Smart Specialisation for Sustainable Development Goals
The main aim of the event is to present practical experience and advances in applying Smart Specialisation (S3) as a methodology driving the achievement of the SDGs through the establishment and implementation of transformative localised, place-based innovation-driven strategies/roadmaps in a number of countries and sub-national territories.
The Addis Ababa Action Agenda 1 recognises science, technology and innovation as a means to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Starting in November 2018, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has been working to share the EU experience on Smart Specialisation (S3) Strategies as one of the global methodologies for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Roadmaps for the achievement of SDGs, with a distinctive localised (place-based) approach and widespread application across EU regions. At the same time, there has been a growing interest in adopting S3 as a reference approach to localised innovation-led transformation agendas in a number of countries across the globe, as well as an increasing focus on SDGs as key framework for setting targets and ambitions.
This workshop, organised in cooperation with the European Committee of the Regions and UN – Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), will bring together the two perspectives mentioned above: firstly, on 5 March, it will summarise the challenges and achievements in implementing S3 as localised roadmaps for transformation and for the achievement of the SDGs. Secondly, on 6 March, it will bring together UN stakeholders including UNDESA, UNIDO, UNESCO, UNCTAD, and countries involved in the UN Global Pilot Programme on STI Roadmaps for SDGs2 to discuss the progress in testing the emerging global methodologies and tackling sustainability challenges in the context of rapid technological change.
The event will bring together high-level speakers from EU and UN institutions, EU Member States and regions, the UN global pilot programme countries, other international institutions as well as experts and practitioners.
