Smart-up BSR

Engagement for a shared vision

Smart-Up BSR addressed the challenge of making regional research and innovation strategies (RIS3) relevant and effective to a diverse set of stakeholders. It did so by pooling the dispersed knowledge and capabilities together by engaging regional actors, universities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), politicians, and businesses to create a shared vision of regional development and smart specialisation strategies across the Baltic Sea. Collective vision and strategy development help to create and maintain stakeholder commitment and a sense of ownership.

Innovation camps: networking for a brighter future

Smart-Up BSR organised ten innovation camps to facilitate the interaction between business, academia, civil service organisations, and other NGOs. The camps took place both virtually and onsite in Aarhus (Denmark), Palanga-Klaipeda (Lithuania), Tallinn (Estonia), Brandenburg (Germany), Helsinki-Espoo-Kotka (Finland), Gdansk-Gdynia-Sopot (Poland) and Riga (Latvia).

The concept was specifically designed to increase innovativeness and be a major learning instrument. The camps generated bottom-up and needs-driven innovation, providing an opportunity for co-creation, experimenting, and building trans-regional networks for more effective RIS3 implementation in the Baltic Sea region.

Cooperating across borders on smart solutions

During the innovation camps, participants addressed challenges for promoting regional smart specialisation put forward by cities, regions, universities, NGOs, and businesses across the Baltic Sea. Additionally, experts from the Committee of the Regions and EU Joint Research Centre advised participants on how to advance innovative solutions to those challenges.

The involved organisations developed and prototyped different pilots for each of the chosen  thematic content areas: active healthy ageing, smart cities, climate change, and circular economy. Thanks to the better conditions to cooperate in innovation and entrepreneurship activities, regions across the Baltic Sea have enhanced their capacity to practice smart specialisation approaches.

For instance, the Aarhus pilot centred around establishing a regional GovTech Center for municipalities. This trans-regional initiative helped municipalities explore, test, and implement emerging technologies.

Another successful example is the pilot in Latvia. In this case, the University of Latvia initiated cooperation with the Riga City Council on the theme of a smart city. The partners developed the “Green University” concept for the horizontal environment and sustainability-related projects aiming at climate neutrality.