Dimitri Corpakis, is an independent expert, writing and talking on innovation, growth and technological change. An engineer and planner by training, he has more than 30 years’ experience on the European integration process. Dimitri worked for the European Commission in Brussels as well as for the Greek civil service. Prior to retiring from the European Commission, Dimitri led the Unit on the Regional Dimension of Innovation (Directorate General for Research and Innovation). As of 2018, Dimitri co-founded FoSS (Friends of Smart Specialisation) an informal advocacy group. His current research interests focus on Smart Specialisation, Industry 4.0, Global Value Chains and Regional Innovation Ecosystems.