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S3CoP activities

Provide support on skills and policy instruments for Just Transition in the priority areas of the S3 of the Region

The Targeted Assignment for the Usti region focuses on supporting the Innovation Centre of Usti in advancing the region’s Just Transition goals within the framework of the S3 strategy. The region’s S3 governance is shared between the Regional Office, which oversees the S3 Strategy, and the Innovation Centre, which is responsible for its implementation.

Usti is facing a decline in its traditional industrial base, while emerging sectors such as green chemistry, hydrogen, and digitalisation present new opportunities. However, the region also faces persistent challenges in driving systemic innovation and transforming its industrial landscape. This assignment aims to assist the Innovation Centre in identifying effective policy instruments and skill-building strategies to support the region’s transition. Key objectives include analyzing regional challenges and Just Transition opportunities, identifying essential skills, and recommending policy instruments for priority S3 areas. The final deliverable will provide the region with actionable policy recommendations and a planning framework to accelerate the Just Transition process.

Support for the development of a Monitoring and evaluation systems

The Targeted Assignment for the Moravian-Silesian region focuses on addressing the challenge of transitioning from a raw materials and low-cost production base to a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy. Despite the economic progress made over the past two decades, the region must navigate this transformation, with the Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) and selected priorities playing a crucial role in driving this change. This assignment will enhance the region's Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system to effectively track and guide the transformation. Key objectives include designing a robust set of indicators and analytical frameworks for monitoring S3 activities, along with methodologies for interim and ex-post evaluations. The final deliverable will provide the Moravian-Silesian region with an M&E framework, actionable indicators, and insights that can be valuable for other regions facing similar economic transitions.

Review and improvement of the Smart Specialisation Strategy of Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary, the smallest region in the Czech Republic, grapples with structural challenges including demographic decline, low economic dynamism, and limited innovation capacity. As part of a broader national restructuring agenda, the region adopted its current Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) in 2020, emphasising digitalisation and artificial intelligence, underpinned by innovation infrastructures such as the Karlovy Vary Innovation Centre and the Smart Accelerator. With the forthcoming update of the national S3, the region is now compelled to revise its own strategy to reflect recent developments and ensure closer alignment with national objectives. This assignment aims to assist regional authorities in reviewing and refining the S3 by evaluating shifts in regional needs, assessing the effectiveness of existing priorities, and examining the integration of local innovation ecosystems. It will also deliver targeted recommendations to enhance the strategy’s impact and coherence with regional strengths. A central element of this process will be stakeholder consultations and peer exchanges to uncover best practices in regional innovation governance and to reinforce the strategic role of the S3 in fostering local development.