Boosting regional innovation potential: New call for training and tools

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has announced the EU Preparatory Action on Innovation for Place-Based Transformation, a new initiative supported by the European Parliament and launched to help territories make the most of their innovation potential. 

Public authorities across EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries have until 22 November to apply for the call. During the registration process, territories will be required to pick out a main challenge area out of the following seven: achieving circularity, climate adaptation, improving healthcare, increasing global food security, mastering the digital transformation, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and New European Bauhaus.

The level of commitment, availability and experience expressed in each application will determine which of the three stages of the transformative innovation process is fit for each territory. 

• December 2024: The awareness-raising stage will offer attendance to informative sessions displaying successful case studies of existing policies and their real-world applications. 
• March 2025: The capacity-building programme will offer advanced training designed to deepen understanding of transformative policymaking. 
• April 2025: The experimentation journeys will create a shared space for policy learning, where participants with prior experience in transformative innovation policy can advance with peer support and expert guidance.   

Innovation as a driver for change

The path towards a greener, digital, more competitive, and just society requires behavioural and structural changes made within territories and co-designed with them. During the past years, the European Union has established a transformative agenda, situating innovation as a key driver for addressing societal challenges such as climate change, sustainability, energy supply, resilience, local job creation, housing, and inclusive economic growth across all regions. 

This new Preparatory Action continues the longstanding effort done by the European Commission in using innovation as a driver for territorial transformation and builds on the recently published ACTIONBook—a practical guide co-created with participating territories to support the development of innovation policies aimed at systemic transformation.