Tools for Smart Specialisation

The Online S3 Platform gives you access to free online tools and a comprehensive guide for creating, monitoring and updating your regional or national Smart Specialisation strategy.

Create a user account to get the most out of the platform.

Online S3 Platform was developed in the framework of H2020 - SwafS. It is a different initiative from the JRC S3 Platform.

Guide

We provide a comprehensive practical guide on the RIS3 development process complete with examples and case studies from European regions.

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Toolbox

We provide an extensive set of easy-to-use online tools that support you when planning and implementing your RIS3 process.

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Forum

Our forum is there for you to share and discuss your experiences with RIS3 and with our platform.

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RIS3 stands for Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation

Regional Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3) are an ex-ante condition for ERDF EU funding.

What is RIS3?

RIS3, a regional/national research and innovation strategy for Smart Specialisation, is a relatively new policy concept developed by the European Union. It has been adopted as part of the EU cohesion policy and has become a precondition for receiving funding from European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Hence, RIS3 strategy development has become an important activity for regional and national level authorities in the EU.

Smart Specialisation is about identifying a region’s key activities, areas or technological domains that given them a competitive advantage and about focusing efforts on those activities, areas and/or domains. In other words, R&D and innovation funding should not be spread thinly across a broad range of technology areas but should rather focus on carefully selected priority areas that give a region an inter-regional competitive advantage.

Nonprofit and Open Access

The Online S3 Platform has been created as part of an EU-co-funded Research and Innovation project called ‘Online S3’. The outcomes of the project that are available on this website are open access and are provided on a nonprofit basis. This means that this platform with its tools and guidance materials are freely accessible to everyone.