How can regions and countries join the S3 Platform?

• Non-EU region or country

Joining the S3 Platform - You are a non-EU region or country

If you are an EU candidate / EU neighbourhood or any other non-EU third country national or regional administration and wish to be involved and participate in the S3 Platform, send an emai to JRC-B3-S3P@ec.europa.eu.

As an EU candidate country you can benefit from the IPA instrument to invest into institution building, strategy development, etc.

Please include the following information:

1. The designated department/body and persons (including contact details) that will be responsible for the work with the platform.
2. Indication whether the contact details under point 1 would be appropriate when dealing with specific issues, such as the DAE (Digital Agenda for Europe) i.e. ICT, and Energy. If not, please provide the additional contact details.
3. A chart/diagram illustrating the bodies and responsibilities regarding the drafting and coordination of innovation strategies including names and contacts (in this diagram the national/regional coordination should be clarified if relevant for the country/region). Please indicate whether the country's institutional organisation envisages establishing and implementing innovation strategies at national, regional or both levels.
4. Indication of an existing link to a webpage on the regional innovation strategy/department, preferably in English language. If not available, you have to commit to develop a webpage on smart specialisation, which will be eventually linked to the S3 portal.
5. Availability to use national or regional financial resources available in order to participate to the works of the S3 Platform (travel costs for participating voluntarily in S3 workshops and events cannot be reimbursed).
6. If available, concise indication (list) of the priority areas / activities for future specialisation, identified by the current national/regional innovation strategy. If not available, concise list of areas you would like to develop as potential co-operation subjects with other countries/regions.

FAQs FAQs

Which department of a public administration or public authority should join the S3 Platform?

The final decision is left to the relevant policy-making bodies at the appropriate territorial level, taking into consideration the institutional structure of the country concerned and the actual responsibilities for the policy processes in terms of both research/innovation strategies and public funding tools. We strongly suggest to register at the most relevant territorial level (NUTS I, II or III) with respect to the mentioned policy processes. The leading department should thus be the one having the responsibilities for the preparation/implementation of innovation strategies and/or the management of funding tools (like the EU Structural Funds). We also recommend that all the main departments involved, as well as major stakeholders, are included in the registration. With regard to the mentioned policy processes, there might be the case, for specific countries, that registration is recommended at both national and regional levels

Do I have to pay a fee or tax for registration?

No. The registration is free of charge as well as the participation to any activity of the S3 Platform.

Do I have to develop a brand new web page on smart specialisation?

Not necessarily. All we request for registration is a declaration stating that the registering country or region is available to develop a web page on smart specialisation and link it to the S3 Platform website. You can of course adapt an existing web page of your administration's website and make it suitable to be linked to the S3 Platform website. Nevertheless, if your website does not have an English version, we would advise to organise the translation of at least some basic information into English and post it on your website.

Will the S3 Platform reimburse the costs for the development of a web page on smart specialisation?

No, the S3 Platform has no own funding tools available. Those costs should be charged to the appropriate national/regional EU-funded operational programme (e.g. through technical assistance funds) or to your own budget.

Will the S3 Platform reimburse the costs for participating to its workshops and seminars?

No, the S3 Platform has no ownfunding tools available. Participation to the S3 Platform activities is free of charge but the related expenses (i.e. travel and accommodation expenses) cannot be reimbursed. They should be charged either to the relevant EU Structural Fund operational programme (through technical assistance) or to the national/regional budget.

What do you mean by "commitment to use the Technical Assistance of Structural Fund programmes"?

All we request for registration is a declaration stating that the registering country or region will use available technical assistance resources of the relevant EU Structural Fund operational programmes to charge the expenses related to its participation to the S3 Platform activities.

What should the "chart/diagram illustrating the bodies and responsibilities regarding the drafting and coordination of innovation strategies" include?

The chart or diagram should be a visual representation of the different actors/stakeholders involved in the national or regional RIS3 process, their roles/responsibilities, and the functional/hierarchical links between them. It should include a description of the national/regional co-ordination activities and responsibilities if appropriate for the country/region concerned.