The European Commission announced, on Wednesday 24 November, the launch of a first call for projects for the new Interregional Innovation Investment instrument (I3) for the period 2021-2027. The first I3 call for proposals are worth €145 million and will cover the years 2021 and 2022. With a budget of €570 million, the I3 instrument aims to support the commercialisation and scaling up of interregional innovation projects in shared smart specialisation priority areas, the institution says. Half of its budget is dedicated to the least developed regions. (PH)