Lessons learned

Abstract

To deepen the understanding of how OECD countries can move towards a broad-based form of innovation policy, the OECD worked with the European Commission's Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy in bringing together academic and policy experts in a series of five high-level expert workshops on "Broadening innovation policy-New insights for regions and cities". This publication provides a summary of the discussion, building on background papers prepared by academic and policy experts. This report highlights the need for a broad-based approach to innovation policy to unlock the innovation potential of all types of regions and cities. A broad-based approach requires taking capacity of the regional innovation system into account and adapting efforts across all levels of government to work with and upgrade that capacity. As regions and cities across the OECD have to face today's grand societal challenges, such as demographic transitions, climate change, digitalisation and automation, innovation needs to take centre stage in the thinking of local, regional and national policymakers.