The second phase of an EU funded project, designed to encourage innovation and increase prosperity across eight regions of Europe, is set to begin in 2022, and will inform the creation of an exciting new innovation plan for Wales.
The Welsh Government’s Innovation team is launching the second phase of the COHES3ION project, a three-year EU Interreg project which brings together 10 partners from eight European countries – including Wales – with the aim of promoting business growth and job creation across Europe through best practice and policy.
Each partner country is encouraged to share best practice and promote the dissemination of knowledge through a series of learning projects which took place throughout 2021. The project seeks to increase inter-regional cohesion and help inspire other countries to continually revisit and adapt their own Smart specialisation strategies, and ultimately develop a Regional Action Plan.
The COHES3ION project collated important insights gained in the first phase and project partners carried out a regional diagnosis to identify areas of collaboration and synergy, as well as looking at areas for improvement in the governance of research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation.
Through its learning with other regions, the Wales Innovation team will now develop and implement its regional action plan (RAP) which will also inform the creation of a new Innovation Strategy for Wales, due to be released later this year.
The Welsh Government has set out to co-create an Innovation Strategy for Wales for the next decade with a vision to build the nation’s innovation ecosystem with a fairer, prosperous, healthier, and globally responsible Wales. The COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit, and other systemic problems in the Welsh Innovation ecosystem have hindered sustainable economic development and require the adoption of more innovative ways of policymaking to create systemic change with lasting impact.
As a partner on the Interreg Europe-funded COHES3ION project, Welsh Government has adopted the European Commission’s Smart Specialisation approach to redefining the nation’s future research and innovation priorities.
The development of the Welsh Government regional action plan (RAP) is a key output of the COHES3ION project and will help inform and support the forthcoming Wales Innovation Strategy, with the ultimate goal of helping to secure a prosperous and sustainable future for Wales and its citizens.
