Partnerships for Regional Innovation pilot project paves the ground for "regional innovation valleys"
By creating “regional innovation valleys”, the European Commission wants to
strengthen and better connect innovation players through Europe, including
in regions lagging behind. The aim is to bring together less and more
innovative regions with a view to addressing the most burning challenges
facing the EU, such as reducing the reliance on fossil fuels, increasing
global food security, mastering the digital transformation, improving
healthcare and achieving circularity. The initiative will be launched by
the end of 2023 and identify up to 100 regions committed to enhance the
coordination and directionality of their R&I investment and policies at
regional level. It will build on the
Partnerships for Regional Innovation
pilot project, which was launched in May by the European Committee of the
Regions and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC).
Vasco Alves Cordeiro, President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and member of
the Regional Parliament of the Azores, said:
"Innovation is crucial to foster economic growth, maintain jobs and
face the challenges of the green and digital transitions. We welcome
the new European Innovation Agenda and recognise its potential to help
cities and regions address these transformations, by promoting
territorial cohesion and supporting innovation ecosystems. We are
particularly happy for the recognition in it of the Partnerships for
Regional Innovation, a project by the European Committee of the Regions
and the Commission, that demonstrates how a place-based approach can be
the key to successful innovation for the benefit of all citizens and
our economies. We are keen to help flagship projects like this grow in
the context of the Innovation Agenda."
Anne Karjalainen,
Chair of the CoR's SEDEC Commission, added:
"The European Committee of the Regions warmly welcomes the much-needed
new European Innovation Agenda, which pays this time due attention to
territorial cohesion. We are keen in this respect to contribute to the
creation of regional innovation valleys and we underline the need for
effective multi-level governance in order to successfully bridge the
innovation divide across the EU."
A total of
74 EU territories, including 4 Member States, 63 regions, 7 cities and 6 networks, are part
of the Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI) pilot initiative that
will co-develop and test new tools and governance mechanisms to integrate
initiatives and investment in strategic areas and link placed-based
opportunities and challenges to EU priorities. In the first PRI pilot
plenary meeting this week, the participants will examine the new policy
context of the New European Innovation Agenda, discuss a roadmap proposal
for the Pilot and deepen on the tools and governance mechanisms included in
the JRC's
PRI Playbook.