R&D POLICY IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA AND SMART SPECIALISATION APPROACH: CONVERGENCE OR PARALLELISM?

Smart Specialisation is a strategic approach to economic development through targeted support to research and innovation. It is a key element in the ‘Innovation Union’ flagship initiative of the Europe 2020 agenda for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The paper is focused on analysis (especially through desk-review and observations) of the existing R&D framework in our country, to see to what extent science policy can lead to smart specialization in the Republic of Moldova. As a result, we have formulated five major challenges for convergence of the national R&D system to smart specialization.