About the project
InnovationGUIDE focuses on identifying regional needs and connecting rural innovation ecosystems to foster entrepreneurship and economic development in the regions. The project has a total budget of 496,862.50 euros and a duration of 12 months from January 2024.
InnovationGUIDE will power the Pan-European Countries’ rural areas by enabling innovators including deep-tech and social innovation startups to take better advantage of the single market. The project aims to integrate networks of individuals, organizations, and institutions in rural areas collaborating to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development. With interconnected ecosystems, startups in the InnovationGUIDE region become better equipped with relevant skills and infrastructure.
In this sense, InnovationGUIDE’s motivation originates from recent situations and developments in the agriculture, tourism, and bioeconomy sectors in the consortium’s member countries, addressing the barriers that important actors in related sectors experience in accessing innovation and contributing to rural development. This approach aims to become a driver for attracting and retaining talent, promoting local businesses, and creating new and more sustainable industries.
Funded by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), InnovationGUIDE will become a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and professionals interested in promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth in rural areas.
Objective 1
InnovationGUIDE aims to promote the scalability potential of businesses in Pan-European countries, particularly in the deep tech sector, by strengthening robust interconnected Pan-European innovation ecosystems across the EU. The project aims to foster cross-border collaboration and create a favourable environment for innovation, thereby contributing to the sustainable growth and inclusive development of the Pan-European region engagement for interconnected European Innovation Ecosystems.
Objective 2
InnovationGUIDE aims to enhance cooperation among the private sector, research, and innovation stakeholders, and boost digitalization while taking gender equality and territorial diversity into account. The project will also contribute to the preparation of long-term programs and action plans and increase cooperation among innovation ecosystems, especially in the Pan-European countries
Objective 3
It aims to integrate all relevant innovation agents, particularly business, academia, civil society, and governmental authorities in rural areas, into the innovation ecosystem through a systemic approach, and to assist efforts to maximise the value of innovation in these areas.
Objective 4
The project is also focused on the synergies that could potentially create between rural areas through enhancing innovation chains between stakeholders. Interconnected innovation ecosystems can greatly contribute to sustainable business development with high economical and societal value.