Istambul – The InnovationGUIDE project has officially kicked off with a successful launch meeting at the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) headquarters in Istanbul. This ambitious project, comprising six entities from Turkey, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malta focuses on identifying regional needs and connecting rural innovation ecosystems to foster entrepreneurship and economic development in the regions.
With a total budget of 496,862.50 euros and a duration of 12 months from January 2024, InnovationGUIDE will have a focus for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners interested in promoting sustainable, inclusive economic growth in rural areas.
Funded by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), 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 and attract new institutional investors to strengthen financial and capital markets to commercialise and scale companies in their countries.
The project is integrated by the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), Universiteit Maastricht, Fundacion Empresa-Universidad Gallega (FEUGA), Malta College of Arts Science and Technology (MCAST) and StartupCentrum.
ABOUT INNOVATIONGUIDE
The project aims to integrate networks of individuals, organizations, and institutions in rural areas collaborating to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development.
In this sense, InnovationGUIDE’s motivation originates from recent situations and developments in the agriculture, fisheries, sustainable tourism, and bioeconomy sectors in the consortium’s member countries. Addressing the barriers that important actors in related sectors experience in accessing innovation and contribute to rural development.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
InnovationGUIDE will undertake a variety of activities, including stakeholder, common problems and needs mapping for regions and sectors, reporting on Governance Analysis focusing on innovation, development of financial sustainability plans, replication and sustainability guidelines and action plan to accelerate innovation implementation on the regional rural ecosystems. The project also plans to organize more than 8 regional events, one interregional event, and establish an Inter Regional Innovation Assembly.
These collaborative efforts will allow the identification and development of new ideas, products, and services that address local challenges and opportunities. Recognizing the pivotal role of innovation in rural development, InnovationGUIDE is embarking on a groundbreaking journey to unravel the intricate tapestry of rural innovation dynamics.
For further technical information please contact Onurcan Misir (onurcanmisir@tim.org.tr) and for media communications Agustín Quesada (aquesada@feuga.es).