The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) have signed the very first project (DIGIT-PRE) funded under the Interregional Innovation Investment (I3) Instrument.
Its main objectives are:
1. Build portfolio of demand-led solutions for digitalising prevention, prediction and remote care in health and care ecosystems.
2. Build capacity in less developed regions to take part in the DIGIT-PRE Value Network.
3. Secure additional investment to support acceleration to market or residual investment needs in shared Smart Specialisation (S3) priority areas.
4. Accelerate innovation by providing access to large-scale demonstration living labs and test-beds for solutions validation and scale-up.
5. Go international to boost access to global supply and value chains.
These objectives will be achieved through 6 work packages that re-position assets and network segments as needed. These include
- pooling core competencies, build a common brand & ensure governance with integrity
- investment preparation with demand-led challenges generated though open innovation spaces & a matching support services portfolio,
- investment selection via an Open Call for companies with products/services at TRL6,
- customised support to take products/services to TRL9,
- optimising ‘buy-in’ and sustainability at Value Network level (aligned with other EU programmes) alongside competitive and sustainable sub-projects with value dossiers to inform market activity
- a living knowledge sharing process that adapts to changing needs and opportunities with our target groups.
Project Partners
The consortium with its partners covers 4 developed regions, 3 regions in transition and 3 less developed regions.
- ISAB INNOVATION SKANE AB, Sweden (Coordinator)
- EURASANTE, France
- SST STICHTING SPORTS AND TECHNOLOGY, The Netherlands
- GIP GER-NA GIP GERONTOPOLE NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE, France
- TSCP TURKU SCIENCE PARK OY AB, Finland
- HCN STICHTING HEALTH CLUSTERNET, The Netherlands
- HCP Health Cluster Portugal – Associacao do Polo de Competitividade da Saude, Portugal
- RVa REGION VASTERBOTTEN, Sweden
- FbH ASOCIATIA INIT, Romania
- SYREON KUTATO INTEZET KORLATOLT FELELOSSEGU TARSASAG, Hungary
Background information
The Interregional Innovation Investment (I3) Instrument is financed from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and it represents an opportunity to support companies’ investments bringing innovation to the market at high technology readiness levels (TRL 6-9) and to reshape the EU interregional value chains. The I3 Instrument is an opportunity for the less developed/outermost/ transition EU regions to catch up with the more developed ones.
It has two call strands:
- Strand 1 focusses on investing into interregional innovation projects in EU regions
- Strand 2a focusses on increasing the capacity of regional innovation ecosystems in less developed regions to participate in global value chains.
Related link
Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument page
Source: European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency I News (https://bit.ly/3hfqM8R)