Basque country has been selected as a Case Study of the study “Towards green transition in EU regions – New models to foster transformative innovation” by Claire Nauwelaers & Richard Harding, Independent policy experts contracted by the European Commission Joint Research Centre.  Prof. Xabier Irigoien (AZTI) and José Luís Jauregui (Echebastar) have been invited experts in the Bay of Biscay cases study given the commitment to sustainability of this region and of both organizations. Prof. Irigoien presented SusTunTech advances in terms of emissions and incidental fishing reduction. Jose Luis Jauregui explained how Echebastar has promoted its sustainable fishing, the responsible use of fishing products as well as maximum respect for the environment; the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certificate and the new technologies implemented on board their fleet related with the on-board deep frozen tuna.

The aim of this expert mission, funded by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), is to contribute to the development of new approaches for regional and local authorities aiming to boost support for green transition of their economies through smarter innovation policies. Many EU regions now feel the need to adopt more mission-oriented approaches to challenges like green transition – representing an evolution from ‘technology-push’ type policies commonly embodied on the first generation of Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3). The ambition they increasingly share for post-2020 is to design and implement transformative innovation policies, which seek not only to increase rates of innovation and its diffusion, but also to add directionality to innovation efforts towards expected societal impacts. This ambition calls for changes in approach, in governance and in tools used in the smart specialisation context, as well as in broader national and regional innovation policies. Generally, this translates into a need for broader societal participation in policy development.