Cardiff University research helped operationalise the EU Smart Specialisation programme, the largest regional innovation programme in the world.

Conventional regional policy has been chiefly concerned with distributing economic activity between regions. Professor Kevin Morgan’s work (alongside former Cardiff University academic, Professor Philip Cooke) on regional innovation policy, however, helped to shift the policy focus to include innovation within each region. A new approach aiming to promote indigenous development from within weak regions rather than simply attracting branch plants from stronger regions.

The research stressed the role of inter-organisational networks in knowledge exchange and the developmental value of intangible assets like trust, voice, social capital and governance.

Reforming and developing regional innovation

The Smart Specialisation project provided the first empirical findings in Europe on the practical experience of the S3 programme and the challenges that less developed regions face. This includes forging innovation networks between academia and industry, developing inclusive governance arrangements, and embracing the concept of social innovation.

These findings, especially concerning the significance of innovation networks and inclusive and iterative governance arrangements, were used by the European Commission and regional European governments to inform regional policy thinking and guidance.

The research influenced a new strategic approach to regional development in two specific regions: the Basque Country, through PCTI Euskadi 2020, and Wales, through the Welsh Government’s Foundational Economy (2019) strategy.

Professor Morgan’s research has also been used to develop the future of Research and Innovation policy for the next Framework period, 2021-2027.