Anticipatory Innovation Governance Model and Regional Innovation Ecosystems Supporting Sustainable Development

Anticipatory innovation governance describes the process of managing and directing innovation efforts anticipating the potential impacts of new emerging phenomena to deal with complex and future challenges in a systemic way. Smart Specialization is a place-based approach characterized by the identification of strategic areas based both on regional strengths and the potential of the economy. Ecosystems form the foundation of EU innovation policies. All these approaches aim for balanced long-term development. This paper also introduces the EU’s Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change which focuses on supporting EU regions, cities, and local authorities in their efforts to build resilience against the impacts of climate change. The objective of this paper is to describe the potential implications of the anticipatory innovation governance model to regional innovation ecosystems supporting sustainable development. It shares early experiences and challenges of an ongoing Häme Goes into Ecosystems HGiE –project. The objective of the project is to enhance sustainable innovation ecosystem development.