In July 2022, the European Commission adopted the New European Innovation Agenda (NEIA) with the aim of positioning Europe at the forefront of the new wave of deep tech innovation and start-ups. The document set out 25 actions under five flagships whose implementation has been monitored via a dedicated roadmap.

Almost two years later, during the EU R&I Days on 20 March 2024, the first report on the NEIA state of play was published by the European Commission. The document titled “New European Innovation Agenda on the move” takes stock and presents progress on the NEIA actions, marking 13 of them as completed and the other 12 as ongoing. Among the ongoing actions is one on Regional Innovation Valleys for regions committed to concentrate their R&I efforts on specific priorities and to strengthen their coordination with other regions, which ERRIN has been particularly advocating.

Key NEIA deliverables include: new directives proposed in access to finance for scale-ups and SMEs; actions to attract institutional investors; initiatives to promote innovation procurement and experimentation spaces (such as regulatory sandboxes); the reinforcement of innovation ecosystems and addressing the innovation divide through the development of innovation-oriented networks of regions; skills development.

The NEIA report also includes over 200 measures announced by Member States and Associated Countries in support of the NEIA. The measures where mapped by the EIC Forum, where representatives of Member States and Associated Countries present and discuss innovation policies and instruments, and where ERRIN also participates as a stakeholder.

Regarding Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs), over 150 regions are on track to be granted the title. More than 250 innovation stakeholders in these regions are expected to receive a total of over EUR 115 million of EU funding and committed to co-fund another EUR 77 million from private and public sources. 170 applicants from 140 regions expressed interest in becoming RIV through the call for EoI, while  the first coordinated calls under Horizon Europe (EIE) and the European Regional Development Fund (I3) with a total budget of EUR 122 million gathered over 50 proposals with close to 1000 participants from 25 Member States and 6 Associated Countries.

The Commission plans to officially announce the names of the successful regions in summer this year.

Meanwhile, a debate on the way forward for RIVs was held during the EU R&I Days following the launch of the NEIA report. Almost two years after the first announcement of the initiative, the participants reflected on what makes RIVs special? What to improve? Why to apply? ERRIN Director Pirita Lindholm and ERRIN Smart Specialisation Working Group Leader Rasmus Bergander from Central Sweden European Office joined the panel alongside representatives of the Commission’s DG RTD and DG REGIO, and the European Committee of the Regions. Find out what Pirita and Rasmus shared in this LinkedIn post or watch the full debate here or below.

We were proud to have ERRIN’s work around RIVs and our members' achievements recognised!

ERRIN submitted input to the call for evidence for NEIA in May 2022 and has been closely engaged in the developments around the Agenda since its following launch. We have been particularly supporting NEIA flagship three on Accelerating and strengthening innovation in European Innovation Ecosystems across the EU and the linked initiative of identifying up to 100 Regional Innovation Valleys, organising dedicated events and engaging in discussions, including in the EIC Forum Working Group on Innovation Policy.