Gippsland Smart Specialisation showcase: sharing innovation
Elena Nauta, Senior Program Officer - Smart Specialisation & Food and Fibre
Late last year, the Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA) coordinated an event at Harman Wines, South Gippsland, to showcase the Smart Specialisation (S3) methodology currently utilised throughout our region.
More than 70 stakeholders and partnership organisations from across Victoria met over two days, to learn about - and better understand - S3 as applied by the LVA in collaboration with their partners.
Significantly, Gippsland is the first region outside Europe to be registered on the EU smart specialisation platform.
Supported by partners at Gippsland Climate Change Network (GCCN), Food & Fibre Gippsland (F&FG), Destination Gippsland, and academics from RMIT and Federation University, the event was an opportunity for the LVA to shine a spotlight on the innovative work the collaborations have been undertaking.
S3 is a regional development model used throughout the European Union. Its focus is on strong partnerships based on a shared understanding of barriers and how to overcome them complements traditional methods of regional development, rather than replacing them.
The system aims to unite experts and representatives from each of the four key sectors – government, education and research, industry and business, and the local community – to discuss key issues that provide evidence and direction for chosen projects.
LVA’s Director of Economic Development and Investment, Mike Timpano facilitated questions to a panel of our S3 practitioners, F&FG’s Ben Gebert and Nicola Pero; GCCN’s Darren McCubbin; RMIT’s Bruce Wilson; and Ash Hall from the LVA, providing the audience the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the LVA’s partnerships and how we apply S3 in Gippsland.
Led by F&FG’s Elena Nauta, the following day’s program focused on a deeper dive into our S3 practitioners’ experiences in using the model. This session showcased the value of partnerships in delivering our work, and shared opportunities to embrace the different ways of working in a variety of locations.
Leaders, partners, and practitioners had the chance to network and chat with each other to learn about the benefits and tips when working in different settings across Gippsland.
Reflecting on the event itself, the LVA have produced a video to share some of the anecdotal feedback from those attending.
If you have any questions about the Gippsland Smart Specialisation (GS3) initiative, please email Elena Nauta, Senior Program Officer - Smart Specialisation & Food and Fibre: elena.nauta@lva.vic.gov.au or visit the dedicated page on our website here.
