The participation of the Basilicata region in the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union: a contribution for the smart specialisation strategy

This work presents an analysis of the participation of the Basilicata region (Southern Italy) in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Our study can be considered as a preliminary contribution to identifying the innovation pathway of the Basilicata region within the framework of the regional Smart Specialisation Strategy and the European cohesion policy. The results show active participation yielding significant success for the Basilicata region in the FP7, notwithstanding the fact that it is classified as a 'moderate' innovator. Up to now, 45 projects have been funded, most of them focused on the Space, Environment and Security sectors. The Basilicata R&D system's good performance using European resources could effectively direct regional policies to adopt key actions to stimulate the region's growth and innovative asset. It is indeed necessary to reinforce the synergies between academia, research centres and enterprises and to concentrate resources on a few key research and innovation priorities.