Supporting an Innovation Agenda for the Western Balkans - Tools and Methodologies

Abstract

The Western Balkan region has significantly improved in terms of innovation performance in the\nlast ten years. However, in catching up with other European regions, the focus of innovation efforts\nshould be enhanced. Exports are still far more focused on medium- and low-technology products.\nInnovative efforts mostly accommodate traditionally strong sectors, which do not necessarily reflect\nthe ideal competitiveness paths for economies in the region. Although some Western Balkan\neconomies record increases in patent activity, patent intensity in the region is still low, while, on the\nother hand, scientific publication production displays a stable growth trend.\nWhile Western Balkan economies are at different stages in the formation of research and innovation\n(R&I) policy governance systems, national research and innovation policy frameworks are\ncontinuously being improved. The enhancement of governance in the area of R&I came as the\nresult of increased capacity building activities in the region, as well as of the real needs emerging\nas a result of social and economic transformation. On the other hand, R&I systems in the Western\nBalkan economies need to continue shifting their focus towards businesses to provide better balance\nbetween public and private sector orientation.\nThe Joint Research Centre of the European Commission is committed to supporting the shift in\ninnovation policies and improvement of R&I efforts and governance in the Western Balkan economies\nthrough a number of tools and activities, allowing policy instruments to be matched with\nthe specific needs of the economy. This approach seeks efficient governance mechanisms for R&I\npolicy by reaching out to the business sector and other important actors of the innovation ecosystem.\nIt determines sustainable development directions for economies and ensures the continuity\nof policy monitoring and evaluation cycles. This ambitious challenge is translated into four specific\nlines of activity: (i) the application of the smart specialisation methodology to design and implement\ninnovation strategies; (ii) capacity-building activities for technology transfer, in particular\nthrough specialised workshops, tools and instruments specifically designed to assist the academic\ninstitutions in the regional economies; (iii) support to transnational collaboration and linkages in the\ncontext of EU macro-regional strategies; and (iv) data quality enhancement.\nThe analysis of the development potential of the Western Balkan region in terms of economic,\ninnovative and scientific capabilities in this report is supported with the good practices addressing\nspecific challenges in the region.