This document summarizes a report on implementing smart specialization strategies (RIS3) in the Basque Country. It discusses the Basque RIS3's thematic priorities in areas like bioscience, health, advanced manufacturing, energy, food, urban habitat, and cultural industries. It outlines the new RIS3 governance structure with different departments leading certain priority areas. It also highlights some good practices in the Basque RIS3 process, including taking a thorough approach to reforming the regional innovation system, generating distributed leadership, and grounding priority definitions in sound evidence-based diagnostics. The document concludes by discussing challenges like keeping the RIS3 process alive and flexible, strengthening multi-level and cross-department coordination, and

1. 8th June 2016
IMPLEMENTING RIS3:
THE CASE OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY
A report prepared for the Presidency Department of the Basque Government by:
Professor Mari José Aranguren (Orkestra-Deusto University)
Professor Kevin Morgan (Cardiff University)
Dr. James Wilson (Orkestra-Deusto University)

2. What is a RIS3 Strategy?
2
Content
“Smart specialisation is about placing greater emphasis on
innovation and focusing scarce human and financial RTDI
resources in a few globally competitive areas”. (p. 41)
Process
“Smart specialisation strategies entail a process of
entrepreneurial discovery, identifying globally distinct niches
and steering the RTDI and business innovation efforts of all
stakeholders towards those areas” (p. 41)
• European Commission. Commission Staff Working Document.
• Document accompanying the Commission Communication on Regional Policy contributing to smart growth in Europe 2020.
COM(2010) 553 final

3. Implementing RIS3 in Euskadi
3
• How we get to the reflections that I will share today?
– Interviews with 36 people involved implementing the RIS3
– Analysis of RIS3 documentation
– Writing a report that will be published next week (www.orkestra.deusto.es)
• Which was the aim of this process?
To get into the heart of the processes that are underway in the Basque Country
as it seeks to move from the design to the implementation of its RIS3, and to
reflect on the challenges that it faces as the process moves forwards

4. Thematic priorities in the Basque RIS3
4
Biociencia
s Salud
ScientificandTechnological
Business Capabilities
Opportunity Niches
Food
Urban Habitat
Cultural and Creative Industries
Ecosystems
Bioscience
Health
2 November 2015
21 July 2015
24 JulY 2015
30 June 2015
23-25 November 2015
Advanced
Manufacturing
30 June 2015
Energy
10 november 2015

5. New RIS3 governance
5

6. 6
Department Roles
Presidency Leadership of overall RIS3 process and convener of inter-departmental
committee
Competitiveness and Economic Development Leadership of Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Priority Areas, and
Food Opportunity Niche
Health Leadership of Biosciences-Health Priority Area
Education Language and Culture Leadership of Culture and Creative Industry Opportunity Niche
Environment and Territorial Policy Leadership of Environmental Ecosystems Opportunity Niche
Employment and Social Policy: Housing Directorate Leadership of Urban Habitat Opportunity Niche
Public Administration and Justice Leadership of transversal Big Data project
Treasury and Finance Participation in inter-departmental committee
New RIS3 governance

7. Good practices: A positive picture
7
• The Basque Country is taking advantage of the opportunities presented by
RIS3 to review & reform its regional innovation system & strategy
– Not just a paper exercise to access EU regional funds
– As thorough as anything we have witnessed in the European Union
• The Basque RIS3 is generating distributed leadership
– Government plays a critical role in shaping the rules of the game, before stepping
back (even though that implies losing some control)
– Distributed leadership is facilitated by the creation of spaces where other agents
with the generosity and capabilities of assuming leadership in their areas of
interest and expertise can come forward

8. 8
• The Basque RIS3 is open to constructive criticism, learning and novelty
– Creation of a wholly new Advisory Group, to circumvent “wise old men”
– Openness to changes in the plan (an alive plan)
– This exercise of external reflection (Cardiff & Orkestra)
• The Basque RIS3 priority definition was grounded in sound diagnosis and contrast
– Multiple diagnostics (Orkestra’s competitiveness reports, SPRI’s analysis of capabilities,
opportunities & social needs for definition of priorities …).
Good practices: A positive picture

9. A RIS3 ‘Fit for the future’
9
1. Keeping RIS3 alive
– Systemic tension between commercial need for constant pivoting & political need for budget
setting
2. Collaborative and distributed leadership
– Government is stepping back, but to what extent will industry partners step forward?
3. Funding the RIS3 policy mix
– Programme flexibility, multi-department coordination & integration of private-sector funding
4. Multi-department coordination
– Build on success of inter-departmental committee & transversal working groups
5. Multi-level coordination
– Integration of local RIS3 plans into the operational work of steering groups
6. Monitoring and evaluation
– Continued investment of time and energy into a robust M&E system will support other
challenges
7. The political challenge
– Embed RIS3 process into the fabric of the territory so that it can survive electoral cycles

10. Sede de San Sebastián Sede de Bilbao
Universidad de Deusto, campus de Donostia
Mundaiz, 50
20012 Donostia/San Sebastián
Tel. 943 297 327
Universidad de Deusto, campus de Bilbao
Edificio La Comercial 2ªplanta
Hermanos Aguirre 2
48014 Bilbao
Tel. 94 413 90 06
© Instituto Vasco de Competitividad – Fundación Deusto
www.orkestra.deusto.es
¡Gracias! /Eskerrik asko!