Smart Specialisation strategies (RIS3) have mostly been designed at regional level. Though the centrality of regional governments is not questioned, there is an emergent reflection on the role of sub-regional governments in the RIS3 policy cycle. On the one hand, there is a normative discourse on the desirability of integrating sub-regional governments in order to improve the governance of Smart Specialisation (S3). In this discourse, entrepreneurial discovery processes can be developed in more diverse constellations of actors if regional governments collaborate with sub-regional ones. On the other hand, some sub-regional governments (e.g. city councils, provincial governments, county administrations) as well as other territorial organisations with competencies on regional development have developed their own RIS3, generating the need for ex-post coordination.
The PXL workshop on multi-level governance for RIS3, planned for 12th April, is part of a new series of peer review workshops. It is organised by the S3 Platform in co-operation with the Basque Government and Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness. It brings together national, regional and sub-regional policy makers from EU countries, representatives from the European Commission and researchers on the field. The aim is to explore the coordination among different level of governments within the RIS3 governance.
This workshop will be based on the PXL methodology developed by the S3 Platform. The PXL exercise will explore opportunities and challenges related to multi-level governance aspects in the RIS3 context.