Executive Summary

The National Smart Specialisation Strategy for Innovation 2022 to 2027 has yielded substantial achievements by focusing on regional strengths, fostering innovation and supporting sustainable growth across the regions. Central to these efforts has been the support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) with €396 million earmarked for regional investments. This funding has enabled several projects which align with the strategy’s core priorities: digital transformation; green innovation; regional collaboration; and enhancing Ireland’s research and innovation infrastructure. This is supported by the National Implementation Group, established in December 2022, which oversees the delivery of the strategy’s national and regional priorities. The group ensures all enabling Smart Specialisation criteria are met at the national level while identifying regional interests.

Overall, Ireland’s strategy emphasises developing regional hubs and technological universities. This has strengthened Ireland’s innovation ecosystem, creating pathways for skilled workers and supporting technology transfer from higher education to industry. This region-focused innovation aligns with the White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030, as well as the nine Regional Enterprise Plans, ensuring that each area’s economic potential is fully realised while reinforcing national competitiveness. These efforts are complemented by ongoing monitoring and performance evaluation, ensuring that funded projects meet growth targets and support the broader strategic vision for Ireland’s economic future.

This report is structured in terms of delivery across eight high-level strategic goals. Key highlights

delivered include:

Goal 1: Linking national and regional enterprise and innovation policy:

The National Implementation Group for Smart Specialisation has ensured alignment with strategies such as Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy and the White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030

Goal 2: Enabling “A Smarter Europe”:

Ireland’s Smart Specialisation Strategy aligns with the European Commission ERDF Policy Objective 1 “A Smarter Europe”. The Commission approved Ireland’s Smart Specialisation Strategy in July 2022 which enabled the launch of Ireland’s two ERDF regional programmes, with €396 million financed by the EU.

Goal 3: Improving research and innovation capacity in Ireland’s regions:

New ERDF schemes have commenced, such as TU Research and Innovation Supporting Enterprise (TU RISE) Scheme, which assists higher education institution higher education institutions in the technological sector to build and increase research capacity and talent, while enhancing engagement with enterprise regionally; and Knowledge Transfer (KT) Boost, which enables HEI Innovation Offices/Technology Transfer Offices across Ireland, to support knowledge and technology transfer to industry, and the creation of spin-out companies.

Goal 4: Encouraging more regionally dispersed RD&I:

The new €145 million Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme (SREIS) will support projects aligned with areas of regional strength and potential as identified in

the Regional Enterprise Plans. Co-funded by the ERDF, the first call for SREIS was launched in October 2023.

Goal 5: Advancing the twin green and digital transformation:

Ireland now has four operational European Digital Innovation Hubs, one in each NUTS 2 region alongside a dedicated hub for AI. These provide access to technical expertise and experimentation, as well as innovation services, and the training and skills development necessary for successful digital transformation.

Goal 6: Skills for innovation:

The new Taighde Éireann-Research Ireland Accelerating Research to Commercialisation (ARC) Hub Programme, and Enterprise Ireland’s Innovators’ Initiative, are aimed at creating highly skilled innovators, through accelerating the commercialisation of academic research and through industry engagement, both supported by ERDF co-funding.

Goal 7: Reinforcing sectoral strengths:

DETE is developing a new National Clustering Programme (NCP) with a target to fund five national cluster organisations supported by a new central co-ordination entity.

Goal 8: Monitoring progress on regional innovation, and building international connections:

The Smart Specialisation National Implementation Group has worked with the Regional Development Monitor to create a new Smart Specialisation dashboard with metrics agreed by the group.

In June 2024, Ireland’s three NUTS 2 regions were designated as Regional Innovation Valleys, joining a network of 149 similarly designated regions across Europe. This initiative aims to connect less and more innovative regions, with a particular focus on addressing societal challenges through cutting edge technology.

Overall, Ireland’s Smart Specialisation Strategy has laid the groundwork for inclusive regional development, sustainable innovation, and economic resilience, aiming to leverage each region’s unique strengths and potential in alignment with broader EU goals.

Over the next period, the National Implementation Group will continue its work to ensure that Smart Specialisation delivers impact across Ireland’s regions through our ERDF programmes and other measures. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with the support of the Implementation Group, will continue to work with the European Commission on opportunities to further promote and connect Irish regions with their peers across Europe, including through the Regional Innovation Valleys platform. The Regional Enterprise Plans Steering Committees have an important ongoing role in identifying regional opportunities and challenges from the ground up and are an essential feedback loop for the Smart Specialisation Strategy. Finally, the Department will work with the Regional Assemblies and all other partners to ensure that Smart Specialisation is subject to ongoing monitoring and evaluation so that it can continue to respond to the changing opportunities and challenges of our regional innovation system.