Commission announces second wave of Regional Innovation Valleys

The European Commission has unveiled a second wave of Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs), extending the initiative to more territories and confirming its growing appeal across the EU. The scheme aims to boost innovation, economic cohesion and inclusive growth, helping to close regional gaps through targeted support.

This year, six projects will be launched to address five major EU challenges: speeding up the green transition, reinforcing global food security, advancing digital sovereignty (with a focus on cybersecurity and AI), improving healthcare innovation, and promoting a circular economy. Almost 100 participants from 16 EU Member States and 5 Associated Countries will take part. EISMEA will now proceed with grant signatures and update the official RIVs map to include the new regions.

The 2025 calls for proposals under the European Innovation Ecosystems Work Programme (EIE WP) and the WIDERA Work Programme, are supported by nearly €43 million from Horizon Europe. In total, RIVs have now received nearly €160 million in EU funding. Implemented by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), the initiative strengthens and connects innovation ecosystems across Europe, enabling regions to work together on shared strategic priorities.

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