Strategic development and innovation partnerships as a tool to strengthen innovation capability of Slovenian economy

Analize slovenskega inovacijskega sistema (OECD 2012; ERAC 2010; MVZT 2011; RIO poročila o Sloveniji) pogosto izpostavljajo dva osrednja problema: pomanjkanje specializacije pri usmerjanju raziskovalnega financiranja ter nezadostno in neustrezno usmerjeno sodelovanje med relativno razvito javno raziskovalno sfero in gospodarstvom. Ena od poti, ki naj bi ne le Sloveniji, ampak tudi drugim državam EU, pomagala na poti k bolj osredotočeni raziskovalni in inovacijski dejavnosti in tesnejši povezanosti med javno raziskovalno dejavnostjo in poslovnim sektorjem, je tudi oblikovanje strategije pametne specializacije in razvoj ukrepov, ki pomagajo pri realizaciji take strategije. Osrednji cilj strategije pametne specializacije, kot jo definira EU, je »oblikovanje prioritet na nacionalnem in regionalnem nivoju, ki bodo omogočale razvoj konkurenčnih prednosti s pomočjo skupnega razvoja raziskovalnih in inovacijskih kapacitet v skladu z zmožnostmi poslovnega sektorja. Cilj tega povezovanja je ustrezno skladno naslavljanje novih možnosti in razvoja trga tako, da se izognemo podvajanju in/ali fragmentaciji naporov«[1].  Usmeritev v Sloveniji je zajeta v uvodnem besedilu dokumenta Slovenske strategije pametne specializacije (S4): »Pametna specializacija predstavlja platformo za osredotočenje razvojnih vlaganj na področja, kjer ima Slovenija kritično maso znanja, kapacitet in kompetenc in na katerih ima inovacijski potencial za pozicioniranje na globalnih trgih ter s tem krepitev svoje prepoznavnosti« (SVRK 2015:1).
Pri opredelitvi ciljev Operativnega programa za izvajanje evropske kohezijske politike v obdobju 2014- 2020 (SVRK, 2014) na področjih R&R, inovativnosti in podjetništva  je bil v okviru Strategije pametne specializacije (SVRK, 2015a) oblikovan tudi predlog o formiranju posebnega novega načina povezovanja med gospodarskimi subjekti, javnimi raziskovalnimi organizacijami in drugimi deležniki. Ustanavljanje strateških razvojno-inovacijskih partnerstev (SVRK, 2015b)  naj bi prispevalo k vzpostavitvi dolgoročnih javno-zasebnih partnerstev z vodilno vlogo deležnikov (ne države) pri vzpostavljanju verig vrednosti in organiziranju celovite podpore raziskovalni in inovacijski dejavnosti s ciljem prehoda na trg na prednostnih področjih Slovenske Strategije Pametne specializacije (S4). S povezovanjem strateških partnerjev se pričakuje nadgrajevanje obstoječih struktur povezovanja (centri odličnosti, kompetenčni centri, grozdi, itd.) v smeri izgradnje kakovostnejših kapacitet za strateški preboj na posameznih področjih S4. Ker je ukrep zasnovan tako, da bodo  pri financiranju in oblikovanju vsebinskih usmeritev glavno vlogo odigrali deležniki in ne država, je pričakovati, da bodo SRIP-i uspešni pri ustvarjanju takih povezav, ki bodo vodile v dolgoročno partnerstvo s ciljem povečanja dodane vrednosti v slovenskem gospodarstvu. Koncept in cilji SRIP-ov so opredeljeni v dokumentih, ki so spremljali izdelavo S4 in po svoji naravnanosti predstavljajo novost v slovenskem raziskovalno-inovacijskem sistemu. Poudarek na aktivni vlogi gospodarskih subjektov, osredotočenost na spodbujanje skupnega raziskovalno-razvojnega dela, ki naj ne temelji zgolj na raziskovalnih ciljih, ampak stremi v prvi vrsti k tržnemu preboju na identificiranih področjih ter vzpostavljanju verig vrednosti, katerih končni rezultat bi bila visoka dodana vrednost.  Sistematično vključevanje deležnikov iz Slovenije v mednarodne verige vrednosti je zahtevna naloga ki predvideva novo kakovost v povezovanju deležnikov. Zahtevnosti oblikovanja SRIP-ov bo morala slediti tudi metodologija za vrednotenje njihovega uspeha, ki bo morala biti večplastna in poleg uporabe uveljavljenih postopkov evalvacije vgraditi tudi določene specifike.
Cilj projekta je izdelava metodologije za vrednotenje SRIP v dveh fazah:
1) Priprava izhodiščnega predloga, ki bo vgradil v metodologijo pričakovanja oblikovalca ukrepa glede povezovanja, organizacijske strukture in procesov delovanja SRIP-ov.

The analyses of Slovenian innovation systems (OECD 2012; ERAC 2010; MVZT 2011; RIO reports on Slovenia) often stress two central problems: lack of specialisation in research financing as well as insufficient and improper cooperation between relatively well developed public research sphere and business sector. One of the ways which should, not just in Slovenia, but also in other EU countries, help in improved and more focused research and innovation activity and closer interlinkage of public research domain and business sector, is to be the development of smart specialisation strategy. In parallel, there should be new measures formulated which will help in implementing the strategy. The key objective of the strategy of smart specialisation, as defined by EU is to »set priorities at national and regional level to build competitive advantage by developing and matching research and innovation own strengths with business needs, to address emerging opportunities and market developments in a coherent manner, while avoiding duplication and fragmentation of efforts.[i]  The Slovenian focus is captured in the introductory section of the Slovenian smart specialisation strategy (S4): » Smart specialisation is a platform for concentrating development investments in areas where Slovenia has the critical mass of knowledge, capacities and competences and where there is innovation potential for placing Slovenia within global markets and thus enhancing its recognisability«. (SVRK 2015:1)

During the design of the objectives of the Operational Programme for the implementation of the European cohesion policy 2014-2020 (SVRK, 2014) in the fields of research, development, innovation and entrepreneurship a new instrument was proposed within the framework of Smart specialisation strategy (SVRK, 2015a). This new instrument should enable a formation of a novel model for cooperation between business entities, public research organisations and other stakeholders. The establishment of so called »strategic partnerships« (SVRK, 2015b) should contribute to the formation of long-term public-private partnerships with the leading role of the stakeholders (not the government) in establishment of value chains and organisation of complex support to the research and innovation activity with the objective of transition to the market in priority areas of S4. With the interlinkages build among the strategic partners the upgrading of the existing cooperation mechanisms (centres of excellence, competence centres, clusters, etc.) will be achieved, providing for improved competencies to enable a strategic breakthrough in the individual priority areas of S4.  Since the instrument is designed so that its financing and content focus will be in the hands of stakeholders and not the government, it is expected that strategic partnerships will be successful in the formation of linkages which would lead towards long-term partnerships with objective of increased value added in Slovenian economy. The concepts and objectives of strategic partnerships are defined in the documents accompanying the preparation of S4 and in their concept represent a novelty in Slovenian research and innovation system. The specific attention is given to the active role of business sector, focus on promotion of joint research and development objectives, which are not driven by scientific goals only, but primarily aimed at promoting access to market in the identified priority areas, also through formation of value chains, where the result is high value added.  A systematic participation of stakeholders from Slovenia in the international value chains is a highly demanding task, which assumes new quality in the cooperation of stakeholders. The demanding process of establishment of strategic partnerships will have to be followed in the development of the methodology to evaluate their results.