Ecosystems as the key unit of innovation
The call for proposals is based on an increasingly shared idea: innovation does not occur in isolation. For knowledge to be transformed into impact, it is necessary to build ecosystems where companies, technology centers, universities, public administrations, and other agents work in a coordinated manner.
The program seeks exactly that: to promote stable collaboration structures that allow for the identification of common challenges, the activation of joint projects, and the facilitation of bringing technologies to the market.
From isolated projects to sustained transfer dynamics.
One of the central objectives of the call is to overcome the fragmented approach to innovation. It promotes ecosystem dynamics that generate continuity, shared learning, and critical mass.
The eligible actions are aimed at:
- strengthening the connection between research and business,
- activating technology transfer processes,
- stimulating public-private cooperation,
- and improving the capacity of territories to absorb and scale innovation.
European funding to strengthen the innovative fabric
The call is supported by ERDF funds, which reinforces its alignment with European priorities: territorial cohesion, competitiveness, sustainability, and smart specialization.
This allows for supporting ecosystems at different maturity levels, adapting actions to the real capacities of each territory and avoiding one-size-fits-all models or those replicated without context.
What this call for proposals implies for the ecosystem
For innovation agents, this initiative opens several clear opportunities:
- structuring collaborations that already exist informally,
- professionalizing transfer management,
- generating project portfolios with a longer track record,
- “and positioning ecosystems as valid interlocutors for companies and administrations.
For companies, it means more direct access to applied knowledge, talent, and emerging technologies, reducing barriers to entry for innovation.
