On April 2 and 3 of 2019, a seminar was held in Guimarães (Portugal) within the framework of the ECORIS3 project: “the Quadruple Helix and Smart Specialization Strategies”. Its goal was to promote the use of the quadruple helix in order to accelerate the transfer of results obtained in the research and innovation processes for the growth of cities and regions. In order to promote an intelligent specialization not only in the academic, public and business spheres (the triple helix) but also in the framework of civil society (quadruple helix).
Basically, smart specialization aims to highlight the most advantageous characteristics that our territories can offer so as to favor competitiveness in the market and optimize resources and efforts. For this reason, during the seminar, successful good practices were presented because of the cooperation between four-helix actors, coming from Spain, Ireland, Latvia and Finland.
In parallel, the partners worked on the development of the action plans and activities to be developed within the framework of the ECORIS3 project. Regarding the capitalization activity of the project, Atlantic Cities presented the actions which have been undertaken and the ones to come in the following months. For instance, activities presentations at European level before European institutions and during European Innovation forums such as the European Innovation Week, next October 2019, in Rennes. The creation of synergies with other European projects of which Atlantic Cities is a part of, such as AYCH – Atlantic Youth Creative Hubs and EYE – Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs was also discussed.
During the meeting the partners got the opportunity to visit research institutes which work with small and medium enterprises so as to favor the transfer of innovation between each other with the objective of gaining an intelligent and innovative development in our territories.
