Good practice:

FORUM S3

The S3 FORUMS are places of discussion open to all stakeholders of the regional innovation ecosystem born with the aim of monitoring and updating the S3 thematic orientations and to suggest policies and intervention tools for a more effective implementation of the strategy itself.
They are promoted by the regional Government, with support from in-house organisations, and in agreement with trade unions and other social and entrepreneurial institutions, with a bottom-up approach.
Each forum has a thematic focus on a specialisation area or innovation driver connected to the S3 priorities.
The forum is built around thematic tables where research laboratories, clusters, enterprises and higher education institutions analyze the state of art in S3 implementation and cope with the identification of some strategic objectives, to shape the priorities of the regional interventions of the future. The discussion focuses, for each objective, on:
• Technological relevance and related regional strengths
• Impacts on the competitiveness of the regional industry
• Social consequences
• Weaknesses and risks
• International dimension
• Proposals of policy tools and actions to help achieve the goal.
The main output of the working tables are presented and discussed in the framework of large public events and the proposals are wrapped up in specific reports fostering integration and synergies among different policy actions.

8000 Euros to cover the events expenses and 5 person months

After a first pilot edition launched in 2018, S3 Forum organised in 2019 involved 240 stakeholders taking part to 9 working tables and debating their main outcomes in the framework of 3 public events focused on cross-cutting regional challenges. They provided relevant inputs for the definition of RIS3 of the next programming period outlining the need of inter-sectors approaches and the role of the regional Clust-ERs in the coordination of inputs and in the development of new strategic proposals.

Industrial research could be a valid tool to change and trigger innovation in many sectors, but it constantly needs a review based on the needs and insights of the actors influencing or directly involved in its implementation. Potential further applications and spillover effects deserve to be analyzed as well. Building a methodology that aims to co-create a policy strategy with the involvement of the triple helix actors could be very challenging and needs some preparatory actions for: 1) a constant animation and connection with the ecosystem; 2) a clear value proposition in terms of outcome and advantages for all the participants.
In the present scenario S3 Forums are a good example of a co-creation model involving all relevant stakeholders.