Five EU Tools You Can Actually Use to Build Stronger Innovation Ecosystems
Across Europe, regional innovation actors are being asked to do a lot: support startups. Connect research and industry. Build international partnerships. Attract investment. Deliver the green and digital transitions. Keeping the EU competitive. All while navigating an increasingly complex European funding and policy landscape.
At the same time, one recurring debate across European innovation ecosystems is not necessarily about a lack of initiatives, but about fragmentation. Valuable knowledge, project results, policy tools and good practices often exist — yet many organisations struggle to find, access or translate them into concrete regional action.
For local and regional innovation actors, this can make a real difference. So here are a few EU platforms that we recommend exploring.
1. Knowledge Exchange Platform
The Knowledge Exchange Platform (KEP) is a joint initiative of the European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions that helps connect European research and innovation priorities with regional and local realities. It serves as a space for dialogue, peer learning and the exchange of practical experiences between policymakers, innovation actors, universities, businesses and regional authorities.
How it works: Through thematic seminars in Brussels, peer-to-peer events hosted in regions across Europe and local showcase activities, the platform facilitates the sharing of solutions and good practices, including startup and scale-up ecosystems, knowledge valorisation, talent attraction and Regional Innovation Valleys.
2. S3 Community of Practice
The S3 Community of Practice is DG REGIO’s central hub for guidance, networking, support and peer learning on Smart Specialisation Strategies. It builds on more than a decade of experience with S3 and focuses on helping regions and Member States move from strategy design to practical implementation.
How it works: the Community offers targeted expert support, working groups, thematic partnerships, events, studies and policy briefs for regional authorities and stakeholders involved in Smart Specialisation. It is particularly useful for organisations working on innovation diffusion, industrial transition and interregional cooperation — especially when trying to align regional priorities with EU cohesion policy opportunities.
3. Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform
One of the most practical resources available for regional actors, the platform provides access to good practices, expert support, peer-learning opportunities and policy insights from across Europe.
How it works: users can browse good practices by topic, access policy briefs and request expert support. This makes it particularly useful when designing a new initiative or looking for tested solutions from other regions.
4. Horizon Results Platform
Thousands of EU-funded projects generate valuable knowledge every year. The Horizon Results Platform helps organisations discover innovations, project outcomes and exploitable results emerging from EU-funded initiatives.
How it works: Users can explore project results from across Europe and identify innovations that are already being tested, validated or brought to market. Many entries also include information on the types of partners and support being sought, creating opportunities for regions, clusters, SMEs and research organisations to connect with ongoing initiatives.
5. Horizon Results Booster
Horizon Results Booster supports EU-funded projects in increasing the impact, dissemination and exploitation of their results.
How it works: projects can access free support services to improve exploitation potential, dissemination and go-to-market strategies. Even for organisations not currently involved in Horizon projects, it offers useful inspiration on how to think about project impact from the beginning.
Looking Beyond Funding
Ecosystems do not thrive through one-off funding alone. Strong ecosystems depend on connections: between regions, sectors, institutions and people. And between project results and actual change.
Platform can help organisations navigate European priorities, learn from peers and build stronger projects and partnerships. Many useful resources for innovation actors are already available — if we know where to look, how to use them and how to connect them to local needs.
This is often where our work begins at SERN: helping regional innovation actors make sense of the European landscape and turn available opportunities into practical next steps.
If you feel like learning more, contact us.
