The Working Group focuses on increasing the influence of regions and their stakeholders in shaping the European circular bioeconomy while also focusing on the Horizon Europe Mission Soil. The group covers the bioeconomy in the widest sense, tackling issues related to topics such as food systems, soil health, forestry, bioenergy, biowaste, bio-based products, among other things. Seeing the growing role of the bioeconomy in decarbonisation efforts, the group also concentrates on the ecological sustainability of these solutions (e.g. nature-based solutions, green and blue solutions for carbon capture). The group develops contacts with European policymakers to increase cooperation and projects between European regions in bioeconomy, with a particular focus on Horizon Europe and the Circular Bio-based Europe Partnership.
ERRIN Bioeconomy WG is organising an in-person meeting on 10 June 2024 from 15:00 to 17:00 to take stock of the latest developments on the Soil Mission. This meeting aims to facilitate an in-
The topic of widening gathers high attention in the discussions around the next European Framework Programme for R&I, raising questions with the potential to influence not only the Widening sub-
ERRIN has been closely involved in the design and implementation of the EU Missions since their inception. Missions remain one of the network's priorities and were one of the four main areas of focus
The European Committee of the Regions and the European Commission are organising a seminar on "Implementation of the New European Innovation Agenda – What is in it for regions and cities?" in the framework of their Knowledge Exchange Platform (KEP 2.0). The event will take place on 28 September from 14:30-18:00 in-person in Brussels, with ERRIN Director Pirita Lindholm as one of the speakers.
Are you interested in research and innovation funding opportunities in the area of Food, Bioeconomy, Natural resources, Agriculture and Environment? Then don’t miss the Horizon Europe (HE) Cluster 6 information days about the Work Programme 2024.
The Cultural Heritage & Tourism Working Group is hosting a project development session in collaboration with the Design & Creativity Working Group and the NEB task force, following call for all members and their regional ecosystems to express their interest in the HORIZON Europe calls focusing on culture, creativity and cross-cutting areas such as tourism, circular economy and design.
On 12 September 2023, the Commission is organising an online matchmaking event for territories interested in becoming RIVs. It aims at creating opportunities for participants to meet and connect with a view of responding to the RIVs call for expression interest by 18 September 2023 and/or finding partners for applications to RIVs calls for proposals under Horizon Europe and I3 Instrument by 17 October 2023.
During the Food Days event, the spotlight will be on the strong food expertise of the Seinäjoki region, innovative and international food chain development, and fruitful encounters around the theme of the future of food. This event will take place from 6-8 September 2023 in Seinäjoki. Food Days provides inspiration for researchers, developers and start-ups alike.
This conference presents the results of the Horizon2020 EnviroCitizen project, including research into how birding and citizen science can be used to promote environmental citizenship. The event will take place on 30 June from 09:00-15:00.
The ERRIN Bioeconomy Working Group, in collaboration with the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), is currently drafting a document that underscores the pivotal role of regions and the synergies with the private sector in driving forward the circular bioeconomy. This document aims to provide actionable recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders at both regional and EU levels.
The ERRIN Year in review 2022 is out! Read the report to see the numerous activities ERRIN and its members have been involved in throughout the year.
Developing Urban Living Labs is a relatively novel approach in urban areas, and consequently, there are many challenges and barriers that cities face during ULL adoption. This handbook, developed by the UNaLab project, aims to identify and explore some common barriers to the adoption of Urban Living Labs, and provide cities with a tool and an understanding of how to strategically address these barriers.
ERRIN's input paper on a potential EU Algae Strategy, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of such a strategy at a regional and local level.
A drafting group has prepared a first version of the ERRIN input to the future EU Algae Strategy.
Laimburg Research Centre is looking for a coordinator for the 1st Agroecology Partnership call. With a participative and multistakeholder approach, Laimburg Research Centre develops sustainable solutions for the local food supply chain, involving the main players in the sector.
The C4C initiative will support 50 community-led projects in 11 European Union countries. These projects will be designed to engage citizens in addressing climate and sustainability issues. The focus areas for these projects are renewable energy, sustainable water management, circular and resource-efficient economy, and biodiversity.
In 2024, the European Innovation Council is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the European Capital of Innovation Awards. The competition rewards those European cities that are courageous enough to open their governance practices to experimentation and push the boundaries of technology for the benefit of their citizens. In addition to the monetary reward, the prize brings high visibility in the form of renewed public interest and increased media coverage. The deadline for submission is 18 June 2024, 17:00.
European cities committed to sustainability are encouraged to apply for the 2026 edition of the European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards before the deadline on 30 April 2024. The Awards promote and reward the efforts of European towns and cities that strive to reduce their impact on the local and global environment, improving the quality of life for their inhabitants.
On 20 March, the Commission published the first report on the state of play of the New European Innovation Agenda, following its launch in July 2022. The document outlines the progress and achievements with regard to the 25 actions under Agenda’s five flagships, including the Regional Innovation Valleys. On the same day, an EU R&I Days debate on the way forward for RIVs was also held.
On 20 March, the Commission adopted the second Horizon Europe strategic plan. The plan sets out three key strategic orientations for the EU's research and innovation funding for the last three years of the programme (2025-2027). Find out what novelties the new strategic plan brings.
ERRIN has been actively involved in supporting its members - regions and their R&I ecosystems - in developing successful proposals under the EU Missions calls of the Horizon Europe programme. The Bioeconomy Working Group and Adaptation Task Force organised two informal meetings focused on the Mission Soil and Mission Adaptation calls.
Innovation Skåne, together with Gdansk University of Technology and Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry are looking for more partners for an upcoming project focusing on support for SME’s/Startups within Foodtech. There will be a workshop for this project proposal held in Malmö on 7 June.
The Covenant of Companies has launched a brand-new pledging scheme where companies, in making a pledge with our programme, commit to taking action to decarbonise. In return, they offer companies the knowledge and support they need to carry out these measures including a suite of advisory services. The second call for technical assistance is now open and the deadline for submission is 31 August 2023 18:00 CEST
The first Regional Innovation Valleys calls for proposals under the European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE) part of Horizon Europe and under the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument of the ERDF were launched by the European Commission on 17 May with an overall budget of EUR 122 million. The closing date for applying is 17 October 2023.
The Pathways2Resilience programme has launched its Expression of Interest questionnaire. The programme will allocate €21 million across 100 regions and communities through two call cycles, while also providing them with a range of support services and capacity-building activities to support the formulation of local resilience pathways and innovation agendas. The deadline for local and regional public authorities to express their interest in the programme is 15 September.
On 15 May, the European Commission's DG RTD launched a call for applications for the Commission Expert Group on the Interim Evaluation of Horizon Europe. The group shall gather 15 highly experienced members with the aim to provide the Commission with strategic recommendations to feed into the design of the next Framework Programme 2028-2034.