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Political Commitment

The members of the Vanguard Initiative are regional authorities (or equivalent) responsible for implementing a smart specialisation strategy. By signing the Milan Declaration the members have committed themselves politically to the principles of the Vanguard Initiative: to implement smart specialisation strategies, advance technological developments through interregional collaboration, support demonstration and piloting of new European value-chains and making the Vanguard Initiative a powerful force for European technological change and advancement.

The Milan Declaration also establishes that the Vanguard Initiative members are committed to:

  • Promoting co-investments in European priority areas,
  • Facilitating access to combined funding for co-investment projects,
  • Taking advantage of better synergies between regional, national and European instruments to support interregional collaboration.

The Milan Declaration makes the Vanguard Initiative a unique alliance of regional policy makers across Europe and establishes the strong commitment of the member regions to foster interregional collaboration based on regional complementarities based on smart specialisation.

Read the Declaration here

Milestones

Latest News
The Vanguard Initiative celebrates its 10-Year…

On 5 December, the Vanguard Initiative (VI) organised a 10-year Anniversary… Read more

Official Signature of the Cooperation Agreement…

On 25 November, Eddy Van Hijum, Chair of the Vanguard Initiati

The VI is a Member of the Expert Group on…

The Vanguard Initiative, represented by the Vanguard Pilot Monitoring Task… Read more

brussels, europe, flag
VI is a member of the Industrial Forum

The Vanguard Initiative, represented by The Basque Country, has been selected… Read more

award, prize, stamp
Vanguard Initiative acknowledged in new JRC…

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) has published a new… Read more

lens, optics, camera
Component 5 discussion at Swedish permanent…

On 16 January 2019, the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the EU and the… Read more

#weloveC5: Vanguard Initiative organises…

On 26 November, the Vanguard Initiative’s lobby efforts to defend the newly… Read more

microphone, active, talk
Supporting interregional S3 cooperation along…

On the 6th of November, the Vanguard Initiative organised, jointly with the… Read more

innovation, business, information
The Vanguard Initiative in the spotlight at the ‘…

Following the recent publication of the communication “Strengthening Innovation… Read more

city, smartphone, control
Industrial Modernisation during Smart Regions…

During the Smart Regions conference in Helsinki, June 1-2, the Vanguard… Read more

block chain, smartphone, control
Vanguard Initiative in latest issue of Panorama…

The Vanguard Initiative is highlighted as an important driver for interregional… Read more

european parliament, strasbourg, flags
Vanguard Initiative meets the European Parliament…

On Wednesday 8 October 2014, representatives of the Vanguard Initiative’s… Read more