D1.1 - Report on the European regions characterization and identification of innovation ......

This report aims at identifying the innovation domains to be dealt in the Explore project. Thus, these innovation domains will set the categories under which the exploitable research results will be classified and transferred to the target manufacturing sectors. In this respect, it identifies and describes the main innovation domains that are derived on the one hand from the characterization of the European regions involved in the Explore project and on the other, from the main innovation challenges and needs for the selected sectors within the manufacturing industry. As it can be observed in the following map, the targeted Explore regions belong to different innovation performance groups. Therefore, the project will work with a sample of the four different categories of regions with regards to innovation performance. Task 1.1 aims at characterizing the European Regions which are EXPLORE Partners. This information will be used in the project to develop instruments that support innovation targeting, i.e. the identification of Regions and Sectors that, based on their manufacturing and economic peculiarities, can benefit from the exploitation of different research results. In the project Description of Work (DoW) it is stated that a sample of ten Regions will be selected and mapped in order to design and demonstrate the new EXPLORE approach and methodology. To involve Regions in this process, project partners in contact with the Regions asked them to formally state their commitment initially by signing a letter of Intent and then by indicating a reference person responsible to act as interface between the project and the Region. Seventeen Regions, seven more than the planned number, declared formally to be interested in the project and to be available to cooperate. This response was considered very positive because, besides proving interest of the Regions in the potential innovation generated by the exploitation of European research results, it will allow to prove the benefits and the applicability of the EXPLORE outcomes in a wider and heterogeneous regional context across Europe, thus maximizing the economic value of the investment in R&D and innovation. Consequently, rather than selecting Regions in order to restrict their number to ten, it was decided to accommodate all Regions in the mapping framework, even if it required additional analysis and relationship effort. A similar approach was also followed to the Manufacturing Sectors, as will be explained later on. The Regions mapping was implemented through both quantitative and qualitative data analysis, accessing direct and indirect sources (e.g. public EU databases, innovation-related websites, and direct interview with significant regional representatives). Quantitative data investigated three main information areas: general information about the economic and industrial structure of the regions (e.g. population, economics, labour market, etc.); specific information about regional manufacturing commitment (e.g. manufacturing employees, manufacturing companies, level of technological development in manufacturing, etc.); and specific information about the regional R&D system (e.g. R&D expenditures, patents, R&D employees, etc.). Qualitative analysis, which allowed complementing quantitative figures with more in-depth (though less structured) information indicating regional propensity and support to innovation, was carried out through direct interviews with the Regions, the exchange of documents provided directly by them and an additional analysis of national and international innovation-related websites (e.g. CORDIS, ESFRI, research centres and universities, industrial associations, innovation centres, etc.). The direct approach with the Regions made clear that many Regions in the sample are interested in the EXPLORE approach also because they are in the middle of a critical process of definition of their Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3). If on one hand this raises attention to the project, on the other this situation does not enable Regions to provide precise and definitive information about the future of innovation-related activities, and about the right organizational interfaces to be indicated to the project. Consequently, we consider this work to be still open and of evolutionary nature. It was therefore decided to release this Deliverable as a first version of the report containing the available information collected until now and corresponding systematic analysis, with the intention to deliver a second version of the report in the next months when a steadier picture is settled. The new version will be based on more updated qualitative information and, very probably, on a higher number of Regions that will provide qualitative inputs (quantitative analysis is completed for all Regions). The results of the task showed that the Regions in the sample allow covering different cases in terms of size, manufacturing specialization, propensity to innovation, potential benefits, etc. Thus, they constitute a representative sample for the EXPLORE project. It is worth mentioning too that the work started already with more than the 10 contracted regions. An initial group of 13 regions had early expressed their interest in being involved, to which more regions have joined during the course of this task. Even though this is a significant indicator to the project and to the relevance of its outcomes, it also raised serious operational questions, mainly to what concluding on time the first analysis for characterizing and selecting those regions is concerned, as new information has to be collected and processed, thus delaying the final work. Furthermore, due to the holidays season we had gone through, the project faced some difficulties in collecting data and information from those regions, thus delaying the final processing and writing of this Report. On the other hand, Task 1.2 focused on the sectorial characterization, meaning to observe several manufacturing sectors and their industries in Europe. Along the same line, as it is shown on the figure, the manufacturing sector in Europe represents a huge number of companies and employees as well as value added for the countries and regions. Consequently, supporting the development of production technologies as bases for manufacturing development represents an effective strategy to spread innovation in Europe. The first step of the task was to select 10 relevant industrial sectors to be addressed in EXPLORE. In order to achieve this, the sectors were defined, criteria were set and the analysis was conducted by using the relevant sectorial data. As stated before, due to the interested participation of more than the 10 mandatory sectors, we have decided not to restrict their participation in the project for the moment, keeping this activity open and evolving. After having characterized the industrial sectors according to relevant criteria, this information was discussed and validated at a preliminary workshop held in Brussels, on December 17th 2013, along with the discussion of preliminary conclusions concerning the Regions characterization. Afterwards, in the second step, the EXPLORE team carried out a gap-analysis, in order to identify the relevant challenges and needs of innovation for each sector. The team identified European Technological Platforms (ETPs) and Associations representing the sectors, analysed their existing roadmaps, Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas (SRIAs), and sectorial diagnosis, and finally summarized the sectorial main innovation challenges. In the third step, an Intersectorial Workshop was held aiming at identifying the common needs and challenges related to innovation. In order to achieve this, an appropriate workshop procedure was elaborated, where either stakeholders of Industrial sectors or the corresponding EXPLORE partner were present to contribute to the discussion and conclusions. The Workshop was conducted in Stuttgart on January 17th, 2014. A further step of this workshop will be to formally validate with each Sector the previously identified and analysed needs and challenges along with the corresponding innovation domains. To sum up, in task 1.2 industrial sectors were defined and selected; their main innovation challenges were identified and compared to each other. Cross-sectorial common needs were derived and declared as domains of innovation. The following results of task 1.2 can be used for further tasks in EXPLORE: o24 industrial sectors including analysis on evaluation criteria: used for task 1.1 to characterize the regions, will later on be used for prioritizing sectors by importance e.g. at match-making events in WP4 oSectorial gap-analysis: will be used for mapping innovation and identify potential Industrial sectors as users in WP4 (New Exploitation Opportunities and Pilot Lines Roadmap). oNominated Innovation Domains: were used for task 1.3 for detailed investigation, will also be used for clustering R&D exploitable results in WP3 (Selecting and Clustering Exploitable Results) and for the matchmaking process concerning innovation owners and their potential users. Finally, chapter 3 presents the results of part of the third task of WP1, that is, "Defining and characterizing the innovation domains". Concretely, from the Stuttgart Workshop discussion on the initial list of innovation domains, a new list of innovation domains has resulted, and will be used and evolved in the remaining EXPLORE activities. Two approaches have been used to refine and validate the domains presented early in the EXPLORE proposal: oFirst, a top-down approach, where the domains have been discussed with representatives of industrial sectors and some have been redefined, grouped or newly identified. oSecond, a bottom up approach, consisting in clustering previous FP7 NMP call topics (2007-2012) in the phase of proposal and the innovation domains of already finished successful projects from Manunet. A subsequent analysis has been done, resulting in the new version of the domains list, according not only to the outcomes from the experts' debate, but also the related priorities stated in the Factories of the Future 2020 Roadmap prepared by EFFRA. It is foreseen that the list of innovation domains might naturally have some changes on further steps of the EXPLORE project. All in all, 18 innovation domains have been named as follows: oEnergy efficiency oRobotics oMaterial processing oAdditive manufacturing oSmart and flexible manufacturing oGreen processes oSurface technologies oMechatronics / factory automation oDigital manufacturing oNon Destructive Testing oAdvanced materials manufacturing oCustomization oAssembly and disassembly oE-manufacturing oLife cycle management. oStrategy and technology oHuman centered manufacturing oNetworks This Deliverable includes the outcomes of part of Task 1.3. Along the same lines, Deliverable 1.2 will take a closer look at the characterization of the innovation domains. Thus, it will focus on their boundaries and will include examples of relevant technologies. It will also map the selected domains regarding their regional and sectorial coverage, and finally, it will conclude with clustering recommendations for policy making.