Suchergebnisse

Based on the case study of Portugal, the present study aims to analyse the alignment of investments in the Portuguese "Recovery and Resilience Plan" with the Smart Specialisation Strategies priorities (2021-2027) of this territory, and then identify opportunities for potential synergies and complementary between funding instruments. With the information available in the Plan and its annex, a detailed analysis is performed to identify investments able to enhance Research & Development, and Innovation and/or to improve the regional innovation ecosystems. The analysis shows that up to €6 Billion of the Plan (37%) may potentially support directly and indirectly the Smart Specialisation in Portugal. However, the effect of such contribution will strongly depend on the final beneficiaries, projects selected, absorption capacity, and governance model. The paper also explains the relevance of Smart Specialisation in the Covid-19 recovery and draft some policy recommendations.

Access to finance is a key driver of business activities. It can help firms to grow and innovate. However, due to market failures innovative firms are usually more financinally constrained. To improve access to financing for risky but excellent R&D and innovation investment projects, a new debt-financing instrument called "Risk Sharing Finance Facility" was created in 2007, by a joint initiative of the European Commission and the European Investment Bank. Based on a macro-economic analysis, the aim of the paper is to assess the effect of this new debt-financing instrument on enhancing private R&D expenditure. The database used covers the 28 Member States of the European Union in the period 2007-2016. Private R&D decision is estimated by a function of output growth and several R&D policy instruments. The methodological approach is based on a fixed effect model with control function method in order to correct for endogenous bias of Risk Sharing Finance. The results reveal a positive and significant effect of the new EU policy financing instrument on Private R&D expenditure and its rate of return seems to be higher than that of grants or subsidies. Furthermore, in countries where government funding for private R&D expenditure is above the average, the effect of Risk Sharing Finance shows a lower marginal effect. No evidence of significant differences concerning the size of the effect of the new debt-financing instrument is found when differentiating the level of R&D tax incentives. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The aim of the paper is to explore which factors explain the reasons for firms' decisions to delocalize their R&D activities outside or within the EU. Special attention is given to the influence of public policies to support R&D on the decisions to (de)localize R&D activities. The main source of information is "The EU survey on R&D Investment Business Trends" for the years 2007-2013. The methodology is based on a descriptive analysis of these surveys, on benchmarking with other economic studies in the field and a SWOT analysis of R&D activity location in the EU. The analysis reveals that the quality of R&D personnel and access to network knowledge (with firms, universities and public organizations) are the most important factors for locating R&D activities in a given region or country. Public support for R&D appears to be relegated to a secondary position in the decision to locate R&D activities. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The launch of the LEADER program, in 1991, brought a new dynamic to the rural development policy of the European Union. This instrument designed to promote entrepreneurship, enhancing economic growth and stimulating innovation in rural areas, was distinct from the classical policy models because it is based on a territorial, multi-sectoral and integrated approach. This article aims to analyze the added value, the effectiveness and efficiency of the LEADER program in the Alentejo region, over the first three phases of its implementation. To achieve this goal we analyzed all of the 2.706 investment projects implemented and funded by LEADER, from 1991 to 2006, in Alentejo, under the following analytical dimensions: geographic location, type of promoter, economic activity and nature of expenditure made. The statistical data collected from the national program management entities allowed a descriptive statistical analysis of financial and impact indicators. The results showed that the LEADER program contributed to a new socio-economic dynamics in Alentejo, since it contributed to a specialization of investment around two economic sectors, now considered strategic for this region: tourism and agribusiness. Nevertheless the LEADER impact seems to had little significance regarding R&D expenditure, precisely those activities whose contribution could leverage the competitiveness of local companies. ; SCOPUS: ar.j ; info:eu-repo/semantics/published