A new jointly published report paves the way for local, regional and national governments to drive transformative innovation in light of the Twin Transitions.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC), in collaboration with the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), has released a report titled ‘Innovation for place-based transformations: ACTIONbook, practices and tools‘. This document serves as a roadmap for empowering local, regional, and national stakeholders across Europe to drive societal well-being and climate-resilient development through strategic partnerships and purpose-driven actions. More broadly, the report addresses today’s most pressing challenges including climate change, biodiversity loss, and rising inequalities at national and subnational levels of governance. Recognising the interconnectedness of these challenges, the report emphasises the need for transformative innovation at multiple levels of governance. This approach is crucial in accelerating the “Twin Transition” – the digital and green transitions – envisioned in Europe’s transformative environmental and socio-economic strategy, the European Green Deal.
The report also highlights successful examples of innovation tailored to regional and local needs while demonstrating the effectiveness of the Partnership for Regional Innovation (PRI), developed jointly by JRC and CoR. The partnership itself provides a framework not only limited for growth but also for stakeholder actions and other investments that are intended to accelerate the transitions. To drive these processes, the partnership introduces local missions by coordinating actions and focusing broad-ranging policy mixes into a single direction.
The CoR and JRC further stress the importance of integration of EU innovation policies with ‘smart specialisation’ strategies under the ESI funds programme, advocating for sustained support for regional innovation ecosystems and the need to reduce innovation divides between regions. Moreover, the report offers a comprehensive framework to navigate these transitions effectively at the implementational level, closer to the target groups and final beneficiaries. It comprises three operational documents: The ACTIONbook, a collection of practices, and a set of tools. Together, these resources provide insights into transformative activities, practical tools for implementation, and real-life examples of successful initiatives embedded in regional practices.
Furthermore, the report recognises the key role played by multilevel governance structures in propelling regional innovation. By fostering interterritorial collaboration, network building, and coordinated policy action, local, regional, and national authorities are able to drive innovation. This entails advocating for meaningful involvement of various stakeholders, including individuals, businesses, local authorities as well as private and public institutions, in efforts directed towards fostering transformative and system-level innovation.
In parallel, the CoR released an opinion emphasising the pivotal role regions have, both present and future, in driving innovation within FP10 and EU industrial policy. The Committee calls for better coordination among government levels as well as improved synergies between EU funds and programmes aimed at stimulating green and digital innovation. It also calls attention to the importance of cohesion policy in strengthening innovation capacity at local and regional levels by emphasising the need for partnerships between the public sector, universities, businesses, and civil society.
In conclusion, the joint report and the CoR’s opinion paper represent significant strides towards fostering innovation and accelerating the Twin Transition in Europe. By empowering regions and stakeholders at multiple levels with practical tools and strategic guidance, these initiatives pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient future, in line with the ambitious goals of the European Green Deal and the EU’s industrial policy agenda.