“Smart Specialization Strategies in Croatia: Experiences and the Way Forward” conference conclusions

On November 8, 2024, the Croatian Innovation Policy Network and the Institute of Economics, Zagreb (EIZ) organized the “Smart Specialization Strategies in Croatia: Experiences and the Way Forward” conference, third in a row, which brought together around 60 participants from state and regional administration, academic community, and business sector. On behalf of EIZ, the organization efforts for the conference were headed by Zoran Aralica, PhD.

The aim of the round table was to attract the interest of experts and the general public in innovation policy in Croatia, introduce the participants to the new S3 strategy for the period up to 2029, and analyze individual S3 strategy implementation segments and their relevance for socio-economic development.
 
During the conference, several important topics have stood out that affect the implementation and success of the S3 strategy and its future perspectives, namely:

1) S3 strategy management and its implementation framework;
2) S3 strategy monitoring and evaluation;
3) S3 strategy perspectives and new development paradigms.

The main recommendations and the outcomes of discussions related to the afore-mentioned topics can be found in the following document: Smart Specialization Strategies in Croatia: Experiences and the Way Forward Conference Recommendations. Likewise, the conference program is also available.