Events

Vanguard Initiative, jointly with the VI Regions East Netherlands, Asturias, Baden Württemberg, East and North Finland, Emilia Romagna, Scotland, Slovenia, and South Netherlands is organising the event Connecting Regional Innovation Ecosystems: Interregional Value Chains to spur the Digital transition as part of the official programme of the European Week of Regions and Cities.

The session will showcase how connecting regional innovation ecosystems to develop interregional value chains, is paramount to 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). By highlighting such best practices, this workshop will provide other regions with the opportunity to learn from current activities and connect for future endeavors. Indeed, the pilot activities are providing a line of action fostering 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 put in light how synergy and complementarity between funding instruments at all levels will be pivotal. In this context, they have contributed to the co-design process of the Interregional Innovation Investment (I3) instrument with EC services for several years and have welcomed the instrument which could be a catalyser for a place-based recovery and interregional innovation activities. 

Keynote Speaker

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

Debate in the presence of

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 

Registration is available here.