ERRIN at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2025

ERRIN at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2025

The 23rd edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) took place in Brussels from 13 to 15 October under the motto Shaping Tomorrow, Together. Organised by the European Commission’s DG REGIO and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), the event remains the largest annual gathering dedicated to EU Cohesion Policy, providing a platform for cities and regions to exchange ideas and showcase their role in driving sustainable development, innovation and inclusive growth across Europe.

With over 6,000 participants and 200 sessions, this year’s edition once again brought together policymakers, experts and regional representatives to discuss how to shape more sustainable and resilient territories. ERRIN and its members were actively engaged throughout the week, contributing to and supporting several sessions that highlighted the importance of strong and connected regional innovation ecosystems.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) and DG RTD organised a session “Regulatory Sandboxes in Action: Empowering Regions for Smarter Innovation”, with contributions from ERRIN members Government of Catalonia and Regional Council of Ostrobothnia, who shared practical experiences with regulatory sandboxes as tools to test innovative solutions in real-world environments. Through the EU Preparatory Action on Innovation for Place-Based Transformation, coordinated by the JRC, ERRIN is supporting territories in testing new approaches and explore tools – such as so-called regulatory sandboxes – to identify and overcome barriers to innovation and develop concrete place-based solutions to real-world challenges. 

ERRIN’s involvement in the RESIST project was showcased during the session “Collaboration and Scaling Innovative Climate Adaptation Solutions for Resilient Territories”. Speakers from ERRIN Members Normandie, Puglia and East Macedonia and Thrace Regions demonstrated how regional partnerships and knowledge exchange can scale up innovative climate adaptation solutions across Europe, contributing to the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.

In the session “Innovation Ecosystems for Dual Use and Defence: The Place-Based Dimension of Europe’s Preparedness”, co-organised by the CoR, the JRC and supported by ERRIN, representatives from Baden-Württemberg and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes shared regional experiences in developing dual-use technologies that strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and preparedness. ERRIN will continue to engage with its members on this topic, supporting knowledge exchange, collaboration opportunities and policy dialogue, ensuring that the place-based dimension remains central to Europe’s preparedness agenda.

ERRIN also celebrated the achievements of its members during the EU Mission Cities Label Award Ceremony, where 11 new European cities were recognised for their progress towards climate neutrality. Among them were Angers Loire Metropole, Eindhoven and Helmond and Groningen, all from ERRIN member regions. In total, 103 cities have now received the Mission Cities Label, out of which 61 are ERRIN members. 

Side events during the European Week of Regions and Cities

ERRIN also participated in several side events during the European Week of Regions and Cities. 

On 14 October, ERRIN Director Pirita Lindholm joined a high-level roundtable at the European Parliament on “Unifying European R&I for Global Leadership and Competitiveness – Widening in the next Framework Programme”, hosted by MEP Eszter Lakos, which explored how Europe can close the innovation gap through inclusive R&I policies.

In addition, Pirita Lindholm and ERRIN Working Group Leader Wim De Kinderen (Brainport Eindhoven) contributed to a Friends of Smart Specialisation workshop organised with EURADA and CDTI SOST, discussing the future role of Smart Specialisation Strategies in supporting competitiveness and the twin transition.

ERRIN’s Project and Policy Manager Marco Grippa took part in the Final Conference of the Urban Transitions Mission Centre (UTMC), showcasing ERRIN’s involvement in projects such as NetZeroCities and CapaCITIES.

ERRIN’s Head of Project Astrid Hannes contributed to a discussion on the European impact of regional innovation ecosystems, co-hosted by UASNL, Neth-ER and the MBO Raad. She underlined the role of regional ecosystems in implementing the EU Missions, sharing examples such as the PRECISE EU project on personalised health.

ERRIN also contributed to the session “Strengthening regional cohesion and clean industry: securing the deployment of Hydrogen Valleys in the next EU budget”, where ERRIN Energy Working Group Leader Valentine Willmann (Scotland Europa) highlighted the crucial role of regional ecosystems in advancing Europe’s clean energy transition.