According to the definition used by the European Commission itself, national and regional research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation (RIS3 strategies) involve agendas integrated with territorial economic transformation that address five major issues:
- They focus on supporting policies and investment in priorities, key challenges and needs of the country or region for knowledge-based development.
- They leverage the strengths, competitive advantages and potential for excellence in each country or region.
- They Support technological innovation, as well as that based on practice, which aim to stimulate private sector investment.
- They fully involve participants and encourage innovation and experimentation.
- They are based on evidence and include solid monitoring and evaluation systems.
As for our region, we start with a fundamental premise: Extremadura has the potential to become a research, development and innovation space for innovation under two main priorities, which are the sustainable management of natural resources and the implementation of technologies for quality of life.
Based on these two priorities for specialisation, we must rely on five areas of excellence, that we are really good at, and which allow us to improve competitiveness and create new opportunities for entrepreneurship and for attracting businesses. Which are they? Food and agriculture, clean energy, tourism, health, and information and communications technology.
