Our Activities
The Vanguard Initiative helps European regions join forces to accelerate innovation and strengthen European resilience. By connecting regional strengths through smart specialisation, we create synergies that allow new technologies to be developed, tested, and brought to market faster.
At the heart of our activities are interregional Innovation Pilots, where regions pool expertise and resources in strategic areas such as advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy. These pilots progress from idea-sharing to large-scale demonstration, enabling industries and research institutions to collaborate across borders and turn innovation into impact across Europe.
How We Work
Our approach is based on collaboration and impact:
Connecting regional strengths
Bringing together smart specialisation areas to build Europe’s collective capacity.
Driving interregional innovation pilot activities
Enabling businesses, clusters, research institutes and funders to collaborate across borders and deliver solutions to keep Europe at the forefront.
Jointly realising opportunities
Turning innovation into concrete products & services.
Through this shared vision, the Vanguard Initiative drives innovation that keeps Europe at the forefront, ensuring progress, sustainability, and sovereignty for the generations ahead.
Innovation Pilots
The Innovation Pilots are the core of our work. They serve as living laboratories where regional innovation actors, such as SME clusters, technological centres, universities and above all SMEs, co-develop and scale innovation together.
Each pilot is designed to move quickly from concept to real-world demonstration, creating pathways for European innovation leadership and industrial transformation.
Innovation Funding
To support these collaborative efforts, the Vanguard Initiative has established VInnovatw, its own interregional funding tool:
Connect regions and stakeholders to relevant EU funding programmes.
Advocate for resources that help pilot projects move forward.
Facilitate partnerships that unlock investment opportunities.
By leveraging Vinnovate as well as European, national and regional funding, we ensure that ideas have the support they need to be put in practice.
Innovation Policy Support
The Vanguard Initiative also plays a strategic role in shaping European industrial and innovation policy.
Represent the voice of regions in Brussels.
Ensure regional innovation ecosystems are reflected in EU priorities.
Advocate for policies that enable smart specialisation and cross-border collaboration.
This ensures that our members not only innovate, but also help policymakers shape a future where Europe thrives and acts with independence.
Get Involved
Interested in learning more about our work or joining the Vanguard Initiative?
Discover how your region can become part of a growing movement that is shaping Europe’s industrial future.