The landscape of European initiatives and funding available for regions and cities to strengthen their innovation ecosystems is very complex. Through its activities, ERRIN has raised many suggestions to include the ecosystem perspective and regional dimension in Horizon Europe in a more systematic way, while supporting members in navigating the different opportunities. Awareness, understanding and taking advantage of these EU initiatives may indeed bring great added value to the development of regional and local innovation ecosystems. At the same time, another path towards the same objective can be explored in parallel. Exchanging practices, challenges and solutions with regard to different regional innovation ecosystems’ development journeys can offer a wide range of useful insights for building and improving the existing structures and their performance.

This in-person ERRIN event on 4 October, organised in line with the Management Board priority on widening and deepening engagement in R&I, aims to embrace this second approach, offering space for all ERRIN members for mutual learning and exchanging regional practices without focusing on any specific European initiatives or funding opportunities.

Following a short welcome and introduction from the ERRIN Vice-Chair and secretariat, a few members will be invited to present their regional innovation ecosystem development journeys, including the encountered challenges, activities within regions and impact of interregional connections. If you would like to share your ecosystem journey in a 5 minute presentation, please reach out to ewa.chomicz@errin.eu at your earliest convenience.

We will then engage in interactive activities and discussions to explore together issues such as the key characteristics and factors for development of a well-functioning regional ecosystem, challenges and ways of tackling them. Finally, after a wrap-up, there will be a chance for further discussions and exchanging contacts during the networking coffee.

The meeting will be an excellent chance to take advantage of the unique value of being part of ERRIN as a network informally bringing together a diverse community of around 120 regional and local ecosystems across Europe.

You may find the agenda of the meeting attached.

Thank you for attending this ERRIN event. You may find the presentations from the session, including the slides with the discussions' outputs, on this page.