The S3 Thematic Platforms are joint initiatives between several Directorates- General of the European Commission under the lead of DG Regional and Urban Policy (REGIO) including Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), Energy (ENER), Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (GROW), Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE), and Research and Innovation (RTD)). Since 2020 the management of the S3 Thematic Platforms has been transferred from the Joint Research Centre to the DG Regional and Urban Policy.

The platforms provide the structure to support the creation of an interregional collaborative network of strategic Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships (TSSPs) and enables these partnerships to work together in shared smart specialisation areas.

Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships (TSSPs) bring together regions interested in initiating and exploring new value chains in specific priority areas based on a shared interest in their smart specialisation strategies. TSSPs target specific areas with high potential for technological, societal, and ecological return at regional and European level, underpinned by shared smart specialisation strategy priorities across committed regions, cluster organisations, businesses, and innovation actors as well as civil society. TSSPs are open to participation of regional authorities and/or quadruple helix actors with a mandate from their regional authority and have a smart specialisation strategy that has clear links to the topic.

TSSPs rely on regional commitment, through the participation of the regional authority, or other stakeholders from the quadruple helix with a mandate from the regional authority. Collaboration builds on a common interest and particular strength in the region with the ambition to look beyond regional borders for complementary expertise, new insights and explore opportunities for further advancement. Interregional collaboration can take the form of exchange of practices and experiences, alignment of policies, design of co-investment projects, among others. Regions involved in the TSSPs aim to strengthen core areas of expertise complementary to and in collaboration with other regions based on shared smart specialisation priorities. Outcomes of the TSSPs include the development of interregional investment projects, interregional collaboration projects, the alignment of smart specialisation strategies between various regions, among others.

Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships (TSSPs) are open to participation of regional authorities and/or quadruple helix actors with a mandate from their regional authority and have a smart specialisation strategy that has clear links to the topic. To join an existing partnership, it is necessary to reach out to the lead regions of the TSSP to express interest in participation. Contact details of the lead regions or representative stakeholders of the TSSP are available on each partnerships’ websites.

While actors of the quadruple helix are participants to the TSSPs, regional authorities are the core actors coordinating the involvement in the partnerships. In case actors that want to participate to a TSSP are not from a regional authority or agency, they need to get in touch with their regional S3 organisation to explore engagement for participation to the TSSPs.

Alternatively, regions can get involved by expressing interest to form a new partnership together with other regions. The application form to set up a new partnership is open continuously via an online application form on the S3 Community of Practice Website. In case of questions, interested partnerships can contact partnerships@s3-cop.eu for more information.

A guidance report for expressing interest to set up a new partnership is available to address questions about how to prepare for the call for expression of interest and to identify whether a proposed collaboration area fits the profile of a Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnership (TSSP). The guidance report is available for download here.

Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships (TSSPs) involve regions or organisations with a clear mandate from the regional authority as a core stakeholder. The role of the regional authorities is vital as the activities of the TSSPs build upon the smart specialisation strategies of regions. As such the regional authority must give a clear mandate for the involvement in a TSSP, however the regional authority is at liberty to engage other actors in the region that relate to the thematic priority. Typically, actors involved in the TSSP on behalf of the region include cluster organisations, innovation intermediaries and Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) who provide the necessary expertise relevant for the TSSPs.

In addition, regions, or organisations with a clear mandate from the region, can either take on the role of a leading region or as a partner region.

Lead regions in the TSSPs are responsible for steering the partnership, with a particular strength in the thematic priority in their regional ecosystem and interest to explore new value chains by strengthening their interregional collaboration and support the development of co-investment projects. Lead regions are also responsible for steering the collaboration among regions, as well as, monitoring and reporting on activities of the partnership. In addition, lead regions participate to the steering committee meetings, support the development of guidance documents on interregional collaboration, share knowledge and best practices, and provide input to discussions and analyses related to cross-cutting issues. Regions interested in taking on a lead region role are required to demonstrate commitment and dedicated capacity to engage in this role.

Partner regions in the TSSPs aim to strengthen core areas of expertise complementary to and in collaboration with other regions. Partner regions participate with the aim of developing interregional co-investment projects with high technological, business, societal and ecological potential at regional and European level. Partners should ideally leverage this through combining their cluster organisations, businesses, and innovation actors with those of other regions. The involvement of the quadruple helix is vital to the activities underpinning the regional priorities and the interregional TSSPs.

The quadruple helix refers to the engagement of the following actors in the regional ecosystem to enact upon the regional smart specialisation strategies:

• regional authorities,
• businesses,
• research and innovation actors and
• civil society.

Regional authorities are at the core of the engagement in the Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships (TSSPs) and are responsible for making the link with the regional smart specialisation strategy, and connecting actors, such as cluster organisations and companies, as well as innovation intermediaries, Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) and civil society. The involvement of the quadruple helix is vital to the activities underpinning the regional priorities and the interregional TSSPs.

DG Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission has launched the S3 Community of Practice (S3 CoP) and S3 CoP Secretariat.

The Smart Specialisation Community of Practice (S3 CoP) is the central venue for exchange and the principle source of information on the development, implementation and governance of Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3). The S3 CoP also facilitates interregional cooperation in shared and complementary smart specialisation areas across Europe. It is the Commission’s one-stop shop for Smart Specialisation and provides advice and technical assistance to all S3 stakeholders and offers a platform for knowledge exchange that facilitates regional collaboration.

By building on the extensive expertise and practical experience gained from more than 10 years of developing Smart Specialisation Strategies, the S3 Community of Practice seeks to provide a fresh approach:

• to improve information flows through more effective and efficient S3 knowledge management, capitalisation and strategic communication;
• to offer to S3 practitioners at regional, national and European level new insights and solutions on how to better design, govern and implement their S3 strategies, and
• to boost interregional cooperation by strengthening the capabilities of S3 stakeholders to explore possibilities for cooperation in shared S3 areas and value chains as well as interactions with different innovation actors.

In order to achieve these goals, the S3 Community of Practice will carry out a wide range of activities including support to the S3 Thematic Platforms and Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships (TSSPs)

The support will be provided equally to all S3 thematic platforms including agri- food, energy, industrial modernisation and the sustainable blue economy and includes:

• Support to the S3 thematic platforms, including a clear website on the overall activities of the platform and partnerships, hosting of steering committee meetings, and support through the secretariat
• Support to new and existing Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships (TSSPs), including the provision of guidance material for all stages of collaborations, and, where relevant, monitoring and analysis of partnerships and their activities, as well as tailored service provision to the partnerships
• Cross-cutting analyses in collaboration with a working group on interregional cooperation including insightful reports

The purpose of the mandate from a regional authority is to ensure that the interregional collaboration projects identified are coherent with the priorities identified in the S3 strategy of the participating region.

The lead regions of a Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships should be part of EU-27 Member States.

Partner regions of a Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships may come from other regions, outside EU-27 Member States.

The lead actor should be either a region or an organisation with a mandate from the regional authority to participate in the partnership (e.g., cluster, Research & Technology Organisations (RTOs), or other innovation intermediaries can lead with a mandate).

The S3 CoP secretariat is happy to address questions related to creating or joining Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships (TSSPs). The S3CoP offers services to existing Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnerships (TSSPs). TSSPs can benefit from up to three services throughout the lifecycle of the S3 CoP project.

A guidance report for prospective applicants has been prepared which aims to address questions about target audience and may be useful for you in case you have not yet had to opportunity to consult it. You can find it on the webpage of the Call for expression of interest for for download here .