The Welsh Government is launching its new Innovation Strategy aiming to create a 'Stronger, Fairer, Greener Wales' this month. The Welsh Government's Head of Innovation, Abi Phillips, will be in Brussels to introduce the Strategy at this event. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the key themes and priorities outlined in the Strategy. A drinks reception will follow.

Please feel free to share the details of this event with colleagues.

Please register by 7 June by emailing Events.Belgium@gov.wales 

DT4REGIONS and Living-in.EU initiatives are delighted to invite you to a joint Webinar on 13 June 2023 from 12:00 to 14:00 CEST, with the aim to explore the integration of AI into Living Labs for Digital transformation & Digital Innovation Hubs for European cities and regions. 

The test-before-invest approach allows innovators to develop new products and services in a controlled scenario, with the aim of having an optimal solution prior to further rounds of investments, minimising risks and providing better-suited results. The European Commission has identified the test-before-invest approach as one of the core elements of the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), in which innovation and technology services are provided to SMEs, being AI and Big Data essential technologies. The EU test-beds, living labs and Sandboxes (particularly the brand new Sandbox in AI) are powerful tools to tackle it from a multi-stakeholder perspective, or, in other words: to target the wider market of systemic transformations, with deep repercussions on European Public Administrations.

More information and registration here

The Principality of Asturias through IDEPA, and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission will organise the event "Connecting regional innovation valleys through circular industries" on 21-22 June in Gijón, Asturias (Spain). The conference will build on the experiences and learnings of the Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI) Pilot, which was launched in May 2022 by the JRC in cooperation with the European Committee of the Regions, with participation of 48 ERRIN members.

Led by the Asturias regional experience, the event aims to open cooperation opportunities in one of the "burning challenges" areas identified by the New European Innovation Agenda - achieving circularity. The discussion will cover process and energy Intensive Industries, connected upstream with the reliance on Strategic Raw Materials, and downstream, with the industrial value chain. The Green Deal Industrial Plan, the roadmap for low-carbon technologies, the human-centric approach of Industry 5.0 and the New European Bauhaus will be part of the debate. At the end of the event, under the PRI approach, participants will have shared their regional interests and capacities, identified common challenges and proposed joint missions.

Find more information including the agenda and register by 16 June here.

Thank you for attending the ERRIN Spring AGM 2023. The presentation can be found attached and you can watch the recording of the policy debate below. The article from the AGM is available here.

To view the video, enter the password: errinspringagm2023.

ERRIN’s 2023 Spring Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on 22 June from 14:30-17:45 CEST, followed by networking drinks. We cordially invite all the network members to join us – you can find the practical info on how to register below. This year the event will be held in-person, with online streaming available for members who aren’t based in Brussels.

We will start with formal business, which will be followed by a policy debate on the role of regions and regional ecosystems in the Horizon Europe programme. In our recent input to the consultation on Horizon programmes 2014-2027 we included targeted feedback on EU Missions, European Partnerships and funding synergies, widening, and ecosystem thinking as four main focus areas. In this respect, the policy debate will link in particular to the regional dimension in EU Missions and it will be organised in two short panel discussions between representatives from the European Commission (Missions’ Managers and Heads of Units) and ERRIN member regions, who have actively contributed to ERRIN’s work on the EU Missions.

The get-together accompanied by networking drinks will be a chance to meet fellow members and exchange on collaboration opportunities. We very much look forward to meeting you all in June!

You may see the agenda of the upcoming Autumn AGM below. The minutes from the Autumn AGM 2022 are attached. The registration is now closed due to capacity. For any information, please get in touch with teresa.vio@errin.eu.

AGENDA

FORMAL BUSINESS
15.00 – 16:00

Chaired by Hortense Lutz-Hermellin, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, ERRIN Management Board Chair

• Welcome & Approval of the agenda and minutes (attached, presentation available here) from the Autumn Annual General Meeting 2022
• State of Play and News from the Network
• Financial management updates
  • Information about indexation
  • Update – treasurer role
• AOB

BREAK

16:00-16:15

POLICY DEBATE

16:15-17:45

With the mid-term review of the Horizon Europe programme approaching, the policy debate of the AGM will focus on the role of regions and regional ecosystems in the programme. In our recent input to the consultation on Horizon programmes 2014-2027 we included targeted feedback on EU Missions, European Partnerships and funding synergies, widening, and ecosystem thinking as four main focus areas. In this respect, the policy debate will link in particular to the regional dimension in EU Missions.

ERRIN has been strongly engaged in work around all five EU Missions which are also identified as one of the network’s two key overarching priorities for 2022-2023, alongside widening and deepening engagement in R&I. Through our Working Groups we have closely followed and contributed to shaping the Missions through events, input papers and formal and informal dialogues with the Mission Secretariats. Over 70 cities in Mission Cities, as well as 100 signatories of the Mission Adaptation Charter, are ERRIN members. At the same time, we have been advocating mission approach as a way to better mobilise whole regional innovation ecosystems, which could also support building strong Regional Innovation Valleys and interconnections between them.

The policy debate will be organised in two short panel discussions between representatives from the European Commission and ERRIN member regions, who have actively contributed to ERRIN’s work on the EU Missions.

16:15 – 17:00

The first panel will focus on the three EU Missions - Adaptation to Climate Change, Oceans and Waters, and Soil. In addition to the future perspectives on the EU Missions and the ongoing evaluation process, the session will also tackle the different support and implementation frameworks proposed by the Missions, the Charters for Adaptation to Climate Change and Oceans and Waters, and Manifesto for the Soil Mission, including related support services.

• Irene Bonvissuto, Head of Adaptation Mission Secretariat, DG Climate Action   
• Kerstin Rosenow, Head of Soil Mission Secretariat, DG Agriculture and Rural Development
• Claudia Pecoraro, Healthy Oceans and Seas, DG Research and Innovation  
• Klaas de Boer, Hanse Region EU Office, ERRIN Blue Economy WG Leader
• Irene Palomino Antolin, Fundecyt-PCTEX Extremadura, ERRIN Management Board Member
• Moderation: Angele Liaigre, Cities Northern Notherlands, ERRIN Bioeconomy WG Leader

17:00-17:45

The second panel will, in addition to the future perspectives of the EU Missions, address multi-level governance, as collaboration across governance levels has been identified as one of the key benefits of the Missions. This session will also take a sneak peek at what’s happening next related to EU Missions.

• Wiebke Pankauke, Head of Cities Mission Secretariat, DG Research and Innovation
• Kay Duggan-Walls, Cancer Mission Secretariat, DG Research and Innovation
• Neville Reeve, Head of Sector, EU Missions, DG Research and Innovation
• Francoise Guaspare, Ile-de-France Europe, Member of the Cities Mission Board and ERRIN Transport Working Group Leader
• Ylva Reisnert, Skåne Region EU Office, ERRIN Health Working Group Leader
• Moderation: Zoe Buyle-Bodin, Normandie Region EU Office, ERRIN Policy Working Group and Adaptation Task Force Leader

NETWORKING DRINKS

17:45-19:00

IMPORTANT PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Registration and voter registration:

In order to ensure that each member organisation has one vote, we ask you to put forward a representative from your organisation in advance that is responsible for voting. Please note the designated voter for your member organisation should indicate this upon registration. If you have any questions, please contact Teresa Vio at teresa.vio@errin.eu 

Voting procedures at the Annual General Meeting:

Voting on motions will be done via an online form. Links to the dedicated online forms will be communicated during the meeting. Please note that only the registered voter is allowed to vote.

Photos and recording:

We may take photos, web-stream and record the Autumn AGM. By attending the event you agree and accept that your personal data (photo, video, written questions, comments and recording format of any kind) may be processed by ERRIN in accordance with the applicable European privacy and data protection regulations and grant your consent for its use for any ERRIN communication and promotional purposes.

Please register below.

Helsinki, Oslo, Greater Copenhagen and Stockholm EU Offices are hosting an EU Green Week partner event on Skills for Green Infrastructure on 8 June from 10:00-12:00. 

Several regions and cities across Europe experience both unemployment and a shortage of skills related to the green transition. This is no different for the Nordic countries, where estimates suggest a shortage of around 350 000 vocationally trained employees in 2030.

Join us in discussing different ways to ensure that we have a skilled workforce to implement the green transition. You will hear examples from different actors in the innovation ecosystem, including skills training at various levels as well as the development and implementation of green solutions.

The event is organised in a hybrid format. After the event, we invite you to join us for a networking lunch. 

Please register here. 

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Agenda

09.30   Welcome coffee and tea

10.00   Welcome

Julia Jokelin
Deputy Head of Office, Helsinki EU Office

Moderator Louise Coffineau
Policy Advisor, Environment and Climate, EUROCITIES

10.10   Keynote
Egbert Holthuis
Head of Unit - Jobs, Skills and Social Policies, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion (DG EMPL), European Commission 

10.30   Innovation for sustainability – a PhD programme for societal transformation
Siw Fosstenløkken
Professor, Innovation, Digital Transformation and Sustainability, OsloMet University

10.45   Best practices and challenges on green skills development
Maria Jaakkola
Head of Research and Development, Urban Space and Landscape Planning, City of Helsinki

11.00   Anchoring knowledge and innovation within green mega infrastructure
Stig Rømer Winther
Managing Director of Femern Belt Development and Lead of Fehmarn Innovation

11.15   Ensuring a skilled workforce for the railway of the future
Elin Kebert
Expert on skills supply, The Swedish Construction Federation, board member of Järnvägscollege (Railway college)

11.30   Panel discussion and Q&A

11.55   Concluding remarks

Moderator Louise Coffineau
Policy Advisor, Environment and Climate, EUROCITIES

12.00   Networking lunch

The RECIPROCITY project launched its Funding & Legal Helpdesk which can provide Cities & Municipalities with the necessary support regarding legal and financing issues in the replication of smart and clean mobility projects.

Stakeholders can benefit free of charge from this support. Simply send your query to us and the RECIPROCITY team of Financial and Legal Specialists will handle it.

By utilising this service, your organisation can request technical advice on public funding options, financing methods for mobility projects, as well as on institutional cooperation and legal support for the development of sustainable mobility projects.

RECIPROCITY invites your organisation to take advantage of this service and seek expert advice on financial or legal issues affecting the implementation of your mobility project.

Fill in the form HERE.

Should you need any further information, please email gaia.marotta@errin.eu and silvia.ghiretti@errin.eu 

On 20 June 2023, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) is organising a hybrid event on Synergies across the EU Funding Programmes managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) in collaboration with the networks of Horizon Europe National Contact Points for Cluster 1, and Cluster 4 and the network of the EU4Health National Focal Points. This event will take place at the Italian National Institute of Health in Rome and online. 

The event will promote the synergies between the  European funding programmes implemented by HaDEA, namely Horizon Europe (Cluster 1 Health and Cluster 4 Digital Industry and Space), EU4Health and Digital Europe’s networks. 

The event will be organised in hybrid mode. However, participation in presence is strongly encouraged.

More information and registration can be found here.

The 5G for Smart Communities (5GSC) initiative, part of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital, aims at deploying very high-capacity networks, including 5G systems, in areas where socioeconomic drivers are located.

The Commission launched two 5GSC calls as part of CEF Digital, with a third one due to be open during Q3 2023. As a result, selected projects will constitute examples of concrete 5G use cases that have the potential of sparking incentives for future 5G-based application developments in different sectors. Projects are managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA).

In preparation for the upcoming call, the 5G for Smart Communities Support Platform is conducting a consultation to gather valuable insights and feedback from key stakeholders.

To complete the questionnaire, follow this link. The deadline for responses is 7 June 2023. All responses are anonymous and will contribute to identifying concrete 5G use cases for future application developments.