Interreg SMART_watch

Improving the regional integration of smart specialization in Central Europe. Focus on: watching and monitoring smart specializations. SMART_watch is a cooperation platform between key participants of the innovation sectors in Central Europe. Within the SMART_watch, we want to develop and share good practices as well as learn from other regions that carry out similar activities in the area of Central Europe (CE). Business support organisations, R&D institutes and regional authorities are the pillars for the innovation systems. In particular, we believe that they serve as REGIONAL OBSERVATORIES of technology and market needs and trends, i.e. the institution that monitors technology trends and market developments in the area of smart specializations or regional authorities implementing the RIS, to scrutinise upon good practices, pitfalls and bottlenecks of their activity. The activities, we run, have been originally launched by our project partners in order to increase the efficiency of regional RIS3 observatories and to equip them with tools needed to generate products corresponding to the real needs of end-users. Our goal is to develop a model of operation and create an international network of Regional Observatories of smart specializations in Central Europe, monitoring technology trends and market development in the areas of innovative technologies and smart sectors. Although we do not build new buildings, we do not provide infrastructure in the form of equipment, we bring something more valuable to our regions: knowledge, competences, contacts that enterprises can use to improve their competitiveness and implement innovations. Technology areas covered within the SMART_watch project are: health, life science, ICT, future services, sustainable production technics and Industry4.0.