Our impact on regional innovation
How we help central Europe to bridge the innovation divide
Central Europe shows a continuous East-West innovation gap. Regions lagging behind are marked by reduced expenditure on research and development, insufficient coordination of innovation policies, and a lack of harmonization in regulations, impeding cross-border collaboration. In addition, overarching trends such as Industry 4.0 and societal issues like climate change and migration underscore the need for comprehensive innovation solutions that encompass institutional and cultural considerations.
In the programming period 2014-20, Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE strengthened existing potentials of technology-oriented areas through a better linkage of actors of the innovation systems. In addition, our projects assisted regions and cities to reduce regional disparities in knowledge and education and helped them to strengthen their capacities and competencies for entrepreneurship and social innovation.
KEY FINDINGS
The external impact evaluation concluded that the programme had a positive impact on stimulating and boosting the innovation ecosystem in central Europe by supporting all actors and reinforcing linkages between them, thus helping to build trust across the borders.
Innovation projects increased the number of sustainable linkages between actors of the innovation systems.
Innovation projects increased the number of sustainable linkages between actors of the innovation systems.
The programme financed projects that increased the support for digitalisation by enhancing the outreach of the innovative sector. This, in exchange, empowered enterprises with competitive and novel solutions.
Projects successfully increased regional support of SMEs, making key enabling technologies available to them through transnational networks. Moreover, they increased knowledge and technology transfers between research organisations and businesses.
The programme supported social innovation. It financed projects that helped to build social innovation skills, support social entrepreneurs, establish social innovation ecosystems or create social innovation hubs to offer professional, business-oriented support to disadvantaged persons.
“The Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme developed innovative solutions in a wide range of fields such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, processing and packaging, key enabling technologies and food, as well as social innovation with different purposes such as building social innovation skills, supporting social entrepreneurs, establishing social innovation ecosystems or creating social innovation hubs to offer professional, business-oriented support to disadvantaged persons.”
Funded projects
Project partners
Million EUR from ERDF
181
Tools to better coordinate innovation activities
258
Strategies and action plans to exploit benefits from innovation
303
Pilot actions to demonstrate the benefits of innovation
199
Trainings to enhance skills for the innovation ecosystems
193
Million EUR of follow-up investment leveraged in the innovation sector
BACKGROUND
In 2020, we launched an independent impact evaluation of the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE 2014-20 funding programme. The evaluation was conducted in two phases over a period of three years, between 2020 and 2023. It involved a thorough analysis of the programme, which employed a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Energy
Learn more about our impact on carbon emissions.
Environment
Learn more about our impact on the environment.
Culture
Learn more about our impact on culture.
Transport
Learn more about our impact on transport.