The future of innovation ecosystems: recommendations from the European Smart Specialisation Workshop

With the ongoing preparations for the EU’s 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework, the European Workshop on Smart Specialisation, entitled “Universities as Regional Lead Institutions”, held under the auspices of the Austrian Presidency of the EU Council, provided an opportunity to take stock of past achievements and identify emerging priorities for building successful European innovation ecosystems in the post-2020 period.

In this document, EUA presents the main messages and recommendations on the role of universities in this context and the need for them to contribute to innovation, building on the key factors identified by EUA for successful Smart Specialisation Strategies. The present messages and recommendations are complementary to the conclusions of the 9th Week of Innovative Regions in Europe (WIRE), which were endorsed by the audience of the workshop.