How cluster performance factors can be combined with the context characteristics by highlighting the spatial implications of knowledge dynamics
MAPS-LED “Multidisciplinary Approach to Plan Smart Specialisation Strategies for Local Economic Development” is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie RISE research project funded by the European Union’s HORIZON 2020 program for Research and Innovation.
The RISE Program aims to strengthen research partnerships concerning innovative issues by the exchange of researchers among EU and Non-EU countries
The joint Exchange programme is based on a research project integrated with a higher education agenda designed to build and test a Multidisciplinary Approach aiming at understanding how Smart Specialization Strategies (S3) can be translated into spatially-oriented local development policies.
S3 Smart Specialisation Strategy
Place-based regeneration policy for local economic dedevelopment
Research and innovation strategies in cluster policy - WP1
The background knowledge to build the conceptual framework for gathering data, information from the case studies areas (Boston and San Diego). It is expected to produce, beyond the current state of the art on the cluster theory, a novel concept of cluster more socially and locally oriented, paving the way to pursue ground- breaking objectives, to be achieved through a rigorous and evidence- based empirical work delivered in WP2 and WP3.
Objectives: 1. To build an assessment methodology based on a spatially- led approach and governance-oriented, including qualitative and quantitative indicators, suitable to unveil the hidden potential of regions and sub-regions in terms of S3; 2_To build a panel of data on clusters, suitable to be gathered on official open sources both in the US and in the EU, thus, suitable to support a comparative analysis of the US and EU case studies through a shared set of indicators;
S3: Cluster policy & Spatial Planning - WP2
Tthe creation of an evidence- based and users- oriented framework, based on the selected case studies, with respect to the spatial factors and governance of the cluster approach.
Objectives: O.2.1_To build a sound and evidence-based methodology to approach clusters with a spatial planningled and governance – oriented approach, also by including a robust set of lessons learned by mapping spatial and organisational success factors from existing cases belonging to cluster theory implementation; O.2.2_To allow the knowledge transfer among partners the innovative methodology on clusters assessment, particularly during the 2nd mid-term meeting and through the Web-Platform; O.2.3_To train Early Stage Researchers through the field work on case studies, delivered under the supervision of the staff at NEU; O.2.4_To disseminate the research goals throughout the larger stakeholders community through the 1st workshop held at FOCUS, allowing to share and assess the preliminary findings.
S3: Social innovation and territorial milieu - WP3
WP3 concerns the development and application of a valuation tool that monetises the social and environmental value of new clusters identified and described in WP2
Objectives: O.3.1_To test an emerging evaluation tool using social return on investment and ecosystem services approaches to calculate the value of regional clusters in underinvested areas; O.3.2_To provide policy makers and planners with a tested methodology capable showing why the new policy will be successful, and how public investment can be justified; O.3.3_To allow the knowledge transfer among partners the innovative methodology on S3 place- based strategies, particularly during the 4th mid-term meeting, the Symposium and through the construction of the Web-Platform; O.3.4_To train Early Stage Researchers through the research work on testing the methodology; O.3.5_To disseminate the research goals throughout the larger stakeholders community through the 3rd workshop held at AALTO and the Symposium, allowing to share the research findings.
Pilot S3 areas in EU - WP4
WP4 concerns the interpretation of end-users feedbacks and information and the creation of an enhanced and comparative method, based on the results from WP2 and WP3, that is supposed to be tested in pilot S3 areas purposely selected across the EU.
Objectives:O.4.1_To test an evidence- based methodology for recognizing and assessing emerging and potential S3, suitable to be further exploited through S3-oriented policies in Europe and worldwide. O.4.2_To provide policy makers and planners with a tested methodology capable to support the decision- making process on building appropriate policy mix and enhance the potential of S3 place- based strategies. O.4.3_To allow the knowledge transfer among partners the innovative methodology on S3 place- based strategies, particularly during the 4th mid-term meeting, the Symposium and through the construction of the Web-Platform. O.4.4_To train Early Stage Researchers through the research work on testing the methodology. O.4.5_To disseminate the research goals throughout the larger stakeholders community through the 3rd workshop held at AALTO and the Symposium, allowing to share the research findings.
Key Facts
MAPS–LED Multidisciplinary approach to Plan Smart Speciaisation Strategies for Local Economic Development – HORIZON 2020 MARIE SKLODOWSKA-CURIE RISE ACTION 2014
Project No: 645651
Duration: 48 months
Project Coordinator Organisation: Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria (IT)
Project Coordinator: Prof. Carmelina Bevilacqua
Research Network:
Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, IT (Project Coordinator Organisation)
Università LaSapienza di Roma, IT (Beneficiary)
Salford University, Manchester, UK (Beneficiary)
Aalto University, Aalto, FI (Beneficiary)
Northeastern University of Boston, MA, USA (Partner Organisation)
San Diego State University, CA, USA (Partner Organisation)
MAPS-LED 2015-2019
S3: The Territorial Dimension of Research and Innovation Regional Policies
The project intends to examine how S3 can be implemented, with respect to the new agenda of Europe 2020, by incorporating a place-based dimension. The main aims are: 1) to identify and examine S3 in terms of spatial, social and environmental factors; 2) to take into account local needs and opportunities driving regional policy interventions not only to emphasize “Key Enable Technologies”, but also to empower local innovation process – tacit knowledge, embedded social networks, innovative milieu.
The selected theme of the project is a response to the demand for “a comprehensive innovation strategy to enhance Europe's capacity to deliver smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and highlights the concept of smart specialisation as a way to achieve these goals” (Smart Specialisation Platform – European Commission).
The main objective of the MAPS-LED program is to build and test an evidence- based methodology for recognizing and assessing emerging and potential of S3. The methodology will be developed by drawing insights from existing successful US Clusters.
Following the Smart Specialisation Platform (European Commission), the general track of the project is to implement smart specialization as a key element for place-based regeneration policies for local economic areas.
The MAPS-LED process starts from a place-based framework and will include two important drivers:
1. Cluster policy and cluster-based analysis,
2. Innovative milieu in terms of the local value chains based on the urban-rural linkages.
The MAPS-LED project will be built in order to connect three important key-factors including:
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Governance – in terms of cluster policy and based cluster analysis;
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Localization – in terms of place-based approach;
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Territorial network – in terms of innovative milieu based on urban-rural link.
The core of this network activity will be driven by joint research and training activities along three main topics:
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Innovation approaching the S3 concept through spatial planning (city-region and S3);
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Innovation in assessing the potential S3 (cluster policy and territorial milieu).
Boston Cambridege Case studies
Cluster Spatialization at city level
The multidisciplinary approach of the research has disclosed interesting lens of investigations in connecting urban studies with the dynamics of innovation and knowledge. The main cases derived from a GIS cluster spatialisation methodology applied at city level (Boston and Cambridge) that revealed important nexus with urban planning policy and tools. This methodology is based on spatially-led and governance-oriented approach to trace the behaviour of "place" in fostering knowledge dynamics to promote innovation. The first research question entails:
How cluster performance factors can be combined with the context characteristics by highlighting the spatial implications of knowledge dynamics?
The research activities demonstrated that the geographic concentration of cluster is characterized by a multiscalar and multivariable geography, in the sense that, in each territorial dimension (from state level to city level), the cluster provides a conceptual framework to describe and analyze important aspects of modern economies of that territorial dimension. Its role is not to define a specific area, but to characterize the specific geographic area in terms of innovation, specialization and capacity to activate competitive and comparative advantages. According to the applied spatialisation methodology, the cluster even with a physical configuration acquire the connotation a proxy for innovation concentration because its occurrence is strictly connected to innovation, specialization, job creation that are the success factors of cluster.
The emerging places in which innovation is concentrated, from clusters' spatialisation, are urban areas subjected to urban regeneration initiatives, some of them explicitly finalized to innovation.
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CLUDs Conceptual Frame
The Approach
The main hypothesis started from the consideration that the development of a socio-economic territorial network can act as driver for sustainable urban regeneration and rural areas competitiveness, by involving producers and sellers in targeted urban-rural areas, also acting on food chains.
Two are the main topics:
- Urban regeneration connected to urban rural link;
- From rural area to urban district The CLUDs project aimed at investigate the key success factors acting in urban regeneration processes:
- Enhancement the local economy from the perspective of the network;
- Competitive repositioning of the urban district in the global economy;
- Sustainability of interventions of urban regeneration thanks to the integrated logistics (Km 0) and community planning oriented approach;
- Improvement of services to citizens.