Abstract

RIS3 is a policy initiative aiming to achieve structural change. Structural change needs to consider the processes and means through which (innovation) policies can facilitate a radical transformation by substantially changing a regional economy’s competitive bases. In this paper, we are interested in studying how certain policy instruments are actually implemented, and how the capabilities required for their effective rollout are built in practice. In particular, we focus on public procurement as a policy instrument that can foster regional innovation, entrepreneurship, and growth, while also transforming the industrial structure of a territory. The rationale for focusing on public procurement is threefold: (i) despite being identified as one of the relevant policy instruments to implement RIS3, little is yet known about how public procurement can be used for higher-order political purposes such as innovation-based diversification and transformation; (ii) public procurement remains an underexplored policy tool in sub-national innovation strategies; and (iii) public procurement links to the two key concerns of RIS3, namely, policy prioritization and the entrepreneurial discovery process. The paper provides evidence on two public procurement initiatives in Galicia (Spain), one in health and the other in unmanned aerial vehicles. We adopt a mixed-method approach, relying on a qualitative exploration of the factors leading to the institutionalization of public procurement in policy-making. Our results evidence that innovation-oriented public procurement has the potential to develop local priorities and strategies while also creating the necessary capabilities on both supply and demand. As a result, it can lead to the territorial transformation and to the emergence and further development of entrepreneurial firms.

Plain English Summary

Public procurement can foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and growth while transforming the industrial structure, but… how to roll it out for its effectively? The paper provides the following implications for the practice of innovation policy. For an effective implementation, governments need to adopt a mission orientation that addresses grand challenges and provides directionality to the policy. It is also necessary to mobilize financial resources from supranational, national, and regional funds, what requires coordination and multi-level governance. When governments lack previous experience in innovation policy, they can conduct trial-and-error experiments that facilitate policy learning and lead to the development of capabilities, both on the demand and supply side. This experimentation should follow open innovation approaches by incorporating end-users, to open up policy definition to societal actors. At the same time, this facilitates the development of early market conversations that help to better frame the policy, institutionalize the policy definition process, and gain internal legitimacy. Policies also should seek for creating positive spillovers and knowledge transfer between large and small firms.

中文翻译：

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通过公共采购促进区域创新，企业家精神和增长

摘要

RIS3是旨在实现结构变革的一项政策计划。结构性变化需要考虑（创新）政策可以通过极大地改变区域经济的竞争基础来促进根本性转变的过程和手段。在本文中，我们有兴趣研究如何实际实施某些政策工具，以及如何在实践中构建有效实施这些政策工具所需的能力。尤其是，我们将公共采购作为政策工具，可促进区域创新，企业家精神和增长，同时也可改变领土的产业结构。着重于公共采购的理由有三点：（i）尽管被确定为实施RIS3的相关政策工具之一，对于如何将公共采购用于更高层次的政治目的（如基于创新的多元化和转型），人们知之甚少；（ii）在地方创新策略中，公共采购仍然是一个尚未被开发的政策工具；（iii）公共采购与RIS3的两个关键问题相关，即政策优先级和企业家发现过程。该文件提供了加利西亚（西班牙）的两项公共采购计划的证据，一项涉及卫生，另一项涉及无人驾驶飞机。我们采用混合方法，对导致公共采购制度化的因素进行定性探索。我们的结果证明，以创新为导向的公共采购有潜力制定当地的优先事项和战略，同时在供需方面都创造必要的能力。结果，它可能会导致地域转型以及企业家企业的出现和进一步发展。

普通英语摘要

公共采购可以在改变产业结构的同时促进创新，企业家精神和增长，但是……如何有效地推广它？本文为创新政策的实践提供了以下启示。为了有效实施，政府需要采取使命导向，以应对重大挑战并为政策提供方向。也有必要从国家，国家和地区的超额资金中筹集资金，这需要协调和多层次的治理。当政府缺乏创新政策方面的经验时，他们可以进行试错实验，以促进政策学习并促进需求和供应方面的能力发展。该实验应遵循开放式创新方法，将最终用户纳入进来，向社会参与者开放政策定义。同时，这促进了早期市场对话的发展，有助于更好地制定政策框架，使政策定义过程制度化并获得内部合法性。政策还应寻求在大小企业之间建立积极的溢出效应和知识转移。