The paper “Implementing Smart Specialisation – Thematic Platform on Industrial Modernisation” offers an overview of policy and economic reasons behind the launch of the new Smart Specialisation Platform for Industrial Modernisation. It is argued that modernisation of the European Industry depends upon multiple innovations across many industrial areas linked to emerging value chains. Some European regions have access to leading R&D and upstream innovation facilities; others have industrial skills needed in downstream testing and industrial upscaling. This paper looks at how the new Industrial Modernisation Platform can help European regions to create and/or join transnational networks of knowledge and expertise, and drive the development of transnational and macro – regional value chains. Smart Specialisation is a place-based approach characterised by the identification of strategic areas for intervention based both on the analysis of the strengths and potential of the economy and on an Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) with wide stakeholder involvement.
Source: http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/