Fifteen years after they were launched, it is still difficult to establish whether smart specialisation strategies for research and innovation in EU regions are achieving their goals. This is the main observation of an analysis by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). The auditors highlight three main challenges that are yet to be mastered: making sure meaningful priorities are identified and funded, promoting tangible cooperation between EU regions, and assessing whether smart specialisation is actually playing its intended role.
Research and development: Unclear if EU regional specialisation lives up to lofty promises
