Author: cmatti

Policy mixes fostering regional capacity in low carbon economy in peripheral European regions

This study provides evidence on the application of a regional policy model through a portfolio of actions to support entrepreneurship and development of professional competences. For doing so, we analyse the capacity building process delivered through the EIT RIS Climate-KIC programme in the context of peripheral European regions. In the context of the EIT RIS those are defined as the ones showing innovation performance below the EU average according to the European Innovation Scoreboard.

Emphasis is put on the alignment of multiple stakeholders with existing regional innovation plans such as Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) by which policy mixes emerge with the purpose of reinforcing synergies and complementarities between EU, national, regional innovation initiatives while developing and activating large-scale “green” projects. The study addresses then the performance of the peripheral regions to improve the knowledge triangle integration. We argue that a variety of mechanisms for public-private collaboration is required to effectively support technological as well as practice-base innovation.

The case of European peripheral regions is a concrete example of the application of policy mixes by considering a variety of regional settings in terms of industrial history and governance configurations. The empirical study is based on the comparative analysis of the results of a portfolio of activities as well complementary interviews to regional policy officers. Results show that the successful alignment between regional priorities and low-carbon economy projects can be explained by how clear is the understanding of horizontal relations between stakeholders to define the long term direction of regional innovation.

Results has been already presented in the following conferences

  • RSA Annual Conference 2017 “the Great Regional Awakening: New Directions“, 4th-7thJune 2017 ,Dublin, Ireland

Abstract book

  • 12th CONFERENCE REGIONAL INNOVATION POLICIES (RIP 2017), 26-27 October 2017, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Final programme

  • European Week of Region and Cities – Master Class 2017

Final programme

Research Team: Cristian Matti, Julia Panny, Irene Vivas Lalinde and Balnca  Juan Agulló

 

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Innovation platforms enabling cross-regional collaboration in low-carbon economy

The interdependent challenges of climate change need innovation in systems of practice and provision, not single innovation in products and processes. In this context, cities face the challenge of dealing with climate risks and impacts, while moving to more sustainable, zero-carbon and resilient pathways. This is a major opportunity for a new, sustainable market to combine existing knowledge and economies of scale that exist within urban environments to produce new systemic solutions. However, there are considerable differences in progress between the leading cities (mostly in Northern/Western Europe) and the one’s lagging behind. Intra-EU disparity claims for the existence of platforms that follow a systemic approach instead of “picking the winner”. The structures which allow for the coordination of a variety of actors by combining individual goals and capacities with shared purposes, norms and expectations, refers to innovation platforms.

This study addresses the role of innovation platforms as catalysers of existing (or new) innovation systems in the field of sustainable urban transitions to explore market opportunities. Empirically, emphasis is put in the analysis of the underlying factors of geographical structural differences and what are the patterns of relations between knowledge spaces and governance configurations. For doing so, we analyse the portfolio of projects and activities of the EIT Climate-KIC. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding on innovation platforms as a mechanism to accelerate innovation in the urban environment that can contribute to enhance collaboration to achieve more equally distributed progress across all Europe.

First results of this study are based in the activities implemented in the EIT RIS programme covering peripheral EU regions. Results has been already presented in the following conferences:

  • 4th Geography of Innovation Conference, Barcelona , January 31st– February 2nd, 2018

Conference program

  • UN/WASD International Conference on Public private partnership for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10-13 April 2018, Geneva

Conference presentation

Research project team: Cristian Matti, Irene Vivas Lalinde, Julia Panny and Balnca Juan Agulló

 

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Policy lessons on multi-level governance. The EU RIS model in Chilean regions

This study provides evidence of the policy learning process related to the translation and adaptation of a regional policy model to a new context while implementing a mayor process of transference of competences.  Emphasis is put in the process of translation and adaptation of an external regional policy model (the EU RIS scheme) by looking at the different understandings of regional system of innovation through the analysis of regional assessments and proposals for regional innovation strategies designed by Chilean regions. By doing so, this study seeks to identify the critical elements related to capacity building at different level regarding the development of new institutional frameworks and coordination mechanism by considering the agency issues and different regional settings.

The case of Chilean regions is a concrete example from the few experience on adapting European policies in other context. It is also a relevant case regarding the re-configuring of multilevel governance system to support innovation in an emergent and globalized economy. Empirical study is base in document review and content analysis techniques as well as complementary interviews to policy officers. Results shows an increasing autonomy of the regional governments while main policy instruments and resources still keep under central coordination.

Reverse engineering for multilevel governance. Lessons learnt from the application of EU RIS model in Chilean regions
11th Regional Innovation Policies Conference 2016.  
Cardiff University in Wales on the 3 and 4 November 2016
Catalina Terra  – Universidad de Chile  & Cristian Matti – Utrecht University & Climate KIC
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Urban specialisation & sustainability transitions

The pattern of specialization in the cities of Transition cities project are analysed through the application of Circos (Krzywinski et al., 2009) data graphics tool for structural studies. The exercise seeks to facilitate the analysis of specialization evidence from patterns in the data.

In the working paper we present a new sociotechnical and systemic approach to urban specialization with a policy focus on challenge-led clusters. Specialization patterns are explored through urban sociotechnical systems where networks and organisations act as “transition arenas” in a policy shift to the meso regime level as a new focus of transformative innovation. It is an alternative to the traditional macro/micro split more attuned to systemic rather than singular innovation, and offers a broader definition of innovation, which highlights social, organisational, and business model novelty.

1st SMARTER Conference on Smart Specialisation and Territorial Development 28-30 September, Seville
Challenge-led and participatory learning processes to facilitate urban strategies for innovation on low carbon futures
Cristian Matti, Fred Steward and Andreas Huck

tc-cities_cities-and-inno-categories

Download the conference presentation here

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Multi-level governance, policy mixes and wind energy in Spain

This paper is the result of my travel to the policy studies. It is part a main part of my PhD research study and the PICK ME project but it also takes lessons learnt on governance and innovation policy during my research stays in Enschede and Manchester. The objective of this paper is to understand to what extent instruments designed at different levels of policy domains can be coordinated as part of an organic process. At the same time,  it also tries to highlight some aspects of the story behind the emergence of the Spanish wind energy sector, a successful trajectory in terms of both energy and specialized technology production.

Davide and Elvira are my co-authors but also memorable fellows on this trip to policy studies.

Matti, C., Consoli, D. and Uyarra, E. (2016). Multi level policy mixes and industry emergence: The case of wind energy in Spain. Accepted for publication in ‘Understanding regional innovation policy dynamics: actors, agency and learning’ Environment and Planning C

 

 

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Practice-based knowledge on system innovation and sustainability transitions

System innovation and Climate Change addresses practitioners’ demand of adaptable and flexible tools easy to transfer to their challenges and problems.

Practitioners are targeted as users of practice-base knowledge who carry on activities in SMEs, applied research, NGOs as well as local and regional governments.

The learning approach is based in modular elements and blended format which, in practice, facilitates more horizontal interactions to work on challenges related to problem owner’s competences.

Active blended means that practice-based knowledge is introduced by the application of tools on the users’ cases as part of a problem-solving process. The tools are introduced by practitioner-oriented explanations through a multi-format learning platform.

The Visual toolbox booklet

“Visual toolbox for system innovation” is a booklet-format collection of ready-to-implement tools to structure and manage the challenges and exploit opportunities of sustainability innovations and transitions.

The tools are presented in a simple and visual approach with the purpose of supporting practitioners’ every-day work on climate change, transition and system innovation.

Download the Visual toolbox here

De Vicente Lopez, Javier and Matti, Cristian (2016). Visual toolbox for system innovation. A resource book for practitioners to map, analyse and facilitate sustainability transitions. Transition Hub Series. EIT Climate KIC, Brussels 2016. ISBN 978-2-9601874-1-0

The eLearning material

Multimedia eLearning nuggets has been developed as part of the blended approach. they are aimed to contribute to the design and implementation of trainings and capacity building process.

Access to the EIT Climate KIC eLearning portal: System Innovation 

Academic presentations

  • European Conference on Education 2016 (UK)
  • Future of Education conference 2017 (Italy)

      See Abstract

 

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Exploring foresight methodologies with the JRC Policy Lab

I am starting a collaboration with the JRC Policy Lab to work in the practical application of the JRC Scenario Exploration System (SES). After testing the game and a series of meeting with Laurent Bontoux we have seen the potential of the game for supporting the development of regional strategies while stimulating competences and skills on communication, negotiation and future orientation. We are currently working the combination of this game with tools on visioning and backasting from the Visual Toolbox for System Innovation.

See more here in the EU Policy Lab blog:

http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/eupolicylab/latest-news-on-the-jrc-ses/

Helping local communities chart a path towards their own greener future

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The Paris Statement on Learning for an Inclusive Green Economy

As part of post COP21, a series of initiatives are launched to explore collaboration in different areas and at different level of actions. The “THE PARIS SUMMARY STATEMENT ON LEARNING FOR AN INCLUSIVE GREEN ECONOMY” is an initiative aimed to provide a set of guiding principles to support learning strategies and delivery mechanism as a reference framework for decision makers, learning institutions and professionals to refer to and apply in their work, covering multiple areas regarding de definition, design and implementation of action in Inclusive Green Economy Learning.

I was invited to take part in the launching event of this initiative and facilitate the participation of Climate KIC in this big network of institutions that support  the debate on the need of Inclusive Green Economy and Learning toward creation of bridges in the research-policy-practice continuum. The initiative promotes interdisciplinary, multi-sectoral and multi-level approaches to empower individuals, communities and societies toward achievement of the regional and national strategies related to low-carbon economy.

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logo-evento-stepThe launch event “Opening the development agenda,” the STEPS center – Sustainable Alternatives for Latin America, was held on 5 and 6 November in Buenos Aires. STEPS Latin America is part of a network of universities based China, USA, Kenya, India, the UK and Sweden. STEPS Latin America seeks to renew and open innovation agenda and sustainability of the region, based on the idea that there are different paths to development. During the two-day panel on Open Science, Innovation inclusive, horizontal innovations for sustainability and natural resources and development which will have important guests were made internationally. My participation in this event was to design and facilitation of participatory workshops with the aim of thinking policies to promote open knowledge production and think a new research agenda on innovation and sustainable development for the region.

The workshop Policies to open the generation of knowledge was based in participatory techniques aimed to allow jointly identification of a number of items such as tools, methodologies and priorities related to S & T policy. Brainstorming techniques and World Cafe are used to enhance the diversity of perspectives and facilitate the exchange of ideas between different actors. The outcome of this workshop will be digitized and shared with participants to encourage collaboration in different areas.

The workshop Research agenda for sustainable development was based in participatory techniques for making maps on areas of knowledge and research priorities through a prospective approach. By visualizing a future scenario, the exercise seeks to help participants to relate different elements at different levels and over time in order to facilitate change processes at the system level. The outcome of this workshop will be digitized and shared with participants to encourage collaboration in different areas.

The event was part of the new line of collaboration between Transition Hub – Climate KIC and the STEPs center. Further actions are related with the co-development of learning materials and exploring research opportunities in the area of resilient and smart agricultural systems

See full agenda of the event here & summary of event in STEP website

 

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