Our Story

The Vanguard Initiative was established in 2013 by ten European regions committed to lead by example in delivering growth and jobs through industry-led interregional cooperation, co-creation, and co-investment, on the basis of smart specialisation. 

Since its launch in 2013, the Vanguard Initiative has been recognised as a strong and influential voice for the regional perspective on industrial transition. Our key message: that regions, smart specialisation and cluster-based interregional cooperation are key to new industrial growth, has been widely recognised and positively received by a wide range of partners and stakeholders, including the EU-institutions. 

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.