European Union Regional Development Policy

Regional technology and innovation development is one of the key factors in regional development in countries worldwide. Moreover, the increasing attention of policymakers to the topics related to regional innovation development, technology and innovation development in provinces increases the necessity of understanding different aspects of this concept and its conceptual framework so that policy actors are able to analyze and give policy advice. In line with the third generation of regional innovation policies and the theoretical foundations of the regional innovation system, in the EU, strategies such as the Regional Technology Program (later known as the Regional Innovation Strategy), "Regional Technology and Innovation Transfer Strategies and Infrastructures", "Technology Transfer Project" and "Research and Technology Development Policy" were applied. Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisations (RIS3) is the last version of regional innovation strategies presented by EU. This strategy is considered as an integrated and place-based agendas leading to economic transformation by making research and innovation more consistent with local strengths and competitive advantages. In this paper, while trying to conceptualize this strategy, the policy context as well as its dimensions and stages will be outlined.