Invitation to the conference "Smart Specialization Strategies in Croatia: Experiences and the Way Forward"

We hereby cordially invite you to the conference entitled „Smart Specialization Strategies in Croatia: Experiences and the Way Forward“, to be held on Friday, 8 November 2024 at The Institute of Economics, Zagreb, starting at 10:00 a.m.

This is the third workshop organized by The Institute of Economics, Zagreb and the Croatian Innovation Policy Network, an informal network of policy decision makers, researchers, consultants, and individuals interested in improving the functioning of public policies and analyses in Croatia.

Since the beginning of its implementation in 2016, the Smart Specialization Strategy (S3) has been identified as a public policy tool in Croatia, enabling the development and financing of innovations and R&D activities in areas of strategic importance for regional economic development by utilizing funding from European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI).

The aim of the workshop is to analyze individual S3 strategy implementation segments, to analyze its relatedness to other EU level strategies in the field of research and development (such as the New European Innovation Agenda) and to determine the relevance of said strategy in Croatia. Proposals for the expert community and policy makers will also be formulated, with the aim of improving the implementation of the S3 strategy. The workshop should bring together policy decision makers, policy analysts, researchers, and professional evaluators, who will give their opinions on the S3 strategy and the possibilities of improving practices.

Conference details and program are available in the attached document. Due to considerable interest, the conference is closed for registrations for live attendance, but it will be possible to attend the conference online. If you are interested in attending the conference online, please register via e-mail at mpongrac@eizg.hr or phone, +385(1) 2362 204.