Technopolis Group Portugal, in collaboration with the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR NORTE), the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN), and the Galicia-North Portugal European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (GNP, EGTC), has completed the updated study of the Cross-Border Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3T) for the Galicia – North Portugal Euroregion covering 2021-2027.
This is one of the rare cross-border smart specialisation strategies within the European Union. It was therefore with particular satisfaction that Technopolis Portugal made available to both regions its vast knowledge and extensive experience in developing smart specialisation strategies at the European level.
This significant update was publicly presented at the RIS3T Forum held on December 13, 2024, in Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal. The study revises the diagnosis of the regional innovation system, defines a shared vision, pinpoints priority areas for cooperation, and designs a new governance and monitoring model for the RIS3T.
This outcome was achieved through a consultation process involving around 200 participants across two entrepreneurial discovery workshops and approximately 120 surveys. The report highlights five transborder cooperation areas deemed priority:
- Agri-Food, focusing on sustainable management solutions for natural resources such as water and sustainable, digitised solutions for agriculture and food production.
- Industry, Mobility, and Energy, promoting sustainable and decarbonised industrial value chains supported by advanced technologies, with the green and digital transition at the heart of transforming industrial processes.
- Marine Resources and Economy, aimed at economically leveraging knowledge and the sustainable exploitation of marine resources, including blue biotechnology and marine renewable energies.
- Health and Well-being, developing innovative solutions to improve people’s well-being and address challenges such as population ageing and chronic disease prevention, including the advancement of digital health technologies.
- Tourism and Creative Industries, enhancing new tourist products that protect and valorise cultural, natural, and indigenous resources, while developing sustainable tourism practices.
This joint strategy aims to foster a coordinated approach between the two regions, enhancing the effectiveness and impact of public innovation policies. It seeks to increase scientific, technological, and business critical mass; strengthen synergies and complementarities between various funding sources; and attract more centrally managed European funds in research and innovation.
This comprehensive strategy update is poised to significantly influence the Euroregion’s trajectory towards a more integrated and innovative future, underscoring a shared commitment to sustainable and inclusive growth. The report is available in Portuguese here:
- Sumário Executivo: Estudo de Atualização da Estratégia de Especialização Inteligente Transfronteiriça da Eurorregião Galiza – Norte de Portugal para o Período 2021- 2027 (RIS3T)
- Relatório Final: Estudo de Atualização da Estratégia de Especialização Inteligente Transfronteiriça da Eurorregião Galiza – Norte de Portugal para o Período 2021- 2027 (RIS3T)
- Anexos: Estudo de Atualização da Estratégia de Especialização Inteligente Transfronteiriça da Eurorregião Galiza – Norte de Portugal para o Período 2021- 2027 (RIS3T)