Skip to content

Improve your Gippslandia browsing experience by using Chrome or Safari.

Contribute to Gippslandia and support positive local storytelling. — donate here

Connecting Gippsland through
positive storytelling.

Shop GippslandiaSupport Gippslandia

Connecting Gippsland through positive storytelling.

FeatureChange

What can we learn and adapt to our region?

A 2019 study mission provided Gippsland industry and community partners an opportunity to hear the lessons gained in the EU.

Dec 10, 2020


Words: Gippslandia

Contribute to support more positive local storytelling.

Support

With smart specialisation having its roots in the European Union (EU), it was highly beneficial for a group of Gippsland-based stakeholders involved in the development of the region’s Smart Specialisation approach to travel to the Netherlands and Germany to experience the place-based approach firsthand.

A 2019 study mission provided Gippsland industry and community partners an opportunity to hear the lessons gained from European colleagues through their on-going engagement with regional innovation systems. Each of the regions visited was selected based on their experience in sectors that relate back to Gippsland. These areas included Groningen (New Energy), Gelderland (Food Valley), Zuid Holland (Westland) and Limburg (Freshpark and Greenport Venlo; Brightlands Campus) in the Netherlands. In Germany, the region of Weser-Ems was chosen for its relatable energy transition experience.

The aim of the study mission was to understand how the GS3 approach is applied in practice through the collaboration occurring between governments, industry, the education and research sector and civil society to develop regional innovation systems.

Dr Jessie Horton, an LVA project officer at the time, shared some of her insights from the visit, including that the application of the Smart Specialisation approach in the Netherlands was “focused on securing the future of its people in the long term”.

“Smart Specialisation Strategies cover a seven-year-period and are collaboratively designed up to three years prior to implementation. This co-design results in a long-term shared vision, and funding cycle, that has strong political and societal ownership making it more resilient to the impact of short-term political cycles.”

Dr Horton adds that, “economic complexity enables sustainable growth in place, and the principle of relatedness is important when considering the competitive advantage of a region”.

At the risk of revealing our cynical side, phrases like ‘co-design’, ‘strong political and societal ownership’ and ‘resilience’ aren’t as frequently raised in Australian policy development as they maybe should be. But they’re terminology that gets bandied around in startup pitches for disruptive ideas or inclusive community design concepts.

At the end of the mission the two groups, focused on Food and Fibre and New Energy, shared their experiences, insights and takeaways for the ongoing work in Gippsland connecting government, industry, the education, training and research sector and civil society to further the creation of Gippsland’s regional innovation system.

-

Return to the GS3 Contents page.

-
Subscribe
to Gippslandia.

The Gippsland Smart Specialisation Approach is led by:

In partnership with:

More in

    Gippsland

Share this article

FacebookTwitterEmail
FacebookTwitterEmail

Read this next

ChangeGippsland

How Regions Can Adapt with Prof Boschma

An interview with leading regional innovation scholar Professor Ron Boschma of Utrecht and... Read more


More in Change

EditorialChange

Chocolate wisdom?

We hope to inspire other young Gippsland locals to chase ‘play’ so, hopefully, the ‘rest’ will look... Read more

Support Gippslandia

Support from our readers is what keeps the lights on and the printing presses running.

Support

Browse topics

Food & Drink

Explore regions

East Gippsland Shire

Partners

Gippslandia is made possible thanks to our supporting partners. They are businesses that believe in the value of sharing optimistic tales from our great region. We encourage you to support them in return, as without them, Gippslandia wouldn’t exist.

About Gippslandia

Gippslandia is a community, non-profit publication. We curate an ever-optimistic take on regional, national and global issues, in a local context. Leaving you feeling like a Gippslandia local, no matter where you’re from. Read more

© 2021 Gippslandia, All rights reserved