The Regional Innovation Valleys bring together both less and more innovative regions to tackle the EU’s most pressing challenges, namely reducing dependency on fossil fuels, enhancing global food security, mastering digital transformation (including cybersecurity), improving healthcare, and achieving circularity.
On June 19, 2024, the European Commission selected 151 regions across Europe as “Regional Innovation Valleys (RIV)”, committed to improving coordination and direction of their R&I investments and policies at a regional level.
In Portugal, five regions were awarded the Regional Innovation Valley Seal: Norte, Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Centro, Alentejo, and the Autonomous Region of the Azores.
With a total budget of €170 million, the first beneficiaries will receive approximately €116 million, of which about €54 million comes from the “European Innovation Ecosystems” work program under the Horizon Europe program, and over €62 million from the “Interregional Innovation Investments” (I3) instrument under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
This newly established network of regions aims to:
- Collaborate based on, but not limited to, their smart specialization strategies, addressing specific local challenges and needs while contributing to the EU’s strategic priorities.
- Strengthen their R&I investments and policies and engage in interregional cooperation.
- Identify potential partners, facilitating partnerships and connections between regions committed to similar goals.
- Prepare and/or implement joint innovation plans to create interconnected regional innovation valleys.
Learn more about the 151 regions selected as “Regional Innovation Valleys” here.
Access the map and additional information about the selected RIVs here.
Learn more details about the calls from the European Innovation Ecosystems program here.
