Mapping Exaptation as Source of Smart Specialization in European Regional Policy Between Tacitness and Codification

In this paper, we investigate the role of exaptation as source of smart specialization in European Regional Policy. Technological exaptation is the cooption of an existing technology to a new and unanticipated domain of application. Therefore, the novelty is not in the technology, but where this technology is applied. For this reason, exaptation might be a significant source of smart specialization and regional competitiveness as it does not require covering a technological gap but finding new areas of redeployment for an existing specialization in interindustry and multi-specialization perspectives. Despite the key role exaptation may have played as a source of smart specialization, it has not been included in the EU smart strategy toolkit. Therefore, with this paper, we highlight the key role exaptation may play in shaping the competitiveness of EU regions and draft a policy to leverage exaptation in EU regions starting from new matching between tacitness and codification.