Regarding expected impacts, EIZ researchers presented 17 studies in progress via SmartEIZ training workshops. Now, seven papers are submitted or under review in various publications cited in SCOPUS and/or WoS indexed journal. We inform that majority of researchers included in Short Term Scientific Missions (STSM) had not been included in EMIT topics in the period before SmartEIZ. Two STSMs were implemented in the field of clusters. Moreover, two presentations were given at the leading business cluster in Croatia, Croatian Wood Cluster, within its General Assembly. Moreover, one paper was published - Anić, et al. (2018): The Clusters of Competitiveness in Croatian Economic Review. The following papers have been submitted to the WoS/SCOPUS journals: Anić, et al: The development of clusters of competitiveness in Croatia: a survey-based analysis and Škrinjarić et al: Bidding against the odds? The impact evaluation of grants for young micro and small firms during the recession. EIZ's researchers participated in the six project proposal submission to the European Research Programmes. Four additional researchers were engaged in the network of policy evaluators. Finally, Bačić and Aralica employed various indicators for assessing regional accessibility, absorptive capacity and diffusion of knowledge in the context of S3 implementation. Within the dissemination report “Demand for high-skilled labour: Lessons from the Online Vacancy Index”, EIZ researchers developed a smart index that ensures smart labour market diagnostics on the needs for smart skills.
We consider the following socio-economic impacts of the project as important :
• Increase of cooperation among participants from various sectors and better inclusion of researchers with their knowledge in policy processes,
• The improvement in implementation of Smart Specialization Strategy S3 strategy in Croatia
• Promotion of evaluation practices and improvement of analytical skills of stakeholders in the field of (S3) could be considered as the main impact of SmartEIZ on society.
• Creation, functioning of learning platform and its sustainability, which could facilitate interaction between various stakeholders in the field of Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology nationally in Croatia/internationally.
• Transfer of knowledge from EIZ related to the project activities within Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology (EMIT) to national economies and internationally.
Regarding potential impact, the project, is the undeniable confirmation of the use value of EMIT in the context of (S3). The use value is primarily related to the development of methodology related to assesment, monitoring and evaluation of S3.
