Place-based innovation for sustainability

In 2019, the European Commission introduced sustainability and European values at the centre of its long-term policy agenda. The European Green Deal sets out the direction for the EU to become climate-neutral by 2050. The UN Sustainable Development Goals will orient policy efforts and reforms in the years to come, in Europe and beyond. This is an innovation-driven policy agenda for new systemic solutions and employment creation reaping the opportunities from the ecological and digital transitions. The challenge now facing the EU is to implement it.The JRC is the science service of the Commission. We provide science for policy supporting public policy makers at all levels in the EU. JRC Directorate B, led by Mikel Landabaso, develops scientific evidence for innovation and growth policy relevant for all Commission priorities. Unit B3, under the leadership of Alessandro Rainoldi, focuses on territorial development. How can regions, cities and communities engage in the EU policy agenda in a bottom-up approach to create jobs and value added for its citizens? How can scientific evidence ensure continuous policy learning, detecting the effects of EU policies across Europe, and enabling policies to be refined for the benefit of society? For a successful implementation of the European Green Deal, these questions are more relevant and timely than ever.To construct the academic and conceptual base for these questions, JRC turned to two internationally recognized experts in innovation and place-based policy, Professor Philip McCann and Professor Luc Soete to explore how science for policy can support the implementation of the European Green Deal and the new EU policy for sustainable development. Their report presents their reflections, backed up by a consultation with a broader academic community gathering expertise in both innovation policy and regional development policy.