A month after its successful launch, the European collaborative initiative RISE (Accelerate Innovation and Sustainable Investments) is making waves across Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Portugal. Cleantech BG, Digipolis, LE2C, N-ABLE, ACPMR, Paper Province, ICAMCyL Foundation, and TECOS have joined forces to redefine interregional cooperation, fostering innovation ecosystems and identifying investment projects in less developed regions.
The RISE project is making significant strides in fostering innovation, sustainability, and interregional collaboration in less developed regions. By bringing together a diverse consortium and aligning with key domains of the green and digital transition, RISE is poised to make a lasting impact on European ecosystems. The project marks a new chapter in driving positive change and reinforces the commitment to a more sustainable and innovative future.
About RISE
Project Introduction and Objectives
Project RISE aims to fast-track innovation deployment and catalyze investment for sustainable interregional cooperation. Focused on Efficient and Sustainable Manufacturing, Bioeconomy, Smart Technologies, Industrial Modernization, Bioenergy, Solar, and Sustainable Buildings, RISE engages quadruple-helix ecosystems to enhance the capacity of less developed regions. It brings together expertise from three transition and two developed regions, anchored in five key pillars:
- Focus on innovation for less developed regions
- Support in key areas: Efficient and Sustainable Manufacturing, Bioeconomy, Smart Technologies, Bioenergy, Solar, and Sustainable Buildings
- Identification of shared S3 areas
- SMEs at the center of activities
- Developing a Pipeline of relevant projects
Analysis of the Status Quo and Setting Up a Pan-European Ecosystem
In the initial phase, RISE mapped local innovation ecosystems, assessed potential pathways for common future opportunities, and strategized actions for creating new business opportunities within the quadruple-helix ecosystems.
Ecosystem Building and Facilitating Collaboration in EU Value Chains
Subsequently, RISE has been actively constructing an interregional ecosystem, focusing on designing roadmaps, establishing long-lasting partnerships, and supporting collaborative endeavors to boost the innovation capacity of international ecosystems.
Pipeline of Investment Projects
In the third phase, RISE is developing a cross-regional innovation investment projects program, involving the matching of partners, merging interests, guiding the process of drafting joint innovation investment plans, ensuring robustness, and achieving mature business plans for scale-up projects.
Bringing Projects Close to Market
The final phase concentrates on vital investment planning for validated projects, incorporating a fundraising strategy, compiling cases for I3 Strand 1 and Strand 2a funding, mapping EU investors, and facilitating connections between RISE project holders and relevant investors.
Stakeholder participation
RISE invites SMEs, startups, big companies, regional/local authorities, universities, research organizations, clusters, technology parks, chambers of commerce, non-profit organizations, and NGOs to participate. Eligible applicants must be from less developed regions (LDR), with transition (TR) and more developed regions (MDR) participating as application partners. RISE focuses on TRL6 solutions and categorizes applications based on strategic investors, financial investors, mixed approaches, and partners for interregional cooperation.
Connect with RISE on social media
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Press Release is available HERE.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor EISMEA can be held responsible for them.