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Innovation for place-based transformations
  • Conferences and summits

Territories in Action: the journey begins

Join us for an afternoon of discussion on how science and place-based transformation practices can boost innovation policies around Europe. 

Would you like to discover how science can help develop innovation policies in your territory? Want to know how to start walking the innovation path?

More than 240 territories (Member States, regions and cities) will participate and work side-by side with the JRC to implement a European Union Preparatory Action Innovation for place based transformation supported by the European Parliament, during the next two years. This Preparatory Action combines dissemination, outreach, capacity building and co-creation activities that will push further the capacities of the territories and mobilise resources to face pressing challenges, ranging from decarbonisation to digitalisation. 

On 29 April we will kick-start the innovation work with territories. Join us to discover who is tackling each of the challenges, the political support behind this initiative, and the science and data that the JRC can already bring to the table.

Follow the streaming
 

 

  • innovation | European territorial cooperation | adaptation to climate change | health policy | cross-border cooperation
  • Tuesday 29 April 2025, 16:00 - 17:45 (CEST)
  • Bruxelles, Belgium

Programme

  1. 29 Apr 2025, 16:00 - 16:05 (CEST)
    Opening and welcome

    Bernard Magenhann, Acting Director General at the Joint Research Centre, European Comission

  2. 16:05 - 16:25 (CEST)
    Opening keynote addresses
  3. 16:25 - 16:50 (CEST)
    Panel I. How to tackle everyday challenges: housing, food security, and health

    Moderated by Tanja Hristova, Mayor of Gabrovo Municipality, Bulgaria.

    With the participation of:

    • Francesc Trillas Jané, Secretary of Economic Affairs and European Funds, Generalitat de  Catalunya, Spain
    • Federico Romani, President regional council, Regione Lombardia, Italia
    • François Bonneau, President, Region Centre Val De La Loire, France 
    • Sorcha Edwards, Secretary General of Housing Europe
  4. 16:50 - 17:15 (CEST)
    Panel II. How to be ready for the current geopolitical situation: societal preparedness and digitalisation

    Moderated by Lina Gálvez, Member of the European Parliament.

    With the participation of:

    • Erwin Hoogland, Regional Minister of Overijssel, The Netherlands
    • Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak, Member of the Board, Podkarpackie, Poland 
    • Luc Soete, Emeritus Professor Maastricht University
  5. 17:15 - 17:40 (CEST)
    Panel III. How to boost clean and just competitiveness: climate adaptation, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and increasing circularity

    With the participation of:

    • Diana Morant, Spanish Misniter of Science, Innovation and Universities
    • Mats Brandt, Regional Mayor of Ostrobothnia, Finland
    • Sylvia Schwaag Serger, Professor at the Department of Economic History at Lund University
    • Aurel Ciobanu Dordea, Director Competitive Circular Economy and Clean Industrial Policy, DG ENV
  6. 17:40 - 17:45 (CEST)
    Closing remarks

    Mikel Landabaso, Director for a Fair and Sustainable Economy at the Joint Research Centre, European Commission

Practical information

When
Tuesday 29 April 2025, 16:00 - 17:45 (CEST)
Where
Berlaymont
Rue de la Loi 200, 1049 Bruxelles, Belgium
Languages
English

Description

About the Preparatory Action 'innovation for place-based transformation'

The ‘innovation for place-based transformation’ initiative is part of the Commission’s efforts to enable territorial experimentation and support transformative action. In the form of an EU preparatory action supported by the European Parliament and with a budget of 2 M€, it will run until 2026 and be implemented by the JRC. The initiative builds on the long JRC experience in innovation policies (like the Partnerships for Regional Innovation pilot project, or the publication of the ‘ACTIONBook’) and aims to facilitate, promote and disseminate transformative innovation approaches within participating territories and beyond. This Preparatory will push further the capacities of the territories and mobilise resources to face several challenges: improving health, climate adaptation, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, mastering the digitalisation, preparedness, increasing global food security, New European Bauhaus.  

During 2024, JRC has launched the initiative, with a strong territorial-driven communications approach. In April, it presented the ACTIONBook through a live News TV show, with stories from different territories and the participation of two Commissioners (former Commissioners Ferreira and Ivanova), two MEPs and the President of the Committee of the Regions. In October, JRC announced a call for expression of interest during a networking event, in which the participants engaged in innovative dynamics to foster collaboration.  

In less than three months, more than 240 territories (Member States, regions and cities) have expressed their interest to participate and to work side-by side with the JRC to try to tackle the challenges they have identified taking into account their existing resources. This willingness to take part in an initiative showcases not only the political compromise of many EU cities, regions and Member States towards innovation, but the trusting relationship JRC has built around its capacity to boost it.      

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