CCDR Centro has been collaborating with the Joint Research Center (JRC), namely in the context of the Regional Strategy for Smart Specialisation, as the participation in projects and initiatives promoted by this European Commission Center has allowed to explore new work paths, often in collaboration with other European regions.
In this context, CCDRC was invited to join the Working Group “H2020 for RIS3” of the Stairway to Excellence (S2E) project, created from the realisation that there are regions with an appreciable dynamic of innovation that, however, continue to be less competitive in attracting funding from European programmes, in particular Horizon 2020, while maintaining a high level of dependence on structural funds of the Cohesion Policy.
Being a topic that is central to both the Smart Specialisation Strategy and the regional agenda for a circular economy, the chosen theme was circular industrial production. Consequently, the Norte region of Portugal was invited to join the project, as Centro and Norte regions represent the largest share of the country’s industrial production.
Overall, several European initiatives have been gaining awareness on the advantage of involving regions as a way of extending their territorial scope. The Centro region included “promoting the best conditions for internationalisation and international cooperation” as one of its strategic intervention pillars for the next decade. Moreover, over the past few years, CCDRC has maintained an intense participation in international cooperation fora within the European framework, being this project one example of that.
