Connecting Smart and Sustainable Growth through Smart Specialisation: A practical guide for ERDF managing authorities

This practical guide demonstrates that sustainable and smart growth can go hand-in-hand in all European regions and Member States. It is becoming increasingly clear that sustainable economic growth can only be ensured if regions and Member States are prepared to follow the principles of environmental sustainability.
This guide aims to provide answers to the following questions:
Why do smart growth and sustainable growth complement each other?
What can be done in the regions to connect smart and sustainable growth?
How to use the EU’s Regional Policy to boost innovation for sustainable growth?
The purpose of the document is to assist the Managing authorities of the
European Regional development Fund (ERdF) in integrating sustainable growth objectives into their research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation, or riS3 for short.
The guide focuses on three thematic areas that are particularly relevant to
sustainable growth:
- Eco-innovation;
- Ecosystems services; and
- Sustainable energy.
The guide should also be useful to national, regional and municipal public authorities that are responsible for the implementation of policies in the areas of sustainable energy, eco-innovation, nature protection, agriculture, forestry, industry and enterprise, economic development and employment and social affairs. Other potential users include local and regional actors who can play important roles in national and regional development and smart specialisation strategies. These are representatives from industry and businesses, finance sectors, research organisations and universities, innovation support agencies and civil society groups.