The Academy for smart specialisation
About this good practice
Smart specialisation strategies have been established throughout Europe, but there is often a lack of concrete action to link research and innovation with a user-driven need and with strong collaborations with industry, the public sector and civil society. The Academy for Smart Specialisation is the research and innovation agreement between Region Värmland and Karlstad University (KAU) for the period 2022–2028. Through the organisation implementing the agreement, an operational tool has been developed for the transformation and renewal of the private and public sectors in Värmland as well as for the development of research and education at KAU. KAU and Region Värmland jointly run the Academy, and through the partnership, a platform for researchers, companies, public sector, civil society, funders, and entrepreneurs have been created. By linking research, innovation and education in thematic knowledge triangles, the Academy prepares KAU students for employment, which will drive industrial transformation in Värmland’s prioritised areas. Based on recommendations from an OECD evaluation, the current agreement strives to include a broader range of stakeholders, from local levels as well as from increased international collaborations. The current agreement also involves new potential specialisation areas and has ambitious goals for leading the way towards a more sustainable society, in concrete actions and through new collaborative projects.
Resources needed
RV as well as KAU invests 70 million Swedish crowns each over the 7 years period. Concrete collaborations are established in concrete projects which are cofounded from the Academy for smart specialisation but with the task to always add external funding by being successful in competing for funding
Evidence of success
It has been successful in filling the gap between strategy and concrete actions, by driving the process of establishing new strategically important projects involving strong collaborations, ensuring the outputs benefits. The Academy has helped connect different knowledge areas to common domains for research, innovation and transformation. By working with this model, unique combinations are created, enabling innovative solutions for the future benefit of society and for advancements in research.
Potential for learning or transfer
Through the OECD evaluation 2020 performed by OECD, evidence and acknowledgment have been given which encourages to develop this partnership and model even further in the future. In the preface of the report it is stated that the model has "been playing a transformative role vis-à-vis Värmland’s Smart Specialisation Strategy since its creation in 2015. The Academy has contributed to innovate such a strategy, by identifying comparative advantages in new sectors and emerging skills needs, and by connecting these with teaching and research activities carried out at the KAU. Going forward it will be important to keep the momentum going and make the Academy a visible landmark at the national and European level".
By participating in European project collaborations, like the DEBUTING project, the model and experiences from working with the Academy for smart specialisation can be spread to other regions and universities, which also will enrich the further development of the model.