S3 Community of Practice
The central knowledge and information hub for Smart Strategies Specialisation
The Smart Specialisation Community of Practice (S3 CoP) is the central node on guidance, networking, support and peer-learning on S3, covering its conceptual development and its implementation.
The community builds on the decade-long experience on Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) and brings it forward with a fresh approach. It provides practitioners with a broad set of strategic services, by understanding their needs and co-designing solutions on any relevant S3 aspect.
The S3 CoP aims at reaching out to all quadruple-helix stakeholders interested in Smart Specialisation and creating a space for learning and advancing together.
Whether you simply want to stay up to date, or whether you are looking for opportunities to interact with peers and take part to activities, the S3 Community of Practice offer what you need.
Key Services
The S3 CoP is DG REGIO’s major source of support for S3 implementation. It is launched at a very timely moment, as the operationalisation of the EU Cohesion Policy for the 2021-2027 period is still in the early stages and the emphasis now will be on putting smart specialisation strategies into practice and delivering the necessary investments.
The S3 Community of Practice will provide different forms of support, assistance and peer learning opportunities to regional authorities and stakeholders involved in Smart Specialisation across the EU.
- Targeted expert support to regions and Member States for the development and implementation of S3
- Working groups to exchange experience and good practices on the new criteria of the S3 enabling condition, in particular:
- Support to S3 Thematic Platforms and Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships (TSSPs)
- Organisation of events for the S3 stakeholders
- Analytical studies and policy briefs on the S3 concept
- An Expert group, composed of practitioners and academics, to support the development of the S3 concept and provide insights on implementation