Partners started with the analysis of existing theories and evidence concerning ERA Hubs, what is the background that created the need for a new tool to promote transformative innovation, which are its objectives, role and functioning leading towards a working definition of ERA Hub which can be understood, accepted and implemented by the different stakeholders across European Knowledge ecosystems.
To support investigation of Multi Stakeholders Platform, in each partner’s territorial context stakeholders and communities were mapped as well as current policy strategies and instruments, providing needs and gap analyses via the consultation of regional working groups belonging to the quadruple helix scenario.
The following step was the analysis of existing ERA-Hubs-like ecosystems aiming to design a model based on recurring characteristics of the effective experiences operating on the field across the European regions. Such analysis was complemented by an open EU-wide stakeholder survey, producing a mixed picture of strengths and gaps across used to establish both the conceptual groundwork and the data necessary to evaluate the conformity of real regional ecosystems to an ideal type. The assessment of the degree of conformance of the 9 partner regions supported the translation of the conceptual framework into a practical self assessment instrument that is both analytically robust and user-friendly.
Taking stock of these results, the project focused on the identification of good practices for the governance of a Multi-Stakeholder Platform considering 4 key aspects relevant in the ERA hubs perspective: Directionality, Multi-Level Governance, Interregional Collaboration, and Involvement of Stakeholders.
On the other hand to better shape ERA Hubs as a Policy Co-Creation Toolbox, operative working groups composed from the communities of partner stakeholders were involved in interregional on-line workshops to tackle relevant development challenges and to assist the identification of good practices in each of the 4 main areas of transformative changes taken into consideration by the pilot. The outcomes of these workshops combined with an extensive literary review and complemented with a series of capacity building webinars fed the elaboration of a ERA_FABRIC Catalogue of Measures and Tools that serves as both a practical guide and a repository of best practices, offering policymakers, researchers and practitioners concrete tools to enhance the effectiveness of research initiatives at the local and regional levels.
Project activities included mapping synergies among instruments and programmes, and framing the scalability and sustainability potential of ERA Hubs. The main output was the classification of ERA Hub schemes, a practical taxonomy distinguishing civic-driven, cluster-driven, research-driven and policy-driven hubs.
In the last part of the project the main ERA_FABRIC findings were eventually refined via an EU wide evaluation survey extended to external stakeholders to the partner organisations, used to validate and to some extent prioritise the three dimensions of the ERA Hub model. This evaluation survey achieved a total of 127 respondents and was supplemented by 40 interviews especially focused on the potential value of an ERA Hub pilot action on cross-border collaboration in R&I activities in the evolving EU policy context.
Finally a coherent and operational standardisation approach for the recognition and benchmarking of ERA Hubs was developed leading to the definition of a Quality label for future successful ERA Hubs.
The final analysis of the project results informed the definition of a set of policy recommendations and the elaboration of a comprehensive Business Plan and Roadmap for the next generation of ERA Hubs that moves from validation to anchoring, and from anchoring to systemic integration. The plan is grounded in typologies, toolkits for operationalisation, and a layered financial architecture that blends cohesion funds, Horizon Europe, national programmes, and in-kind contributions.
