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Abstract
In order to achieve the Lisbon objectives and create a knowledge based society, Europe needs to increase and improve investment
in R&D. This requires improving the effectiveness and coherence of research policies at European, national and regional levels. The first
cycle of application of the open method of co-ordination (OMC) to the 3% objective provided an overview of the Member States policies in
a number of areas, facilitated mutual learning and led to a number of policy recommendations adopted by CREST in October 2004.
The current regional benchmarking practice is made within a 6th Framework Programme project called Cognac, which is the acronym for
Coordination of R&D&I policies and their coherence with other policies in Newly Acceded Countries. The project is focusing on two
priority subjects: public research spending and policy mixes and SMEs and research. The project was supported within the first cycle of the
RTD-OMC NET call.
The benchmarking exercise tries to show the differences in the performance of participating regions. It supposed to choose the best
regions at NUTS II level by the two priority topic of the project: “Public research spending and policy mixes” and “SMEs and research”.
Geographically the analysis covers the area of the eight partnering regions.