Regional Dimension

02INTRODUCTION

Currently, the European RTI system is faced with an unprecedented amount of challenges which need to be addressed: globalisation, the financial and economic crisis, global security, demographic change, climate change, resources management, etc. At European level, the corresponding political strategies focus on cohesion policy and the Structural Funds on the one hand, and on research and innovation policy on the other. They are tied in with the aim of the EUROPE 2020 strategy to turn the EU into a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy, delivering high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion. The concept of Smart Specialisation of regions as well as the regional dimension of implementing the European Research Area play an important role in this context.