Alliance on Interregional Innovation Investments

ended

The ‘Alliance on interregional innovation investments’ project is initiated by the Regional Innovation Centre ‘Ambitious Gabrovo’ (RIC_AG), Bulgaria, in partnership with two other less developed regions (IT, PT), two regions in transition (GR, CY), and a more developed one (DK), along with an associated partner from NO. The overall goal of the project is to enhance the capacity of the participant less developed regions to cooperate with more developed ones and ones in transition by shaping and interweaving the Allon_I3 cross-regional innovation investment ecosystem with stronger value chains or new ones emerging. The Allon_I3 thematic area is set on ICT/Digitalization + Clean technologies, energy, environment and sustainable development, which is the crosscutting shared S3 priority area of all participant regions. It reflects the dual transition concept that helps businesses become more resilient. The core project activities follow a gradation streamline starting from ‘Ecosystem building and connection’ (WP2), identifying gaps and business opportunities for reinforcing broken value chains or building new ones by providing ‘Support to the identification of investment projects’ (WP3), and wrapping up with activities dedicated to ‘Scaling-up impact’ (WP4). The present project is perceived not as a one-off action but rather as a starting point of a long-term cooperation process that is to have its essential evolution beyond project lifespan. Allon_I3 targets simultaneously both (i) the policy, macro-level - by shaping the Allon_I3 ecosystem, and (ii) the micro level, i.e. support the capacity of the Q-helix stakeholders to identify and enhance the set-up and financing of innovation investment projects across regions. Regional roadmaps will empower the regions and the Q-helix stakeholders with partnership agreements and business cases to evolve and mature in the project follow-up stage.