The European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions have signed a new joint action plan to strengthen the role of cities and regions in research and innovation (R&I), the Commission announced in a press release on Friday 24 April.
As part of this plan, the two institutions will work together to strengthen the regional and local dimension of EU R&I policies and initiatives. The plan will also support the implementation of the Commission’s key actions at local and regional level and facilitate the exchange of expertise and data between the two institutions, according to the Commission.
The action plan sets out four priorities: -building strong local and regional innovation ecosystems; -facilitating the green and digital transition by supporting sustainable and inclusive innovation at local level; -raising awareness of and promoting access to Horizon Europe funding opportunities and results among local authorities; -and supporting evidence-based policymaking in the regions, including territorial foresight and resilience.
Building on an initial joint plan for 2020-2025, the joint action plan is structured around these four areas and a flexible set of 11 actions, to be implemented by the end of the Commission’s 2024-2029 mandate.
See the plan: https://aeur.eu/f/loj (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)