Partnerships for Regional Innovation

In 2022, the Vanguard Initiative successfully applied to the Pilot Action on Partnership for Regional Innovation (PRI), and is now strongly involved in the next steps of this process together with 38 other successful applicants. the PRI wants to provide a new approach to place-based innovation policy which builds on positive experiences with smart specialisation strategies.

In the framework of the PRI, the European Committee of the Regions and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission are cooperating to explore the development of innovation partnerships fit for the green and digital transition, by building on positive experiences with smart specialisation strategies.

PRI aims to test tools to enhance the coordination and directionality of regional, national and EU innovation policies to implement Europe’s green and digital transitions and to tackle the innovation divide in the EU. PRI will be firmly anchored in the EU policy framework, supporting the implementation of the European Green Deal, Horizon Europe, Cohesion policy and NextGenerationEU.