HEIs, Research Centers and Companies for regional development The case of Piemonte

Piemonte is a region in North-western Italy with 4.5 mln inhabitants and a GDP of about 100 mln € The key challenge is reversing long-term economic decline and promoting transformation (OECD Review, 2009) Large industries are declining or relocating, less SMEs than Italian average New constitutional powers allow regions to foster innovation (2005) 17/08/2015ISMB – Copyright The regional context Since 2006, the Regional System of Innovation, in the framework of ERA, aims at –building a new regional governance for innovation and industrial reconversion –Merging overlapping initiatives –Creating a culture of evaluation The program mobilized 350 mln € in 3 yrs. (80 from SFs) Significant pressure from central government to cut public spending

For Regional Authorities: Fragmentation and Discontinuity –Attitude towards spreading investment across businesses and sectors –Resistance of sectors which are excluded from smart specialization roadmap –Tendency to change roadmap when majorities change For HEIs / Research Centers: Academic Culture –Wrong system of incentives –Scarce possibility to hire staff devoted to TT –Budget constraints For Companies: Investment Survival Dilemma –Tendency to underprice innovation –De-industrialization / de-localization –Complex procedures to access funding (esp. for SMEs) 17/08/2015ISMB – Copyright Barriers to smart specialization

By Regional Authorities –Persuading the local ecosystem to focus on narrow set of objectives –Piloting Innovation Poles and other regional funding schemes towards smart specialization strategies –Persuading HEIs to change the structure of incentives –Using public procurement as a leverage, acting as a market flywheel By HEIs / Research Centers –Contributing bottom-up to the determination of the more promising sectors for smart specialization –Promoting focused R&D&I activities, including those financed with own funds –Working within the innovation ecosystem –Providing career incentives to TT activities By Companies –Accepting to adequately price innovation and to invest in it –Accepting to reconvert towards smart specialization target fields 17/08/2015ISMB – Copyright Possible contributions

Locally –Change of mentality, from fragmented support to systemic governance –Coordination of overlapping initiatives –Harmonization of public and private funds –New structure of incentives for HEIs At the EU Commission level –Providing guidance on smart specialization strategies –Favouring continuity of policies –Helping local authorities to elaborate common expectations with HEIs and business (knowledge-based economy) –Transmitting culture of evaluation –Conditioning the allocation of SFs to be consistent with EU policies (e.g. EU2020, Innovation Union, etc.) –Promoting local-global connectivity 17/08/2015ISMB – Copyright How to make it happen?

ISMB is a non-for-profit Research & Innovation Center operating in the ICT domain in cooperation with private enterprises and institutions ISMB has been set up in 2000 by a private foundation (Compagnia di San Paolo) and a University (Politecnico di Torino) and then joined by industrial partners: ST Microelectronics, Telecom Italia, SKF ISMB can act as a liaise between different actors of the innovation ecosystem In 2010 ISMB, Politecnico di Torino and the Torino Wireless Foundation created an Innovation Front End to help businesses and institutions accessing innovation The IFE and similar initiatives can help regional decision makers to target smart specialization efforts 17/08/2015ISMB – Copyright The ISMB model

17/08/2015ISMB – Copyright Contact Information Francesco Ferrero Technology Transfer Manager Head of Innovation Front End Mob