INTERREGIONAL VALUE CHAINS TO SPUR THE DIGITAL TRANSITION

Livestream Vanguard Initiative’s EWRC session showcases how connecting regional innovation ecosystems to develop interregional value chains is of paramount importance in achieving the digital transition. The Vanguard Initiative (VI) leads by example, allowing its members to collaborate by implementing a fresh approach to industrial transformation based on smart specialisation strategies (S3). 

Partners

Best practices

By highlighting such best practices, this workshop provides other regions with the opportunity to learn from current activities and connect for future endeavours. Indeed, the pilot activities offer a line of action that fosters interregional value chains by drawing on the existing strengths of regional ecosystems and remaining open to pulling in new, less well-represented actors or territories. While the role of S3 will be essential in the next EU programming period (2021-2027), the Vanguard member regions are well placed to highlight how synergy and complementarity between funding instruments will be pivotal at all levels.

Interregional Innovation Investment

In this context, they have been contributing for a number of years to the process of co-designing the Interregional Innovation Investment (I3) instrument with the European Commission, and have welcomed that instrument, which could be a catalyst for place-based recovery and interregional innovation activities.

Link to livestream: workshop European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) 

This event jointly organised by the VI Regions East Netherlands, Asturias, Baden Württemberg, East and North Finland, Emilia Romagna, Scotland, Slovenia, and South Netherlands as part of the official programme of the European Week of Regions and Cities, 12 Oktober 2021.

Keynote Speaker

Eddy Van Hijum, Regional Minister Province Overijssel, Member of the EU Committee of the Regions and Chair of Vanguard Initiative
 

Including contributions from:

• Denisa Perrin, Deputy Head of Unit EU and place-based, Innovation Ecosystems, European Commission, DGRTD.A.EISMA.I.1
• Alexandra Fezer, Senior Project Manager, Steibeis-Europa-Zentrum, Baden Wuerttemberg
  Eva Pando, General Director of the Institute of Economic Development of the Principality Of Asturias
• Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, Scottish Government
• Morena Diazzi, General Director for Knowledge-Economy, Labour and Enterprises of Emilia-Romagna Region
• Nina Meglič, Partnership coordinator, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Štajerska, Slovenia
• Stephan Satijn, Regional Minister for Economy of the Province of Limburg, South-Netherlands