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Smart Specialisation and the Wider Innovation Policy Context in the Western Balkans

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Abstract

Enhancing the innovation potential has been on the policy agenda of the Western Balkan economies for years. Hence, innovation policymaking has led to a number of policy documents and strategies that relate to economic and innovative competitiveness. The concept of smart specialisation is a newer approach of innovation policy that seeks to develop countries’ or regions’ competitiveness based on their innovative potential in a cross-sectoral perspective and through evidence-based analysis. As Western Balkan economies are currently developing Smart Specialisation Strategies or preparing to do so, pre-existing policy documents provide a relevant context for ensuring the cross-sectoral character of Smart Specialisation Strategies. This paper gives an overview of the main elements of the smart specialisation concept and surveys the existing strategic frameworks for innovation in the Western Balkan economies. The analysis addresses the relevance of these frameworks and policy documents for smart specialisation, and highlights the links between pre-existing strategic frameworks in a smart specialisation perspective.

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  • Nikola Radovanovic & Maximilian Benner, 2019. "Smart Specialisation and the Wider Innovation Policy Context in the Western Balkans," JRC Research Reports JRC118199, Joint Research Centre.
    • Handle: RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc118199
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    1. Matthias Kleiner, 2017. "Joint Research as an Innovation Strategy," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 18(03), pages 08-09, November.
    2. Philip McCann & Raquel Ortega-Argil�s, 2015. "Smart Specialization, Regional Growth and Applications to European Union Cohesion Policy," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(8), pages 1291-1302, August.
    3. Bjørn Asheim & Ron Boschma & Philip Cooke, 2011. "Constructing Regional Advantage: Platform Policies Based on Related Variety and Differentiated Knowledge Bases," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(7), pages 893-904.
    4. Diercks, Gijs & Larsen, Henrik & Steward, Fred, 2019. "Transformative innovation policy: Addressing variety in an emerging policy paradigm," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 880-894.
    5. repec:ces:ifofor:v::y:2017:i::p:08-09 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Maximilian Benner, 2019. "Smart specialization and institutional context: the role of institutional discovery, change and leapfrogging," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(9), pages 1791-1810, September.
    7. Alexander Kleibrink & Nikola Radovanovic & Henning Kroll & Djerdj Horvat & Djuro Kutlaca & Lazar Zivkovic, 2018. "The Potential of ICT in Serbia: An Emerging Industry in the European Context," JRC Research Reports JRC114209, Joint Research Centre.
    8. Grillitsch, Markus & Hansen, Teis & Coenen, Lars & Miörner, Johan & Moodysson, Jerker, 2019. "Innovation policy for system-wide transformation: The case of strategic innovation programmes (SIPs) in Sweden," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 1048-1061.
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    Keywords

    smart specialisation; Western Balkans; innovation; EU enlargement;
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