Project Description

The project is a continuous follow-up to the implemented projects Smart Accelerator of the Hradec Králové Region I (SA KHK I) and Smart Accelerator of the Hradec Králové Region II (SA KHK II). Like the previous projects, it is focused on the systematic implementation of a set of activities leading to the development of the innovation environment in the Hradec Králové Region in accordance with the vision of the RIS3 strategy “Hradec Králové Region – a competitive region with developed innovative entrepreneurship, excellent research and qualified people”, based on the management of the so-called Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP). Through interconnected project activities, the regional research and innovation system will be comprehensively developed and promoted based on partnerships between key players in research, the application sphere, educational institutions, and the public sector.

Project Objectives

The objective of the project is to further respond to current impulses from key stakeholders based on knowledge of the region’s innovation environment and to implement activities to connect regional entities that serve as hubs for target groups and operate in the fields of education, research, development, and innovation. Furthermore, these entities contribute directly and indirectly to the development of the regional innovation system; it is therefore appropriate to actively address their identified needs from the position of the Hradec Králové Region, e.g., by removing barriers that will allow the target group to devote more time to activities leading to increased regional competitiveness, with a lower administrative, legislative, and other burden.

Aspects contributing to the achievement of the aforementioned objective

• Competitiveness of the Hradec Králové Region is based on internationally successful companies with active participation in multinational platforms and international projects, whose production is primarily built on innovation.
• The research sphere is a key partner for the application sphere of the Hradec Králové Region, and research organizations provide key inputs for the innovation activities of entities in the Hradec Králové Region. The Hradec Králové Region is succeeding in establishing new interdisciplinary collaborations between research organizations and companies, which is an important factor in identifying new development opportunities in the identified RIS3 domains in the region.
• The educational sphere, based on mapping and conducted analyses, continuously contributes to the identification of problems and needs of the application sphere in the field of human resources. The educational sphere is based, among other things, on supporting talented individuals, supporting cooperation between schools and companies, and providing career guidance. Thanks to the promotion of the Hradec Králové Region brand in the field of research and innovation, we are able not only to retain talented individuals in the region but also to attract them to it.
• The implementation of the EDP process is continuously ensured through formally established regional RIS3 structures, and the results obtained within this process are transferred into the policies of the Hradec Králové Region.

Key Project Activities

• The Core Team and its activities will follow up on the activities of the Smart Accelerator of the Hradec Králové Region I and II projects. The aim of the activity is the coordination and implementation of the regional RIS3 strategy agenda, primarily through the executive unit (CIRI). In response to the needs of the innovation environment in the region, the core team ensures comprehensive support for the development of the innovation environment in the region using the regional RIS3 strategy, communication between key stakeholders in the region, networking of innovation environment actors and support for the creation of new contacts and cooperation projects, updating and discussing the regional RIS3 strategy and the Action Plan of the regional RIS3 strategy, the functioning of regional innovation platforms and the Research, Development and Innovation Council of the Hradec Králové Region (hereinafter RVVI KHK), the preparation of strategic interventions/projects and searching for resources for their implementation, coordination of the EDP process between the national and regional levels, including the transfer of information between National and Regional Innovation Platforms and other relevant activities in the region.
• Education and Competence Development is focused on increasing the qualifications of the project’s target groups. The purpose is to build a stable team in the Hradec Králové Region consisting of members of the core team and professional staff of the region, whose role will be to support the development of the innovation environment in the region in the long term and further ensure the fulfillment of the objectives of the regional RIS3 strategy.
• Mapping – the aim of the activity is to map, monitor, and evaluate changes and developments in the innovation environment in the region, identify its needs and potential, and evaluate the effects and impacts of the implementation of the regional RIS3 strategy. Part of the activity is the monitoring and analysis of the innovation environment in the region, including areas reflecting industrial transformation in the region with an emphasis on specialization domains. This may include, for example, the topic of the position of companies in value chains and their involvement in the global economy. As part of the evaluation activities, the professional team will prepare one basic evaluation, which will be carried out during the project implementation based on instructions/methodology from the National RIS3 apparatus. This evaluation will include both an impact evaluation (i.e., evaluation of the results/effects/impacts of the implementation of the regional RIS3 strategy) and a process evaluation, which will include an evaluation of the functioning of the Smart Accelerator+ of the Hradec Králové Region I project, including the functioning of the EDP process.
• Assistance will offer funding for the preparation of projects that have been included by the Research, Development and Innovation Council of the Hradec Králové Region in the Action Plan of the regional RIS3 strategy as strategic interventions. During the preparation of strategic interventions, the Regional RIS3 Developer oversees the alignment of project preparation with the approved project fiche.
• Pilot Verification – the project envisages three pilot verifications of tools: Innovation Vouchers, Creative Vouchers for research organizations, and the Hradec Králové Career Corridor.
• The Marketing and Communication Strategy of the region aims to strengthen the communication and marketing of the region’s innovation system both within and outside the region. The team’s ambition is to naturally involve the largest possible number of stakeholders who will cooperate with the established Plusinovace brand and simultaneously communicate their topics through the tools of the given brand. The form of marketing will be based on the marketing strategy prepared in the previous Smart Accelerator of the Hradec Králové Region II project. Essential will be the specific communication plans, which will determine the distribution, quantity, and content of messages over time. From the experience gained from previous SAs, it is clear that campaigns and individual messages on social media will play a major role. These must also be diversified, working separately with each target group. In general, activities beneficial to the target groups (workshops, conferences, competitions, hackathons, etc.) will be promoted. Furthermore, topics related to RIS3 fields, technological trends, and topics related to NRIS3 societal missions will be featured. Special attention will be paid to selected strategic interventions, especially planned financial instruments (DigiVouchers, Junior Position Support Program, S4 vouchers, etc.).
• Project Management – the activity will be secured by a work team that will ensure all activities related to project administration. The goal of the key activity is to set project management procedures in advance to ensure continuous management and control of project implementation, which will allow for the timely identification of potential risks and the elimination of their impact on project implementation. This key activity will be implemented by an implementation team consisting of the executive unit of CIRI staff and staff from the Regional Authority of the Hradec Králové Region.

Smart Accelerator+ of the Hradec Králové Region I Project (CZ.02.01.02/00/22_009/0003506).