Smart Southern Region
The projects show on the map outline the efforts made by our stakeholders across the region to make it one of the most creative, innovative, greenest and liveable regions in Europe.
Smart Southern
Region initiative
Looking ahead, the SRA is actively pursuing funding options to further develop the Smart Southern Region initiative. In addition, Smart specialisation, as one component, is a pathway to smart cities – and by extension, that smart regions are competitive, innovative, and productive regional economies. We joined the Interreg Europe COHES3ION project in 2019 to enhance the performance and impact of Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) and ERDF Regional Operational Programmes. By embedding Smart Specialisation principles, the strategy seeks to boost productivity, increase export diversity, and foster collaboration across urban and rural areas. Through COHES3ION, the SRA has identified key actions to improve governance and support for innovation, further aligning the region’s ambitions with national and EU frameworks.
The Southern Regional Assembly (SRA) collaborates with regional stakeholders to strengthen the Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy (RSES) and promote innovation-led growth. This work is captured in the Regional Action Plan (RAP), which outlines how insights from interregional cooperation will drive sustainable economic development in the Southern Region.