Interregional Innovation Investments

1.   The ERDF shall support the Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument.
2.   The Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument shall support the commercialisation and scaling up of interregional innovation projects having the potential to encourage the development of European value chains.
3.   The Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument shall consist of the following two strands, supporting equally:
(a)
financial and advisory support for investments in interregional innovation projects in shared smart specialisation areas;
(b)
financial and advisory support, and capacity building for the development of value chains in less developed regions.
4.   Up to 2 % of the resources may be dedicated to learning and evaluation activities, in order to capitalise on and disseminate the outcome of projects supported under the two strands.
5.   The Commission shall implement those investments under direct or indirect management.
6.   The Commission shall be supported in its work by a group of experts.
The expert group shall be composed of representatives from Member States, regional authorities and cities, and representatives of business, research and civil society organisations. The composition of the expert group shall aim to ensure gender balance.
The expert group shall support the Commission in defining a long-term work programme and in preparing calls for proposals.
7.   When implementing this instrument, the Commission shall ensure coordination and synergy with other Union funding programmes and instruments and in particular with strand ‘Interreg C’ as defined in point 3 of Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1059.
8.   The Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument shall cover the entire territory of the Union.
Third countries can participate in this instrument, in accordance with the arrangements laid down in Articles 16 and 23 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council
(
25
)
(the ‘Horizon Europe Regulation’).