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RIS3CAT strategy: context

Last March 2014, the Catalan government presented in Brussels the RIS3CAT: the Research and Innovation Strategy for the Smart Specialisation of Catalonia. This document aims at identifying top priority areas of economic activity for the region, a prerequisite set by the European Commission to the regions for receiving the ERDF funds (assessed at €1,980M between 2014-2020 for Catalonia).

Bax & Company was one of the consultancy firms selected to advice the Catalan government (ACCIO) in the definition of the RIS3CAT. The assignment included a detailed analysis and mapping of all Catalan economic sectors, that Bax & Company performed following an own model based on a matrix that related KETs (Key Enabling Technologies) with the sectors established by the EU (NACE2 codes). As a result,Bax & Company enabled a more fact-based development of the Catalan smart specialisation strategy.

RIS3 communities: the instrument towards R&D

Within the framework of the RIS3CAT, the Catalan government has officially closed the first call for the constitution of RIS3 communities today (May 2016), one of the instruments planned to implement the vision defined. RIS3 communities aim at gathering Catalan actors of the triple helix of innovation within one of the seven economic sectors prioritised in the RIS3CAT, hence creating the RIS3 communities. Main goal of each community is to define a high impact action plan to be implemented through the development of a number of collaborative R&D projects, funded through a joint effort between the community and the Catalan government (via ERDF funds).

To find out more about how your organisation could benefit from the RIS3CAT instruments to address your specific needs, please contact Ignacio Magallón or call on +34 93 476 04 44.