A smarter Europe

Challenges

• Negative effects of the pandemic in 2020 on both Italian and Slovenian economies probably impacting pre-pandemic positive trends
• Majority of enterprises relatively small and thus with low innovation capacity, therefore, less competitive
• Low level of expenditure in R&D and specifically in industrial research 
• Scarce collaborative approach in innovation processes
• Opportunities deriving from the integration of Smart Specialisation Strategies
• Digitalization as a horizontal, cross-cutting need
• Demand for administrative and bureaucratic simplification and digitalization especially in rural and remote areas
• Digitalization as potential for business support environment and clusters’ promotion

Desired change

• Developing technological solutions to favour business diversification and to respond to demand for new services deriving from the emergency situation generated by the pandemic
• Developing technological solutions to favour active ageing and inclusion of the eldest and vulnerable people
• Implementing integrated development strategies to promote economic recovery opportunities through ICT and circular economy (green and blue technology) (also PO2)
• Promoting technological upgrade and improving technology transfer to SMEs 
• Strengthening cooperation between R&I centers and enterprises promoting the creation of cross border clusters
• Increasing and giving continuity to investments in R&D and applied research
• Promoting capitalization of R&I results achieved at regional level in a new integrated framework taking advantage of Smart Specialisation Strategies shared priorities
• Reducing development disparities through ICT and social innovation
• Capitalizing the achieved best practices and promoting/ strengthening the diffusion of ICT
• Improving bilingual services to citizens and businesses through ICT (also PO4)
• Offering social-health services through technological solutions as telemedicine (also PO4)

ERDF allocation of PO 1