As a flagship initiative under the New European Innovation Agenda, the Regional Innovation Valleys will focus on addressing the innovation divide by harnessing deep-tech innovation.  The aim is to identify 100 regions committed to better coordinating their research and innovation investments and policies and to collaborating on inter-regional innovation projects.

Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “With the Regional Innovation Valleys we aim to establish a community of regions that meet local challenges and needs whilst contributing to the Union’s strategic priorities. Committing to become a Regional Innovation Valley means building resilience in the face of global competition. We call on regions to join forces and develop a robust European innovation ecosystem”.

Elisa Ferreira, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reform, added: “Innovation is Europe’s best response to the challenges of the green and digital transitions. For the first time, Cohesion Policy Funds and the Horizon Europe programme work closely together to support interregional cooperation for innovation. I am looking forward to interested EU regions applying for this important opportunity, to reduce the innovation divide and build a stronger, more cohesive, and competitive Union”.

The Partnerships for Regional Innovation aim to connect and strengthen innovation ecosystems across the EU of different levels of performance to benefit from complementary strengths, as well as to direct local and regional efforts towards key challenges facing the EU, such as reducing the reliance on fossil fuels, increasing food security or facilitating the digital transformation.

The New European Innovation Agenda aims to position Europe at the forefront of the new wave of deep-tech innovation and start-ups. It will help Europe to develop new technologies to address the most pressing societal challenges, and to bring them on the market.

More information about the launch of the call for expression of interest for Regional Innovation Valley