Innovation policy-mix learning for advanced manufacturing in European regions
Evaluation of innovation policy-mixes goes beyond traditional monitoring and innovation systems as it involves evaluating instruments interactions and overlaps from an integrated view. This is a challenge for regions and especially with regards the implementation of their Research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation (RIS3), as an innovation policy-mix has to be designed and implemented oriented towards a thematic priority.

4 Regions with Advanced Manufacturing (AM) identified within their RIS3 strategy; The Basque Country, Lithuania, Piedmont and Wales have joint the MANUMIX consortium to learn best practices through the exchange of experience in the evaluation and monitoring of their current innovation policy-mixes, a common challenge in the implementation process of RIS3 priorities.
The Interregional learning approach of the first phase of the project will have as the main result an ad-hoc action plan for each region to implement. During the second phase of the project, each partner will monitor the implementation process in the region. The Consortium will have the expert support of ORKESTRA (Advisory Partner), an institution expert on the study of competitiveness and regional development, that will support all the partners through the learning process, providing advice on the definition of their action plan and further implementation.

Thus, the general objective of MANUMIX is to strengthen and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of innovation policy-mixes for AM at regional level through evaluation. This involves evaluating interactions of regional AM instruments, trying therefore to assess both the complementarities and the overlaps among them.

Improving and strengthening the current evaluation systems, partners and later other EU regions will enhance the implementation of regional development policies and programmes that support the delivery of innovation in the AM smart specialisation area.