Working Group Leaders

Representatives of Brussels-based offices leading the work of Innovation & Investment Working Group.

Innovation & Investment WG Leader
Gabriele Pedrini

The Autonomous Province of Trento

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Wim De Kinderen
Wim De Kinderen

Brainport Eindhoven EU Office Brussels

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Loles Vidal
Loles Vidal

Generalitat Valenciana

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Innovation & Investment

The Innovation & Investment Working Group aims to monitor the main initiatives put in place by the European institutions under the priority ‘an economy that works for the people’ and explicitly target SMEs. The Working Group monitors industrial and cluster policy developments and promotes instruments that support innovative financing (e.g., cascade funding financial instruments).

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Last Working Group Meetings

Previous Related ERRIN Working Group Meetings

Strengthening skills governance in regional innovation ecosystems:  lessons learnt and remaining challenges

Strengthening skills governance in regional innovation ecosystems: lessons learnt and remaining challenges

Astrid Hannes

As the activities of the EU Year of Skills came to an end in April 2024, the Science and Education for Society Working Group is organising a Working Group meeting to reflect on the lessons learnt

Policy & Smart Specialisation WGs meeting: Widening in FP10 and impact on cohesion policy post-2027

Policy & Smart Specialisation WGs meeting: Widening in FP10 and impact on cohesion policy post-2027

Ewa Chomicz

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-

Policy WG meeting: Role of EU Missions in FP10

Policy WG meeting: Role of EU Missions in FP10

Ewa Chomicz

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

WG Related Events

WG Related Events

Stockholm’s Innovation District Summit: Navigating the Future of Innovation Districts

Stockholm Science City Foundation and the Stockholm Business Region are organising a summit on Innovation Districts. The symposium will explore how regions and cities can work in new ways with innovation districts over the next decade to strengthen economic development and attractiveness. The event will take place in Sweden on 26 September, 08:30 - 16:30.

CircularInvest infoday 23 July 2024: make your Circular Economy project investment-ready

CircularInvest is organising an info day about its third open call for project development assistance services. The call targets local and regional circular economy projects across Europe, with the ambition of making them investment-ready and supporting them in accessing financial resources through its free project development assistance services. The event will take place online on 23 July.

atTRACTION webinar: "Building High-Performance Investment Environments"

Málaga TechPark is pleased to invite you to participate in the first webinar they organised as part of the European project atTRACTION. The project aims to create a community of investment ecosystem actors committed to the growth of Deep Tech companies in Europe. These webinars aim to provide inspirational talks for potential investors, inform them about initial steps in the investment realm, guide them through support networks, and showcase real-life cases and experiences of investors and Business Angels. The event will take place on 10 July, 12:00-13:00 (CET).

"How to use efficiently digital tools in Tourism" - Together for EU Tourism

In today's rapidly evolving tourism landscape, the effective utilisation of digital tools is crucial for staying competitive. This webinar delves into essential strategies and innovative digital solutions that not only streamline operations and enhance customer engagement but also emphasise the importance of innovation and boldness in adopting new technologies. Register for the webinar to explore how embracing cutting-edge solutions can revolutionise your approach to tourism management and marketing. This event will take place online on 3 July, 10:00-11:30.

European Research Council Info Days

Research support teams at universities or other institutions play a key role in the process of applying for ERC grants. They can help researchers and scholars build competitive grant proposals. Because of this, the ERC is hosting an info session to help project managers, grant officers and other staff in writing and submitting grant proposals. This event will take place online on 02 July, 09:30-12:00 CEST.

Workshop on regional policies to promote the adoption of innovation by public administrations

The EU project Prepare brings together four regions that are interacting with the local ecosystems to design novel policies that promote demand-driven co-creation for the benefit of local public services, SMEs and citizens. The aim is to help unlock the potential of innovation procurement to turn regional needs into opportunities. A workshop with thematic insights, resources and best practices will take place on 27 June from 9:00-12:30 in Brussels.

WG Documents

WG Documents

ERRIN Year in review 2022

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.

ERRIN input paper on the Implementation Report of the European Innovation Council

ERRIN's input paper on the Implementation Report on the European Innovation Council brings together the first comments and recommendations received from the various stakeholders from ERRIN members.

WG Related Content

WG Related Content

Regional Innovation Valley for Circular Economy (RIVCircular) - Madrid

Comunidad de Madrid is looking for partners to join a consortium for the first call worth € 60 million linked to the Regional Innovation Valleys initiative: Horizon Europe, Interconnected Innovation Ecosystems (2023.3) (HORIZON-EIE-2023-CONNECT-03), in which about 6 projects are expected to be funded.

Implementing co-funded action plans for connected regional innovation valleys - Heat networks

Implementing co-funded action plans for connected regional innovation valleys – Decarbonising Heat & Cooling, with proposed focus on next generation heating & cooling networks

5G for Smart Communities Support Platform Launches Insight Consultation for Third Call

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

Covenant of Companies for Climate and Energy launch pledging scheme  

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

Regional Innovation Valleys calls for proposals launched!

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.

Call to join the Commission Expert Group on the Interim Evaluation of Horizon Europe

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.

Latest Updates

  • By Louise Årebäck

Partners sought for Interreg South Baltic project in Foodtech

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.

  • By Lucy Hammond

Covenant of Companies for Climate and Energy launch pledging scheme  

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

  • By Ewa Chomicz

Regional Innovation Valleys calls for proposals launched!

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.

  • By Ewa Chomicz

Call to join the Commission Expert Group on the Interim Evaluation of Horizon Europe

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.

  • By Lucy Hammond

The French International Center for Resources and Innovation for Sustainable Development (CIRIDD) is looking for partners in circular economy, sustainable development, bioeconomy

The International Center for Resources and Innovation for Sustainable Development in France is looking for European clusters and/or European non-profit organisations with strong expertise in sustainable development, circular economy, bioeconomy, cooperation and functional economy, eco-design or green technologies.

  • By Ewa Chomicz

Gearing up for the Regional Innovation Valleys call for proposals under Horizon Europe

The planned launch of the Regional Innovation Valleys call for proposals under Horizon Europe is approaching on 17 May 2023. ERRIN is happy to share a recap of the latest insights and dedicated activities organised with the aim of supporting network members interested in applying to the call.