japan," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198289357.
    22. Miozzo, Marcela & Walsh, Vivien, 2006. "International Competitiveness and Technological Change," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199259243.
    23. Fransman, Martin, 1995. "Is National Technology Policy Obsolete in a Globalised World? The Japanese Response," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 19(1), pages 95-119, February.
    24. Pieter De Bruijn & Arnoud Lagendijk, 2005. "Regional Innovation Systems in the Lisbon strategy," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(8), pages 1153-1172, May.
    25. Andersson, Ulf & Dasí, Àngels & Mudambi, Ram & Pedersen, Torben, 2016. "Technology, innovation and knowledge: The importance of ideas and international connectivity," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 153-162.
    26. Zacharakis, Andrew L. & Shepherd, Dean A. & Coombs, Joseph E., 2003. "The development of venture-capital-backed internet companies: An ecosystem perspective," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 217-231, March.
    27. Goedhuys, Micheline & Veugelers, Reinhilde, 2012. "Innovation strategies, process and product innovations and growth: Firm-level evidence from Brazil," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 516-529.
    28. Grupp, Hariolf & Schubert, Torben, 2010. "Review and new evidence on composite innovation indicators for evaluating national performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 67-78, February.
    29. Faber, Jan & Hesen, Anneloes Barbara, 2004. "Innovation capabilities of European nations: Cross-national analyses of patents and sales of product innovations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 193-207, March.
    30. Erkki Karo & Rainer Kattel, 2015. "Economic development and evolving state capacities in Central and Eastern Europe: can "smart specialization" make a difference?," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(2), pages 172-187, June.
    31. Borseková, Kamila & Vaňová, Anna & Vitálišová, Katarína, 2017. "Smart Specialization for Smart Spatial Development: Innovative Strategies for Building Competitive Advantages in Tourism in Slovakia," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 39-50.
    32. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 71-102, October.
    33. Jeffrey L. Furman & Megan MacGarvie, 2009. "Academic collaboration and organizational innovation: the development of research capabilities in the US pharmaceutical industry, 1927--1946," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 18(5), pages 929-961, October.
    34. Furman, Jeffrey L. & Porter, Michael E. & Stern, Scott, 2002. "The determinants of national innovative capacity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 899-933, August.
    35. Elias Carayannis & Ruslan Rakhmatullin, 2014. "The Quadruple/Quintuple Innovation Helixes and Smart Specialisation Strategies for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Europe and Beyond," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 5(2), pages 212-239, June.
    36. Krzysztof Mieszkowski & Marcin Kardas, 2015. "Facilitating an Entrepreneurial Discovery Process for Smart Specialisation. The Case of Poland," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 6(2), pages 357-384, June.
    37. Benn Lawson & Danny Samson, 2001. "Developing Innovation Capability In Organisations: A Dynamic Capabilities Approach," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(03), pages 377-400.
    38. Macmillan, Ian C. & Kulow, David M. & Khoylian, Roubina, 1989. "Venture capitalists' involvement in their investments: Extent and performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 27-47, January.
    39. Brown, James R. & Floros, Ioannis V., 2012. "Access to private equity and real firm activity: Evidence from PIPEs," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 151-165.
    40. Aghion, Philippe & Saint-Paul, Gilles, 1998. "VIRTUES OF BAD TIMES Interaction Between Productivity Growth and Economic Fluctuations," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(3), pages 322-344, September.
    41. Jones, Charles I, 1995. "R&D-Based Models of Economic Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(4), pages 759-784, August.
    42. Nelson, Richard R., 1990. "Capitalism as an engine of progress," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 193-214, June.
    43. Hasan, Iftekhar & Tucci, Christopher L., 2010. "The innovation-economic growth nexus: Global evidence," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 1264-1276, December.
    44. Metcalfe, J S, 1995. "Technology Systems and Technology Policy in an Evolutionary Framework," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 19(1), pages 25-46, February.
    45. Erkki Karo & Rainer Kattel, 2015. "Economic development and evolving state capacities in Central and Eastern Europe: can “smart specialization” make a difference?," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 18(2), pages 172-187, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Joana Costa & Luís Carvalho, 2022. "Is digital government facilitating entrepreneurship? A comparative statics analysis," GEE Papers 0164, Gabinete de Estratégia e Estudos, Ministério da Economia, revised Jun 2022.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Frank, Alejandro Germán & Cortimiglia, Marcelo Nogueira & Ribeiro, José Luis Duarte & Oliveira, Lindomar Subtil de, 2016. "The effect of innovation activities on innovation outputs in the Brazilian industry: Market-orientation vs. technology-acquisition strategies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 577-592.
    2. Kancs, d’Artis & Siliverstovs, Boriss, 2016. "R&D and non-linear productivity growth," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 634-646.
    3. Pegkas, Panagiotis & Staikouras, Christos & Tsamadias, Constantinos, 2019. "Does research and development expenditure impact innovation? Evidence from the European Union countries," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 41(5), pages 1005-1025.
    4. Christoph Grimpe & Roberto Patuelli, 2011. "Regional knowledge production in nanomaterials: a spatial filtering approach," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 46(3), pages 519-541, June.
    5. Nicholas Bloom & Paul Romer & Stephen J Terry & John Van Reenen, 2021. "Trapped Factors and China’s Impact on Global Growth [Competition and innovation: an inverted-U relationship]," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(633), pages 156-191.
    6. Abdin, Joynal & Sharma, Abhijit & Trivedi, Rohit & Wang, Chengang, 2024. "Financing constraints, intellectual property rights protection and incremental innovation: Evidence from transition economy firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    7. Jie Tang & Wenyue Cui, 2024. "Does the Internet trigger an innovative spatial revolution: evidence from China," Information Technology and Management, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 305-318, December.
    8. Benjamin Montmartin & Nadine Massard, 2015. "Is Financial Support For Private R&D Always Justified? A Discussion Based On The Literature On Growth," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 479-505, July.
    9. Callaghan, Christian William, 2021. "Growth contributions of technological change: Is there a burden of knowledge effect?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    10. Fagerberg, Jan & Srholec, Martin & Verspagen, Bart, 2010. "Innovation and Economic Development," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 833-872, Elsevier.
    11. Krammer, Sorin M.S. & Jiménez, Alfredo, 2020. "Do political connections matter for firm innovation? Evidence from emerging markets in Central Asia and Eastern Europe," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    12. Dohse, Dirk, 2000. "Technology policy and the regions -- the case of the BioRegio contest," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(9), pages 1111-1133, December.
    13. Buesa, Mikel & Heijs, Joost & Baumert, Thomas, 2010. "The determinants of regional innovation in Europe: A combined factorial and regression knowledge production function approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 722-735, July.
    14. Jacobo Campo Robledo & Juan Pablo Herrera Saavedra, 2016. "Patentes y crecimiento económico: ¿innovación de residentes o no residentes?," Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, Universidad de los Andes,Facultad de Economía, CEDE, vol. 76, February.
    15. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/32ctbi8fbq8j5aom2j69qam6tf is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Jörg Bühnemann & Bernd Neutschel, 2014. "Universitäre Transferstruktur im Wandel - OvGU als regionaler Impulsgeber," FEMM Working Papers 140001, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Faculty of Economics and Management.
    17. Chen Kaihua & Kou Mingting, 2014. "Staged efficiency and its determinants of regional innovation systems: a two-step analytical procedure," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 52(2), pages 627-657, March.
    18. Ludovic Dibiaggio & Benjamin Montmartin & Lionel Nesta, 2018. "Regional alignement and productivity growth," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03471579, HAL.
    19. Rana P. Maradana & Rudra P. Pradhan & Saurav Dash & Kunal Gaurav & Manju Jayakumar & Debaleena Chatterjee, 2017. "Does innovation promote economic growth? Evidence from European countries," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-23, December.
    20. Krammer, Sorin & Jimenez, Alfredo, 2019. "Do political connections matter for firm innovation? Evidence from emerging markets in Central Asia and Eastern Europe," MPRA Paper 94942, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    21. Marco Túlio Dinali Viglioni & Mozar José Brito & Cristina Lelis Leal Calegario, 2020. "Innovation and R&D in Latin America and the Caribbean countries: a systematic literature review," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(3), pages 2131-2167, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:11:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s13132-018-0543-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.