The Smart Specialisation Working Group aims to monitor and contribute to key policy developments related to S3 by enhancing dialogue with relevant EU institutions and stakeholders. The goal is to strengthen the regional perspective in the wider smart specialisation agenda and facilitate the interregional cooperation. The WG actively engages in the debate around shaping the cohesion policy post-2027 and the future of S3. It also follows different interregional collaboration instruments for innovation, their state of play and upcoming opportunities.
The year 2024 marks the opening of a new chapter for the Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI) as a JRC-CoR initiative building on S3 to support innovation for place-based transformations. In
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
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-
On 23 November 2023, EISMEA and DG REGIO will organise an informative session about the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument call for proposals "Strand 2b - Capacity Building in Less Developed Regions", expected to be launched on 15 November 2023. Registration is open until 20 November.
The ERRIN Extraordinary General Meeting will take place on 16 November 2023 from 14:00-16:00 CET in the ERRIN premises, with participation possible online. This Meeting is organised to make the necessary changes to the ERRIN Articles of Association following requirements by the new code for Belgian companies and associations. A minimum of 2/3 of the ERRIN members must be represented at the Meeting, and therefore engagement of each member is of crucial importance.
The next ICT WG meeting on 15 November will be an opportunity to discuss and exchange good practices regarding digital and cybersecurity skills with representatives from the European Commission and different initiatives implemented in the field.
The Annual Research Conference 2023 will be held on 13-15 November in Brussels. The fully hybrid event is the European Commission’s flagship research forum bringing together leading researchers working on economic policy design at European and national levels. ERRIN Director Pirita Lindholm will speak in a session on Institutions and Innovation on 15 November.
Within the complex landscape of interregional collaboration instruments, this S3 WG meeting will focus on selected four: Thematic S3 Partnerships, I3 Instrument, PRI and RIVs. The aim is to facilitate potential engagement of interested ERRIN members by taking stock and systematising understanding, opportunities and next steps of each initiative. Practical experiences as well as hands-on insights including encountered challenges and benefits, will also be shared. The event will take place on 9 November from 10:15-12:00 in person at ERRIN premises, with welcome coffee from 10:00.
The Monitoring and Measuring subgroup of Living-in.EU is organising its third meeting in 2023 on 27 October 2023, from 10:30 to 12:00 (CEST). LORDIMAS, a digital maturity assessment, will be presented to Living-in.EU signatories and other interested cities and regions.
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.
On 19 July, the European Commission (EC) published a Communication on the assessment of the EU Missions after two years of implementation. The EC details the Missions' successes but also recognises the need to address challenges related to governance, budget, citizens and private sector engagement. The EC also proposes to add a sixth Mission on the New European Bauhaus.
On 6 July, the Commission released the newest bi-annual Regional Innovation Scoreboard (RIS). The RIS allows for a closer examination of the innovation performance within European regions and the new edition is to be taken as a reference for consortium eligibility in the current Regional Innovation Valleys call for proposals under Horizon Europe. The 2023 edition of the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) was also published.
ERRIN’s Spring Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2023 took place on 22 June this year. As always, it brought together the large and dynamic community of member regions and cities. Following the format part with the update from the network, the main focus was the EU Missions, approached in two policy debates, on the support and implementation frameworks in Adaptation, Ocean and Waters and Soil Missions, and the governance innovation and the perspective on Cities and the Cancer Missions.
On 20 June 2023, ERRIN participated in the Plenary Meeting of the S3 European Hydrogen Valleys Partnership, hosted in the House of the Dutch Provinces in Brussels. In this context, ERRIN with its Energy & Climate Working Group is in the process of producing an input paper building on the work of the S3 Partnership on Hydrogen Valleys and collecting ERRIN’s members’ needs, challenges and solutions.
The European Commission has recently launched a project to “Co-design the Local Digital Twins (LDT) toolbox technical specifications for advancing the transformation of Smart Communities”. To support the design process, they have launched a survey to gather insights. The deadline for the survey is 30 June at 23:59 CEST.
Implementing co-funded action plans for connected regional innovation valleys – Decarbonising Heat & Cooling, with proposed focus on next generation heating & cooling networks
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.
Organised by the Living-in.EU Finance subgroup, this online webinar will offer the opportunity to discuss the European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) mechanism on behalf of the European Commission. The webinar will take place on 11 September from 11:00-12:30.
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is currently drafting an opinion on the future of cohesion policy post-2027. Representatives of local and regional authorities and other relevant stakeholders are invited for a topical consultation and exchange of views on 13 July from 10:00-12:00 at the CoR premises and online. ERRIN members are encouraged to register.
An online workshop is organised on 12 July (14:00 to 16:00 CEST) to gather feedback from local and regional authorities on the composition of the Local Digital Twins (LDT) toolbox .
In the frame of ERRIN’s focus on the Regional Innovation Valleys call under Horizon Europe (EIE RIV call), the requirement of 50% co-funding emerges as one of the most challenging aspects of the call for prospective applicant regions. The online Policy WG meeting on 29 June aims to discuss this urgent issue to further support network members in applying to the EIE RIV call by 17 October.
Umeå University has the pleasure to invite you to this unofficial event of the Swedish presidency of the Council of the EU focused on the rapid green transition and the re-industrialisation in European regions.The event will take place on 29 June from 11:30-13:00 at the North Sweden European Office in Brussels.