Opinion Factsheet 

A renewed European Agenda for Research and Innovation

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Opinion Number: CDR 3955/2018
Rapporteur: SACRÉDEUS Birgitta
Commission: SEDEC
Status: Adopted
Date: 06/02/2019
 
The need for broader definitions and understandings of regional ecosystems and innovation hubs, that explicitly acknowledge and include national, local and regional authorities, business, the non-state public sector, universities and higher education institutions, civil society and the not-for-profit sector, the public and end-users of research and innovation, in order to gain a real understanding of these location-specific, integrated ecosystems.ample objective 1
Further simplification of State aid rules so as to make it easier to combine different EU programmes, which is essential in order to overcome regional disparities in participating and undertaking successful research and innovation work. There is a direct correlation between less developed regions and low rates of investment in innovation and research.
Full participation of local and regional authorities in the strategic planning exercise and in other governance bodies that will guide the implementation of Horizon Europe, and for regional smart specialisation strategies to be taken into account in this context.
Involvement of local and regional authorities in the European Innovation Council.
Involvement of local and regional authorities in the definition and implementation of the missions.
Missions should be linked to the Sustainable Development Goals in whose implementation cities and regions play an essential role.
July-August 2019: 5 CoR rapporteurs (Clergeau, Markkula, Sacredeus, Dooley and Irujo Amezaga) produced a joint letter regarding the strategic planning and implementation of Horizon Europe. The EC and EP were informed about the main points of this letter.
THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

 stresses that local and regional authorities are key players in the creation of effective regional ecosystems and innovation hubs, for example in the development of regional smart specialisation strategies (RIS3s). It is important for the new agenda, as well as programmes supporting research and innovation, to highlight the public sector and its role not just as recipients of research and innovation but also as R&I stakeholders that themselves undertake such activities;

 points out that there is a direct correlation between less developed regions and low rates of investment in innovation and research;

 urges for the inclusion in the legislative texts that will finally be adopted of a precise definition of regional ecosystems and innovation hubs allowing these ecosystems to be effectively taken into account in the implementation of all strands of the future Framework Programme;

 believes that State aid rules need to be further simplified so as to make it easier to combine different EU programmes, which is essential in order to overcome regional disparities in participation and opportunities to undertake successful research and innovation work;

 urges, in the light of the conclusions of the Task Force on Subsidiarity, for the full participation of local and regional authorities in the strategic planning exercise and in other governance bodies that will guide the implementation of Horizon Europe, and for regional smart specialisation strategies to be taken into account in this context;

 takes the view that local and regional authorities must be involved in the European Innovation Council alongside representatives from academia and business;

 reminds the need to involve local and regional authorities in the definition and implementation of the missions; believes that the missions should be linked to the sustainable development goals set out in the UN's Agenda 2030 and stresses the essential role of cities and regions in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
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