Special sessions and conference participation of the Spatial Productivity Lab

Boosting regional productivity through linking SMEs with public research
Organised by the OECD Spatial Productivity Lab, the University College London, UK and the University of Insurbria, Italy

Public-private research collaboration serves as a vital channel to enhance SME participation in innovation, and ultimately increased productivity and firm growth. Local universities and publicly supported research centers play a pivotal role in bridging cutting-edge research with the operations of regional firms. Furthermore, when universities or research centers are part of multinational research networks, they can enable SMEs to expand their international reach, foster global connections, and access new knowledge streams.

Regional factors provide essential context for understanding these dynamics. For instance, some regions lack universities or public research centers, creating disparities in access to innovation drivers. Additionally, mismatches between the priorities of academic institutions and the needs of local SMEs can hinder effective collaboration. While regional policies often focus on strengthening research capacity, bridging the gap between universities and firms remains a critical challenge in many places.

This session will explore empirical research that advances our understanding of SME engagement with public and private partners in pursuit of research, innovation and firm growth.

SO.53-Transforming regions – industrial change and digitalisation
Organised by the OECD Spatial Productivity Lab and Politecnico of Milan, Italy

This session explores the various impacts of regional transformation on economic activity, firms and workers. This session will focus on the challenges and opportunities faced by regions undergoing industrial shifts, particularly in the context of deindustrialisation, the upgrading manufacturing, the automating and digitalising tradeable sectors, and trends in off-shoring and near-shoring.

SO.56 – The counterfactual evaluation of regional policies: a dialogue between decision-makers and experts
Organised by the OECD Spatial Productivity Lab and FBK IRVAPP, Italy

This session examines how to promote best practices in the counterfactual evaluation of regional policies and embed them within decision-making processes. The use of evaluation—and its integration from the earliest stages of policy design—is crucial to enhancing policy effectiveness and optimising the allocation of public resources.

Despite recent methodological advances, counterfactual evaluation of regional policies remains less prevalent than in other fields, such as active labour market policies or education. This is partly attributable to the distinct challenges posed by regional policy evaluation, including data limitations, the complexity of defining appropriate territorial units for analysis, spillover effects across neighbouring areas, and overlapping responsibilities among different levels of government.

Bringing together local policymakers and evaluation experts, this session aims to identify practical solutions to these challenges, thereby facilitating alignment between evaluation demand and supply and fostering constructive dialogue between policymakers and analysts.