Interconnected Innovation Ecosystems - Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON)

HORIZON-COFUND HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions – The aim of this topic is to foster the creation of efficient, open, inclusive and interconnected European innovation ecosystems in line with the New European Innovation Agenda, notably in thematic/technological areas (including deep tech) that will be critical for EU value chains contributing to the twin green and digital transitions and a resilient society, particularly in the areas of reducing reliance on the fossil fuels, increasing global food security, mastering the digital transformation (including cybersecurity), improving healthcare, and achieving circularity. Applications will be openfrom June 2024 until April 2024.

In line with the new European Innovation Agenda’s^[1] flagship on accelerating and strengthening innovation in European Innovation Ecosystems across the EU and addressing the innovation divide, this action is intended to create connected regional innovation valleys across the European Union (EU), involving regions with lower innovation performances, by building on strategic areas of regional strength and specialisation (defined in their smart specialisation strategies), in support of key EU priorities. Successful applicant regions under this call topic will be recognised as “regional innovation valleys”^[2].

Projects results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Open^[3], efficient, inclusive and interconnected innovation ecosystems across the EU in line with the New European Innovation Agenda, building on their diversities and complementarities, enhancing the joint definition of visions and strategies involving actors from across the quadruple helix^[4], based notably on their respective national/regional smart specialisation strategies, and strengthening their efficiency and potential to innovate;
• Enhanced synergies, complementarities and cooperation among European innovation ecosystems around strategic areas, technologies and challenges of common European interest, build on Smart Specialisation Strategies and, where applicable, on the participation in the pilot Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRIs)^[5]), the creation of common knowledge assets within regional innovation valleys, and support to their cross-border connectedness;
• Increased innovation capabilities, including in deep tech^[6] in Member States and Associated Countries, allowing innovators to bring their ideas to the market and enable innovations to be scaled up at EU level, and facilitating the link with the private sector and other research and innovator actors;
• Better links between innovation ‘leaders’ and ‘strong’ innovator regions with ‘moderate’ and ’emerging’ innovator regions across the EU and Associated Countries^[7];
• More innovation co-investments, mobilising other funding leverages, including European, national or regional public funds and/or other private funds, to complement Horizon Europe support;
• Increased participation of all innovation ecosystems actors across EU territories in technology and industrial value chains (existing and emerging ones) relevant to the EU twin green and digital transition to achieve broader sustainability and the EU’s open strategic autonomy.

Scope:

Target group(s): The topic is primarily focused on the regional aspects of innovation and targeted at national and/or regional innovation authorities. Other relevant entities can participate in the consortia as associated partners (such as research institutions, public authorities, universities, companies, clusters, innovation intermediaries, etc.).

The aim of this topic is to foster the creation of efficient, open, inclusive and interconnected European innovation ecosystems in line with the New European Innovation Agenda, notably in thematic/technological areas (including deep tech) that will be critical for EU value chains contributing to the twin green and digital transitions and a resilient society, particularly in the areas of reducing reliance on the fossil fuels, increasing global food security, mastering the digital transformation (including cybersecurity), improving healthcare, and achieving circularity.

The topic will support strategically oriented long-term programmes of activities (action plans) to enable authorities in charge of public national, regional, or local innovation policies and programmes, with the participation of the private sector and research and innovation actors, to implement joint activities towards innovation development and deployment, aimed at tackling challenges at EU, national, regional, and local level.

Read more about the call, terms and conditions and more information here: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-eie-2024-connect-01-01;callCode=null;freeTextSearchKeyword=innovation%20valleys;matchWholeText=true;typeCodes=1