EIZ – Research centre in the S3 area in Croatia
August 9, 2022
In the period from 2016 until today, researchers at the Institute of Economics, Zagreb (EIZ) have engaged in intensive research of the topics related to Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) in Croatia. These are mainly researchers affiliated with the Department for Innovation, Business Economy and Economic Sectors. Thirteen papers on different topics from the S3 Strategy have been produced as the result of this work. The papers belong to different categories such as journal articles, working papers, reports, and book chapters.
S3 topics/papers refer to:
- Mapping of individual thematic priority areas within the S3 strategy / Exploring the performance of researchers of the selected thematic priority areas within the Croatian Smart Specialisation Strategy [1]; Analytical report on the implemented scientific and technological mapping [2]
- Designing Innovation Systems in Croatia/ Regional competitiveness in the context of "New industrial policy" - the case of Croatia [3]; Innovation Systems in Croatian Regions [4].
- Assessing the needs for knowledge transfer in the field of innovation programs within the Western Balkans /Assessing research and policy support needs for innovation in the South East Europe [5].
- Monitoring and evaluation of innovation programmes related to S3 in Croatia / Monitoring of Innovation Programmes in Croatia [6]; Project Monitoring and Evaluation - STPII [7]
Papers that analyse specific topics related to functioning of the S3 area in Croatia, as well as papers that are not directly related to functioning of the S3 area, but are related to S3 topics, are the following:
Specific S3 topics/papers refer to:
- Key enabling technologies in Croatia/ The analysis of key enabling technologies in innovative environment in Croatia [8]; How to select and develop Key Enabling Technologies and policies to advance manufacturing in Croatia? Localising roles for innovation researchers and policy makers [9].
- Competitiveness clusters, state-initialised clusters / The development of competitiveness clusters in Croatia: a survey-based analysis [10]; Patterns of value creation in policy-driven cluster initiatives: Evidence from the Croatian competitiveness clusters [11].
- Analysis of individual business clusters, parts of the wood-processing industry, that operate in Croatia within S3 / Do firms in clusters perform better? Lessons from wood-processing industries in new EU member states [12]; What do Members Expect from Cluster Membership? The Case of the Croatian Wood Cluster [13].
Papers related to S3 topics refer to:
- Evaluation of financial supports /The impact evaluation of grants for young micro and small firms during the recession[14].
- The possibility of obtaining financial support /Regional Perspective on R&D Policies for SMEs: Does Success Breed Success?[15]
Some 10 researchers, the majority from the Institute of Economics, Zagreb and several researchers from the University of Dubrovnik and from renown European institutions, such as Bocconi University, UCL, and UNU Merit, participated in writing the aforementioned papers. Writing of the papers was, for the most part, initiated by the work on H2020 project SmartEIZ (https://www.smarteiz.eu/), which was implemented between 2016 and 2018 together with partner institutions UCL, Bocconi University and UNU MERIT. The papers were published even after the completion of this project. In addition to creating a methodological basis for better monitoring of the S3 area in Croatia, that can also be used for the improvement of the overall S3 policy practice in Croatia, work on the papers has become an opportunity for cooperation between academics themselves, but also between academics and other stakeholders from other sectors in Croatia and abroad.
In this way, the Institute of Economics, Zagreb has become a research centre for the S3 area in Croatia, with the possibility of broadening its activities to the neighbouring countries that face difficulties in adopting and implementing the S3 strategy.