ICSI EU

The I-CSI EU project focuses on how regional policymakers can re-orient innovation policies and tools, so that long-standing sector-based networks take up cross-sectoral innovation (CSI) and address local and regional societal challenges. For a 4-year period, partners jointly learn how regional innovation policy can evolve from a sectoral approach towards a comprehensive cross-sectoral framework. They visit and study current solutions/platforms (hubs, clusters etc.) to be inspired and jointly reflect on what will be the best scenario for each region to evolve to and actively encourage CSI.

Although different in levels of experience and development, all (city-)regions face the same challenge: an untapped innovation potential due to the traditional way of working within smart specialisation sectors and in silos. The current sectoral approach does not encourage SMEs, knowledge institutions, innovation hubs, clusters and business support organisations to co-design and influence innovative product development that effectively responds to the diverse societal challenges.

I-CSI EU’s 8 (city-)regions are united in their solution: creating an environment that builds on regional specificities and furthers CSI through dialogue-enabling fora, dedicated resources for facilitation and effective monitoring. Supported by an advisory partner (TUA West, an agency of the Province West Flanders), the partners will use strategic foresight methodology to co-design preferred future CSI-fostering ecosystems in cooperation with stakeholders.

To this end, partner regions provide already existing expertise and tried out practices that foster CSI. These examples will now be upscaled and mainstreamed and they will feed into new or improved policy instruments. By doing so, partners aim to set a strategic course for the long term and increase impact as well as generate economic growth as new (export) products or services are developed.