The partnership has delivered the following key outputs: A toolbox that serves as a set of recommendations by outlining different dimensions of policy development by bringing in the concrete experiences from the HERICOAST partner regions. The identification of 19 good practices, 15 of them validated by PLP experts. 6 regional action plans with a number of measures for the improvement of Regional Operational Programmes and other regional development policies.            REGIONAL ACTION PLANS61 policy learning events counting both regional workshops with stakeholders and interregional workshops with project partners.40 people from project partners and their stakeholders has reported an increased professional capacity due to their participation in interregional cooperation activities.The project has made 60 appearances in local and regional media.690 average number of sessions on the project pages per reporting periodThe project has reported the following key results: In Romania, Italy and Spain 4 European Territorial Cooperation programmes, measures inspired by the cooperation were implemented in the field tackled by the project. By September 2020 this measured had effected allocation of 2,017,464.53 EUR of Structural Funds. In Norway and Ireland 4 other regional policy instruments measures inspired by the cooperation were implemented in the field tackled by the project. These measures had by September 2020 influenced the allocation of 784,298.08 EUR of other funds. Our project contributes to the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 Read more HERICOAST TOOLBOX AND FLYER

Effects of interregional cooperation An insight into some policy changes and results of INTERREG IVC projects In early 2018, we launched a study to look into the long-term effects of interregional cooperation projects similar to those running at the moment. The study focused on projects running between 2007 and 2014, those funded by our programme’s predecessor, INTERREG IVC. They proved to be a great source of evidence about the policy changes and their effects in the participating regions. The study reached out to 1200+ partners from 150 INTERREG IVC projects with a survey asking about the policy changes and their effects in their regions. 4 respondents out of 5 reported that a policy change took place in their region thanks to their interregional cooperation project. Most frequently, the projects led to the implementation of a new activity or initiative, which had a long-term effect in their territory, as majority of the respondents declared. Keen to go beyond numbers and statistics? We have collected a set of stories in in-depth interviews, describing the policy changes and their effects. See the full report here and click through the stories by topic below! Research & innovation SME competitiveness Low-carbon economy Environment Research & innovation Research and innovationPROSESC provided Hethel Innovation center with a vision and a good practice in innovation support. Since then, the centre has become the innovation hub in the Norfolk County and a driver of the local knowledge-based economy.CLUSTERIX provided good practices to the Ministry of Research and Innovation in Romania for developing a small cluster financing scheme designed to help the existing clusters in Romania on their way towards excellence.CLIQ inspired the Foundation for economic development in the Bay of Cadiz in Spain to develop a lab to promote entrepreneurship and creativity, to make things differently and to think ‘out of the box’. SME competitiveness Competitiveness of SMEsCREA.RE inspired Linz to develop a co-working space for companies in the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in Upper Austria. It helped the region turn the CCIs sector into a strong component of its innovation strategy.Health4Growth helped Maribor Development Agency in Slovenia develop ORbITaLA, a co-working lab for real-life testing of new products, inspired by a good practice from Belgium. It already resulted in a number of new products helping caretakers in a social work centre.FIN-EN stood behind the new set of financial instruments developed by Finlombarda, the financial institution of the Lombardy Region in Italy, and an IT system for application, reporting and monitoring of the implementation of the financial instruments.DIFASS inspired the Regional Development Agency Centru in Romania to set up a Regional Unit for Promoting the Business Environment and Investments, which helps local companies internationalise their business and attract foreign investments.ENSPIRE EU promoted entrepreneurship especially among disadvantaged, disconnected or discouraged people. It shaped the new Business Strategy Plan of Vejle Municipality in Denmark, which led to their acknowledgement as a Resilient City. Low-carbon economy MobilityMOG inspired the Central Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency in Hungary develop a new mobility scheme connecting people, goods and services from rural areas to the cities. With a fleet of electric vehicles, it contributes to the reduction in rural depopulation and environmental pollution in the region.INVOLVE provided the Energy Agency Podravje in Slovenia with good ideas for better and more sustainable transport connection with business areas, leading to 80 new more user-friendly transport information poles, a new bus line serving a remote business zone, and four electric bikes for awareness raising on electric mobility.EPTA helped the Brasov Metropolitan Agency for Sustainable Development in Romania integrate public transport in Brasov metropolitan area and set up the public transport authority. The new transport system will serve around 50 municipal and 20 metropolitan routes in and around Brasov from early 2019.Renewable energy sourcesRENERGY helped Durham County in the UK make a better use of renewable energy sources. 90 energy audits among local SMEs have already reduced CO2 emissions; the community of Oakenshaw benefits from building their own wind turbine; and geothermal energy topic is on the agenda.RETS inspired the Energy Agency Podravje in Slovenia to develop specific educational and awareness raising methods about renewable energy sources. A demonstration project in a kindergarten in Maribor on the use of biomass heating systems in public buildings brought many policymakers and stakeholders on board.GEO.POWER helped the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving in Greece with good practices in the implementation of geothermal energy solutions in buildings. A number of support programmes helped in market diffusion of the use of geothermal heat pumps in public and private buildings, such as green houses or kindergartens.IMEA led the Danish Building Research Institute and the City Council of Copenhagen to adapt the management and decision making on energy efficiency projects in buildings to more proactive measures on the city’s side. A map with energy and social indicators helps in strategic planning of promotion and citizen engagement.MORE4NRG helped the Maramures County Council in Romania develop the Energy Action Plan and build capacity in sustainable energy issues. Energy Games raise awareness of teachers and students. The Sustainable Energy Educational Demonstration Center is dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. Environment Cultural and natural heritageVITOUR LANDSCAPE provided the World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley Association in Germany with inspiration for better landscape heritage protection and preservation, such as work camps for heritage preservation, cherry cultivation and cherry product branding, and visual impact mapping of wind turbine construction.CHARTS provided Veneto Region in Italy with good ideas on tourist accessibility or diversification of tourist flows. The Region informs tourists better due to a new system monitoring accessibility and demonstrated profitability of accessibility investments. Promotion of Cittadella in Padua Province saw tourist visits grow by 10% per year.Hybrid Parks inspired Linköping Municipality in Sweden with an approach to urban gardening and outdoor learning encouraging social cohesion. Paola Local Council in Malta further elaborated their plan to make the town greener and three gardens have since created a green link among three UNESCO World Heritage sites.Resource efficiencySIGMA for Water helped the Smallingerland Municipality and the Fryslân Province in the Netherlands prepare a master plan for the area development near Oudega and extend it to the waterfront of Drachten. With the plan approved in 2017 and EUR 21.5 million available to implement it, 70 hectares of land have already been secured. You can also have a look at a two-page leaflet with key facts about the study and four story examples. Print it, fold it and share with your colleagues! Report on the effects of interregional cooperation Dive into 20 stories illustrating policy changes and their effects in regions participating in INTERREG IVC interregional cooperation projects. Read more Brief overview of the study Check a two-page leaflet with key facts about the study on the long-term effects of interregional cooperation. Have a look and share Sign up for the Interreg Europe newsletter Subscribe now! Get inspired Discover our already approved projects and learn what Interreg Europe really is about. Discover projects Enter the world of 184 interregional cooperation projects that have already been approved during our previous calls. Explore the policy learning and change taking place in each of the four themes. Discover now Discover our Policy Learning Platform The platform is a space for continuous learning where the policymaking community in Europe can tap into the knowhow of experts and peers. Discover now the set of services the Policy Learning Plaform offers! Learn more

.hero-carousel .hero-carousel__list {width:initial;left:50%;transform:translateX(-50%);} .hero-carousel .hero-carousel__list li {border:none;padding:0} .hero-carousel .hero-carousel__list .hero-carousel__menu__arrow {width:20px;height:20px;} .hero-carousel .hero-carousel__list .hero-carousel__menu__arrow:before {content:''} .hero-carousel .hero-carousel__list li p {display:none} .hero-carousel .hero-carousel__menu {background:none;} .hero-carousel .slider-sidecontrols a {position:absolute;display:block;z-index:1;top:25%;width:10%;height:50%;text-align:center} .hero-carousel .slider-sidecontrols a.slider-left {left:5px;} .hero-carousel .slider-sidecontrols a.slider-right {right:5px;} .hero-carousel .slider-sidecontrols a i {color:white;margin-top:50%;opacity:0;transition:opacity 200ms ease} .hero-carousel .slider-sidecontrols a:hover i {opacity:1} .hero-carousel .slider-sidecontrols a i:before {font-size:75px;} Webinar: European Recovery and Resilience Facility The Policy Learning Platform is organising a webinar on the Green transition under the European Recovery and Resilience Facility. Let us know what you want to hear about and register! Register now Most popular #policylearning articles, policy briefs and webinars of 2020 Discover the most popular #policylearning articles, policy briefs and webinars of 2020! Read now Discover the policy helpdesk Discover the policy helpdesk in this video and how we can support you with regional challenges. Submit your request today! View now Expert support Community Knowledge hub Good practices Upcoming Events Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Research and innovation SME competitiveness Low-carbon economy Environment and resource efficiency .thematic-carousel-mixed .thematic-item { height: 490px !important; } Latest platform updates The most recent platform updates, policy news and other relevant stories See all updates 25/01/2021 Webinar recording: Strategic planning for cycling Watch the recording on strategic planning for cycling, the first webinar of the cycling cities webinar series that was held on 21 January 2021. Type: Platform 20/01/2021 Skills for innovation Discover five policy recommendations using the experience of Interreg Europe projects dealing with the development of... 20/01/2021 Webinar recording: Cross-sector inter-cluster cooperation Watch the recording of the webinar on cross-sectoral inter-cluster cooperation that took place on 19 January. Type: Platform 19/01/2021 Open Innovation Challenge – boosting the regional... Take a look at how the SCALE UP project is boosting regional entrepreneurship in the Lazio region. Type: Platform Mar 02 2021 Online discussion: Fablabs and Makerspaces On 2 March the Policy Learning Platform is organising an online discussion to discuss fablabs and makerspaces. Type: Platform 18/01/2021 The social economy and support... The social economy is a crucial part of the EU socioeconomic landscape. To foster the growth of the EU social economy,... Tags: Policy-brief, SME, Competitiveness 14/01/2021 Urban-rural innovation linkages Read about the main learning points from the online discussion on urban-rural innovation linkages that took place on 12 January. Type: Platform Mar 02 2021 Webinar: Green transition under the European recovery and... Join the Policy Learning Platform in this webinar on Green transition under the European recovery and resilience facility on 2 March from 14:00 to 15:30 PM. Type: Platform Mar 09 2021 Webinar: Water reuse and the European Green Deal Do you want to know how your region could reuse water and manage urban water waste? Join the webinar on 9 March from 10:00 to 11:30 PM! Type: Platform 13/01/2021 Unlock funds for cycling in your region Find out how you can unlock funding for cycling in your region! Type: Platform 11/01/2021 Voucher schemes: implementing innovation vouchers Discover how Interreg Europe projects bring value to the innovation vouchers schemes in different EU regions. Type: Platform 06/01/2021 Voucher schemes: zooming in on innovation vouchers Innovation vouchers have gained in popularity as a key policy tool in the regional research and innovation policy-mix. Read about its main objectives. Type: Platform 22/12/2020 Your #policylearning wishes become reality in 2021 In late 2020 the Platform launched a consultation with the community members to gather input and plan activities for next year. Here are the results. Type: Platform 21/12/2020 Most popular #policylearning articles, policy briefs and... Discover the most popular #policylearning articles, policy briefs and webinars of 2020! Type: Platform 17/12/2020 Sustainable urban logistics Urban logistics is responsible for significant carbon emissions, air pollutants and urban noise. Authorities realise... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 15/12/2020 Peer reviews on green topics in high demand Peer reviews on topics like circular economy and waste management have been very successful. Submit your peer review application today. Type: Platform 14/12/2020 Sustainable tourism:... Overtourism has a devastating impact on natural and cultural heritage of many popular holiday spots around the world.... Feb 04 2021 Cycling Cities III – Getting more people to cycle Join us for the second edition of the cycling cities series on 28 January to learn about getting more people to cycle. Type: Platform Jan 28 2021 Cycling Cities II – Infrastructure Development Join us for the second edition of the cycling cities series on 28 January to learn about infrastructure development for cycling. Type: Platform 29/09/2020 Facilitating business... In order to achieve more successful business transfers, the complexities of the process should be taken into account. In... Tags: Policy-brief, SME, Competitiveness 28/09/2020 Energy self-consumption Self-consumption of renewable energy can provide financial, environmental and security benefits for households,... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 25/09/2020 Innovation networks Innovation networks are central to the innovation process as they facilitate mutual learning and knowledge transfer.... 24/09/2020 Separate waste collection The European Union (EU) is aiming to reduce the environmental impact of waste and its dependency on raw material imports... 11/08/2020 Efficient business support... This policy brief explores various models for implementing and managing multiple-stakeholder collaborative practices for... Tags: Policy-brief, SME, Competitiveness 15/07/2020 Good governance for... The economic development in Europe in the past century put an enormous burden on biodiversity. Biodiversity is vital for... 06/07/2020 Built Cultural Heritage Explore successful approaches and solutions in protecting, conserving and valorising of heritage buildings of cultural... 01/07/2020 Smart Specialisation Strategy... Learn from practices implemented in different regional institutional contexts such as concrete and transformative policy... 01/06/2020 Cycling cities Cycling has many socio-economic, health and environmental benefits that its promotion should be a logical policy choice.... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 10/04/2020 Boosting entrepreneurship in... Boosting entrepreneurship in rural areas opens new opportunities and markets. Rural SMEs show great potential as a... Tags: Policy-brief, SME, Competitiveness 02/04/2020 Sustainable waste management... The shift from a linear to a circular economy is a major challenge that requires sustainable management of waste and... 30/03/2020 Supporting local bioenergy... Bioenergy is one of the most flexible renewables that does not release new carbon into the atmosphere. Discover European... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief Mar 17-18 2021 Wiesbaden, Germany Shaping the Hessen Digital Transformation Support Landscape Mastering the digital transformation, with a particular focus on how to engage SMEs in digital capacity building processes. Type: Platform 21/02/2020 Improving the convenience of... The shift to a low-carbon economy will rely heavily on the use of zero-emission vehicles and increased use of public... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 28/01/2020 University-Industry... University-industry collaboration is a key component of the regional innovation policy-mix as the successful... 21/01/2020 Urban ecosystems Discover the importance of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions for the development of sustainable cities 02/10/2019 One-Stop-Shops One-Stop-Shops (OSS) bring together the full gamut of policy interventions, working with stakeholders to provide skills... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 02/09/2019 Industry 4.0 This policy brief features six policy recommendations to support the development of industry 4.0 17/05/2019 Demand Responsive Transport Demand-responsive transport (DRT) is a flexible mode of transportation that adapts to the demands of its user groups.... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 23/04/2019 Circular Economy Business... Discover the challenges and solutions that policymakers face in implementing circular economy business models. This... 03/04/2019 Policy challenges in... The European research and innovation infrastructure ecosystem is diverse in scale and scope. In the Interreg Europe... 03/04/2019 Cultural Routes in Europe Discover the transnational routes that help tourists discover how Europeans have lived since ancient times. This policy... 26/03/2019 Funding Energy Efficiency... Europe faces a major challenge to renovate its building stock and achieve its carbon emission targets. Doing so will be... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 21/03/2019 Use of technologies for better... Explore the link between technology use and the protection of natural heritage. Several good practices demonstrate... 12/03/2019 Promoting Active Modes of... Regional authorities prioritise the encouragement of active transport thanks to its health and other benefits such as... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 28/02/2019 Eco-innovation Production-consumption trends are putting excessive and unsustainable strain on the environment. Resource input costs... 19/02/2019 Renewable Energy Communities At its most basic, renewable energy communities involve generation of energy from renewable resources and technologies,... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 12/02/2019 Digital solutions in the field... This policy brief provides information on digital solutions in the field of cultural heritage 22/01/2019 The challenges and necessity... Rural regions make up roughly half of the territory of the EU-28. By building innovation capacity and implementing... 21/01/2019 E-mobility Electric mobility (e-mobility) has emerged as one of the most promising technological solutions to replace fossil fuels,... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 21/12/2018 Public-private startup... This policy brief discusses public-private partnership based accelerator models being set up as a response to the... Tags: Policy-brief, SME, Competitiveness 19/12/2018 Behaviour Change for Energy... As buildings account for 40% of energy consumption in the EU and more than 35% of CO2 emissions, improving their energy... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 04/12/2018 The role of staff exchange and... The objective of this policy brief is to present some of the examples of mobility/staff exchange schemes that have... 16/10/2018 Food Waste This policy brief highlights policies and approaches which have been taken to prevent and reduce food waste, with focus... 05/10/2018 Sustainable Urban Mobility... Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) are planning instruments for cities that encourage joined-up decision-making... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 25/09/2018 Protection and sustainable... The policy brief presents the main challenges that coastal and fluvial regions are facing with regards to protection and... 30/08/2018 Renewable Energy Communities At its most basic, renewable energy communities involve generation of energy from renewable resources and technologies,... 07/08/2018 Digital solutions in the field... The document provides a brief overview of the EU policy documents addressing digitisation of cultural heritage and... 10/07/2018 Towards synergies between... This policy brief identifies potential complementarities and synergies between partnerships of the Smart Specialisation... 29/06/2018 Demand-responsive transport The aim of this policy brief is to highlight the benefits of DRT for European regions, outline some of the barriers to... 24/05/2018 Role of Green Public... Public procurements representing approximately 19% of EU GDP. By using procurement as a tool strategic policy goals can... 14/05/2018 Governance Change for Energy... This paper presents the work done in Interreg Europe projects, looking at how governance and behavioural change can... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 03/05/2018 Sustainable tourism The policy brief demonstrates that cultural and natural heritage is a significant asset for local communities and... 11/10/2017 The ins and outs of the... The Vanguard Initiative seeks to support interregional cooperation notably through industrial clusters and innovation... 09/10/2017 Digital transformation and... This policy brief is an introduction to the policy field of digitalisation and digital transformation. Tags: Policy-brief, SME, Competitiveness 21/09/2017 Improving energy efficiency in... This policy brief analyses Interreg Europe projects dealing with this issue and gives a clear overview on how to tackle... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 21/09/2017 Smart grids: flexibility from... This policy brief looks into why there is an increasing demand for flexibility in the electricity grid, how this... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 21/09/2017 Access to finance for... Past and ongoing European projects have tried and tested solutions in this field and serve as valuable insight for... Tags: Policy-brief, SME, Competitiveness 21/09/2017 Financing energy efficiency:... Experts from the Policy Learning Platform show which financial instruments can be used to improve energy efficiency. Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 21/09/2017 The role of regions in the... This policy brief introduces the possibilities that regions have to support the implementation of the Small Business Act... Tags: Policy-brief, SME, Competitiveness 21/09/2017 Sustainable management of... This policy brief highlights the approaches which have been taken to improve management of bio-waste. The focus is put... 21/09/2017 Industrial symbiosis This policy brief provides information on how industrial symbiosis is supported by EU policy framework and on the... 21/09/2017 The SME policy of the European... This Policy Brief introduces some initiatives and policies forming the SME policy of the European Union, the European... Tags: Policy-brief, SME, Competitiveness 21/09/2017 Engagement of private... This policy brief focuses on the desire to to bring research and development results to the market. Emphasis is put on... 21/09/2017 Protection of biodiversity and... The policy brief highlights the need to improve the relevant policies and to provide multi-stakeholder solutions for... 21/09/2017 The role of cities and regions... This policy brief highlights the need to use resources in a sustainable way and presents key policy developments in this... 21/09/2017 The role of Clusters in... This policy brief seeks to shed some light on the emerging synergies on policies supporting smart specialisation policy... 21/09/2017 Enabling synergies through... Creating synergies between Horizon 2020 and Structural Funds is a current challenge for European Managing Authorities.... 21/09/2017 Protection and sustainable... This Policy Brief highlights the value of cultural heritage, and considers how regional actors can meet the challenges,... 21/09/2017 The triple helix challenge:... A policy brief on EU-financed instruments that can be used to bridge the gap between the academia and the policymakers. 31/08/2017 Cultural heritage in urban... This policy brief highlights the approaches aimed at securing the sustainable management of cultural heritage in urban... 31/08/2017 Ecosystem services:... Policy brief on EU policies, approaches and good practices as concerns protection and restoration of ecosystem services. 31/08/2017 Citizen engagement in the... This policy brief considers the mechanisms that can be used to foster the participation of citizens in cultural heritage... 31/08/2017 Promoting the low carbon... A Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) as a modern planning concept to promote low carbon urban mobility. Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 31/08/2017 Promoting the Low Carbon... Cities and regions will be an integral player in reducing emissions, achieving the Paris objectives and securing green... Tags: Economy, Policy-brief 31/08/2017 Role of regional networks and... The brief gives insight on European initiatives that leverage the internationalisation efforts as well as Interreg... Tags: Policy-brief, SME, Competitiveness 31/08/2017 Business acceleration schemes... How accelerators can contribute to increase internationalisation of start-ups. Tags: Policy-brief, SME, Competitiveness 31/08/2017 The potential of cross... This policy brief explores the concept of cross-border and cross-sectoral value chain innovation and highlights the... Tags: Policy-brief, SME, Competitiveness 31/08/2017 The regional ecosystem... RES is a statistical tool, designed primarily for policy-makers responsible for regional, industrial, innovation and... 31/08/2017 Cooperation, complementarities... This policy brief highlights the possibilities for improving of policy measures presented in the Common Provision... 17/03/2017 Leaflet on the Interreg Alpine... Leaflet on the Interreg Alpine Space Project PEACE_Alps on pooling energy action plans and enhancing their... 16/03/2017 RETRACE project leaflet A leaflet of project RETRACE 16/03/2017 RaiSE presentation brochure RaiSE presentation brochure 16/03/2017 SWARE project infograph Visual material presenting the SWARE project 16/03/2017 Policy brief on Sustainable... A policy brief highlighting SUMP as a modern planning concept to promote low carbon urban mobility.  16/03/2017 Policy brief on low-carbon... This policy prief highlights policy developments in the EU in the field of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and... 16/03/2017 SPEED UP project basics A scroll through the SPEED UP project basics 16/03/2017 SPEED UP project leaflet A leaflet of project SPEED UP 16/03/2017 iEER project leaflet A leaflet of project iEER 16/03/2017 Policy brief on the role of... A policy brief on the Small Business Act for Europe. 16/03/2017 InnoBridge project leaflet A leaflet of project InnoBridge 16/03/2017 CLUSTERS3 Open Conference... 16/03/2017 CLUSTERS3 project brochure A brochure of project CLUSTERS3 16/03/2017 NICHE project leaflet Leaflet of NICE project 16/03/2017 Clusters support smart... A policy brief highlighting the growing synergies between policies supporting smart specialisation policy implementation... Policy briefs, research and innovation Skills for innovation Discover five policy recommendations using the experience of Interreg Europe projects dealing with the development of skills for innovation to offer regions a path towards better regional innovation. PDF (1.10MB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness The social economy and support to social enterprises The social economy is a crucial part of the EU socioeconomic landscape. To foster the growth of the EU social economy, policy action is needed. This policy brief aims to spotlight Interreg Europe projects that work to improve their local social economy. PDF (658.67KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Sustainable urban logistics Urban logistics is responsible for significant carbon emissions, air pollutants and urban noise. Authorities realise that clean urban logistics need to become mainstream to support continued sustainable economic growth. PDF (1.08MB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Sustainable tourism: strategies to counteract overtourism Overtourism has a devastating impact on natural and cultural heritage of many popular holiday spots around the world. This policy brief presents solutions to the current challenges of the tourism sector. PDF (1.66MB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Facilitating business transfers for sustaining jobs and economic activity In order to achieve more successful business transfers, the complexities of the process should be taken into account. In this policy brief you'll discover business transfer challenges and good practices from Interreg Europe partner regions as potential so PDF (575.52KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Energy self-consumption Self-consumption of renewable energy can provide financial, environmental and security benefits for households, businesses, grid operators and society at large. PDF (892.43KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Innovation networks Innovation networks are central to the innovation process as they facilitate mutual learning and knowledge transfer. Explore the role of innovation networks within regional innovation ecosystems. PDF (551.25KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Separate waste collection The European Union (EU) is aiming to reduce the environmental impact of waste and its dependency on raw material imports and thus fosters the transition towards more sustainable materials management and a circular economy. PDF (1.09MB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Efficient business support ecosystems This policy brief explores various models for implementing and managing multiple-stakeholder collaborative practices for better business support delivery. PDF (918.40KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Good governance for biodiversity The economic development in Europe in the past century put an enormous burden on biodiversity. Biodiversity is vital for human health and is important for economic factors with over half of global GDP depending on ecosystem services. PDF (797.36KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Built Cultural Heritage Explore successful approaches and solutions in protecting, conserving and valorising of heritage buildings of cultural and historical value. PDF (976.25KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) Learn from practices implemented in different regional institutional contexts such as concrete and transformative policy changes on regional policy challenges ranging from the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) to S3 Monitoring. PDF (793.23KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Cycling cities Cycling has many socio-economic, health and environmental benefits that its promotion should be a logical policy choice. This policy brief helps turn these dreams into reality with good practices, guidance and recommendations backed by real-life examples. PDF (1.33MB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Boosting entrepreneurship in rural areas Boosting entrepreneurship in rural areas opens new opportunities and markets. Rural SMEs show great potential as a source of economic growth and innovation. PDF (782.51KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Sustainable waste management in a circular economy The shift from a linear to a circular economy is a major challenge that requires sustainable management of waste and resources. PDF (1.50MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Supporting local bioenergy development Bioenergy is one of the most flexible renewables that does not release new carbon into the atmosphere. Discover European Frameworks, funding schemes and Good Practices in this Policy Brief. PDF (1.51MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Improving the convenience of public transport The shift to a low-carbon economy will rely heavily on the use of zero-emission vehicles and increased use of public transport. Take a look at how you can improve its convenience in your region. PDF (1.12MB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation University-Industry collaboration University-industry collaboration is a key component of the regional innovation policy-mix as the successful exploitation of R&D results is fundamental for regional competitiveness. PDF (830.91KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Urban ecosystems Discover the importance of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions for the development of sustainable cities PDF (1.49MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy One-Stop-Shops One-Stop-Shops (OSS) bring together the full gamut of policy interventions, working with stakeholders to provide skills and knowledge for home renovation. PDF (621.65KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Industry 4.0 This policy brief features six policy recommendations to support the development of industry 4.0 PDF (1.40MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Demand Responsive Transport Demand-responsive transport (DRT) is a flexible mode of transportation that adapts to the demands of its user groups. DRT can also have significant environmental benefits through reducing the number of private vehicles on the road, and by supporting multi PDF (814.61KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Circular Economy Business Models in the EU Discover the challenges and solutions that policymakers face in implementing circular economy business models. This policy brief includes recommendations on how to speed up the development of these models. PDF (836.71KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Policy challenges in exploiting research and innovation infrastructure The European research and innovation infrastructure ecosystem is diverse in scale and scope. In the Interreg Europe community there are a number of projects tackling research and innovation infrastructure from different perspectives and their experience c PDF (1.18MB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Cultural Routes in Europe Discover the transnational routes that help tourists discover how Europeans have lived since ancient times. This policy brief presents the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes Programme, the EU’s policies on Cultural Routes, as well as lessons from interre PDF (1.03MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Funding Energy Efficiency through Financial Instruments Europe faces a major challenge to renovate its building stock and achieve its carbon emission targets. Doing so will be achieved through both public funds and investment from private funds. Read more about how public authorities can help to leverage priva PDF (740.84KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Use of technologies for better protection and management of nature and biodiversity Explore the link between technology use and the protection of natural heritage. Several good practices demonstrate inspiring examples on how emphasising the benefits of technologies and stimulating their uptake leads to great benefits. PDF (918.65KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Promoting Active Modes of Transport Regional authorities prioritise the encouragement of active transport thanks to its health and other benefits such as reduction of car use, congestion and air and noise pollution. PDF (1.34MB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Eco-innovation Production-consumption trends are putting excessive and unsustainable strain on the environment. Resource input costs are becoming volatile. Read in this policy brief why eco-innovation is a potential solution. PDF (1.25MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Renewable Energy Communities At its most basic, renewable energy communities involve generation of energy from renewable resources and technologies, which are partly or wholly owned by local communities. PDF (615.22KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Digital solutions in the field of cultural heritage This policy brief provides information on digital solutions in the field of cultural heritage PDF (1.41MB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation The challenges and necessity of rural innovation Rural regions make up roughly half of the territory of the EU-28. By building innovation capacity and implementing innovative solutions, rural and sparsely populated areas can overcome PDF (1.00MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy E-mobility Electric mobility (e-mobility) has emerged as one of the most promising technological solutions to replace fossil fuels, and has the potential to power most forms of personal and public transport. Local and regional authorities have a vital role to play i PDF (827.43KB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Public-private startup accelerators in regional business support ecosystems This policy brief discusses public-private partnership based accelerator models being set up as a response to the challenge of identifying and supporting innovative startups. PDF (937.26KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Behaviour Change for Energy Efficiency As buildings account for 40% of energy consumption in the EU and more than 35% of CO2 emissions, improving their energy performance has become a key policy aim in order to meet long-term climate and emissions targets. PDF (360.05KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation The role of staff exchange and mobility schemes in accelerating innovation policy transfer and uptake of good practices The objective of this policy brief is to present some of the examples of mobility/staff exchange schemes that have deployed within Interreg Europe projects, notably to support innovation and cluster programme development. PDF (620.04KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Food Waste This policy brief highlights policies and approaches which have been taken to prevent and reduce food waste, with focus on EU waste policy developments and regional actions. PDF (1.22MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) are planning instruments for cities that encourage joined-up decision-making across sectors and between stakeholders, for providing high- quality, sustainable mobility. The SUMP concept is elaborated by the Europea PDF (587.10KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Protection and sustainable management of heritage in coastal and fluvial regions The policy brief presents the main challenges that coastal and fluvial regions are facing with regards to protection and sustainable management of cultural and natural heritage assets. It demonstrates that cultural and natural heritage is a significant as PDF (0.99MB) Download Low-carbon economy Renewable Energy Communities At its most basic, renewable energy communities involve generation of energy from renewable resources and technologies, which are partly or wholly owned by local communities. PDF (615.22KB) Download Environment and resource efficiency Digital solutions in the field of cultural heritage The document provides a brief overview of the EU policy documents addressing digitisation of cultural heritage and presents inspiring good practices stemming from the Interreg Europe projects. PDF (1.41MB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Towards synergies between S3P-Industry and Interreg Europe projects This policy brief identifies potential complementarities and synergies between partnerships of the Smart Specialisation Thematic Platform for Industrial Modernisation (S3P-Industry) and Interreg Europe projects. PDF (936.38KB) Download Low-carbon economy Demand-responsive transport The aim of this policy brief is to highlight the benefits of DRT for European regions, outline some of the barriers to its uptake, and show how European support can help to overcome them. PDF (814.61KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Role of Green Public Procurement in improving resource efficiency Public procurements representing approximately 19% of EU GDP. By using procurement as a tool strategic policy goals can be reached. This policy brief addresses the EU policies, approaches and good practices aimed at promoting green public procurement. PDF (536.08KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Governance Change for Energy Efficiency in Buildings This paper presents the work done in Interreg Europe projects, looking at how governance and behavioural change can support the transition to low carbon energy. It will present good practices which are readily transferable, and make recommendations for re PDF (708.41KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Sustainable tourism The policy brief demonstrates that cultural and natural heritage is a significant asset for local communities and sustainable tourism development. PDF (791.62KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation The ins and outs of the Vanguard Initiative The Vanguard Initiative seeks to support interregional cooperation notably through industrial clusters and innovation ecosystems creating new competitive advantages for Europe, member states and regions. PDF (1.31MB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Digital transformation and SMEs: what regions can do This policy brief is an introduction to the policy field of digitalisation and digital transformation. PDF (507.37KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Improving energy efficiency in buildings This policy brief analyses Interreg Europe projects dealing with this issue and gives a clear overview on how to tackle the widespread problem. PDF (1.04MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Smart grids: flexibility from new sources needed to make renewable power work This policy brief looks into why there is an increasing demand for flexibility in the electricity grid, how this flexibility can be provided, what the main challenges are, and how Interreg Europe projects are dealing with flexibility in the electricity gr PDF (1.49MB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Access to finance for innovative SMEs Past and ongoing European projects have tried and tested solutions in this field and serve as valuable insight for practitioners eager to support innovative SMEs and start-ups. PDF (567.78KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Financing energy efficiency: models and lessons Experts from the Policy Learning Platform show which financial instruments can be used to improve energy efficiency. PDF (429.09KB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness The role of regions in the implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe This policy brief introduces the possibilities that regions have to support the implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe. PDF (233.58KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Sustainable management of bio-waste: Regional cooperation for improved bio-waste management This policy brief highlights the approaches which have been taken to improve management of bio-waste. The focus is put on European Union waste policy developments and regional actions encouraging more sustainable management of bio-waste. PDF (454.95KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Industrial symbiosis This policy brief provides information on how industrial symbiosis is supported by EU policy framework and on the potential actions regions and cities can take to support the establishment of sustainable industrial networks that are based on exchanges of PDF (748.39KB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness The SME policy of the European Union This Policy Brief introduces some initiatives and policies forming the SME policy of the European Union, the European Small Business Act considered as the overarching policy. PDF (260.31KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Engagement of private investments to bring research and deveopment results to the market This policy brief focuses on the desire to to bring research and development results to the market. Emphasis is put on "off-the-shelf" financial instruments and the co-investment model. PDF (190.47KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Protection of biodiversity and natural heritage: Exchange of experience and policy learning for greener Europe The policy brief highlights the need to improve the relevant policies and to provide multi-stakeholder solutions for protection and sustainable use of the natural capital. Emphasis is put on the exchange of experience and policy learning for greener Europ PDF (263.02KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency The role of cities and regions in promoting resource efficiency across the EU This policy brief highlights the need to use resources in a sustainable way and presents key policy developments in this direction. Emphasis is put on policy actions of cities and regions aiming to improve resource efficiency. PDF (399.13KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation The role of Clusters in supporting the Smart Specialisation Thematic Platforms: Focus on Industrial Modernisation This policy brief seeks to shed some light on the emerging synergies on policies supporting smart specialisation policy implementation and cluster policy development, both key factors in driving regional innovation and growth, notably for SMEs. It also re () Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Enabling synergies through coordination between H2020 and ESIF Creating synergies between Horizon 2020 and Structural Funds is a current challenge for European Managing Authorities. This policy brief sums up the tools and approaches supporting such synergies. PDF (314.76KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Protection and sustainable management of cultural heritage: The role of regional cooperation in preserving cultural heritage This Policy Brief highlights the value of cultural heritage, and considers how regional actors can meet the challenges, and ensure sustainable management of these assets. PDF (249.38KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation The triple helix challenge: Bridging the gap between science and policymaking A policy brief on EU-financed instruments that can be used to bridge the gap between the academia and the policymakers. PDF (268.22KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Cultural heritage in urban areas: Sustaining heritage in cities and towns This policy brief highlights the approaches aimed at securing the sustainable management of cultural heritage in urban areas. PDF (319.52KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Ecosystem services: Interregional cooperation for sustaining the European natural capital Policy brief on EU policies, approaches and good practices as concerns protection and restoration of ecosystem services. PDF (697.01KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Citizen engagement in the protection of cultural heritage This policy brief considers the mechanisms that can be used to foster the participation of citizens in cultural heritage projects and the value which this can bring. PDF (1.69MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Promoting the low carbon economy in the EU: planning for sustainable urban mobility A Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) as a modern planning concept to promote low carbon urban mobility. PDF (92.18KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Promoting the Low Carbon Economy in the EU: EU Policies and the Role of Cities and Regions Cities and regions will be an integral player in reducing emissions, achieving the Paris objectives and securing green growth, energy security and competitiveness. This policy brief presents a general overview of EU policies supporting the efforts of citi PDF (89.37KB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Role of regional networks and clusters as an instrument for internationalisation of SMEs The brief gives insight on European initiatives that leverage the internationalisation efforts as well as Interreg Europe projects that (1) address the role of regional networks and clusters as instruments able to foster the internationalisation of SMEs a PDF (80.23KB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Business acceleration schemes for start-ups, focus on internationalisation How accelerators can contribute to increase internationalisation of start-ups. PDF (935.91KB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness The potential of cross sectoral value chain innovation This policy brief explores the concept of cross-border and cross-sectoral value chain innovation and highlights the potential benefits in the context of regional smart specialisation strategies and innovation policies. PDF (635.69KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation The regional ecosystem scoreboard methodology: a tool to help analyse regional development framework conditions RES is a statistical tool, designed primarily for policy-makers responsible for regional, industrial, innovation and cluster policies and to help them identify the bottlenecks of the wider regional eco-system that could be targeted through specific polici PDF (516.21KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Cooperation, complementarities and alignment of different funding sources for a more efficient use of resources This policy brief highlights the possibilities for improving of policy measures presented in the Common Provision Regulations (CPR 1303/2013), and in particular its Article 70 (Art 70), which allows investments outside the programme area. The brief also d PDF (502.15KB) Download Low-carbon economy Leaflet on the Interreg Alpine Space project PEACE_Alps Leaflet on the Interreg Alpine Space Project PEACE_Alps on pooling energy action plans and enhancing their implementation in the Alps PDF (2.13MB) Download Environment and resource efficiency RETRACE project leaflet A leaflet of project RETRACE PDF (1.80MB) Download SME competitiveness RaiSE presentation brochure RaiSE presentation brochure PDF (2.98MB) Download Environment and resource efficiency SWARE project infograph Visual material presenting the SWARE project PDF (624.05KB) Download Low-carbon economy Policy brief on Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans A policy brief highlighting SUMP as a modern planning concept to promote low carbon urban mobility.  PDF (92.18KB) Download Low-carbon economy Policy brief on low-carbon economy This policy prief highlights policy developments in the EU in the field of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable mobility. PDF (89.37KB) Download SME competitiveness SPEED UP project basics A scroll through the SPEED UP project basics PDF (366.64KB) Download SME competitiveness SPEED UP project leaflet A leaflet of project SPEED UP PDF (581.02KB) Download SME competitiveness iEER project leaflet A leaflet of project iEER PDF (400.35KB) Download SME competitiveness Policy brief on the role of regions in the implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe A policy brief on the Small Business Act for Europe. PDF (233.58KB) Download Research and innovation InnoBridge project leaflet A leaflet of project InnoBridge PDF (449.97KB) Download Research and innovation CLUSTERS3 Open Conference summaryVisual summary of the project's conference Research and innovation CLUSTERS3 project brochure A brochure of project CLUSTERS3 PDF (348.80KB) Download Research and innovation NICHE project leaflet Leaflet of NICE project PDF (910.98KB) Download Research and innovation Clusters support smart specialisation thematic platforms A policy brief highlighting the growing synergies between policies supporting smart specialisation policy implementation and cluster policy development.  () Download

A policy brief is a concise summary of a particular issue, the policy options to deal with it, and some recommendations on the best option. It is aimed at government policymakers and others who are interested in formulating or influencing policy. Policy briefs for enhancing the competitiveness of SME in the organic sector: 1. OVERVIEW OF THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOROutline the relevance of the agri-food sector to the rural economy of the region including the current state of the organic sector in terms of the prospects to support SME competitiveness and sustainability. 2. POLICY CONTEXT CURRENT REGIONAL SUPPORT MEASURESAgrifood policyOrganic Action Plans (at national and regional level)Overview of measures and instruments that can support the regional organic sector 3. RELEVANCE OF THE REGIONAL POLICY SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTION PLANProvide an assessment of the relevance of the current regional policy environment for the development of your action plan by considering the measures your plan will utilise, barriers of utilising certain measures, what could be improved, what is missing etc to support SMEcompetitiveness and sustainability. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REGIONAL POLICYMAKERS TO IMPROVE THE CURRENT POLICY ENVIRONMENTBased on experiences what is still needed from regional policymakers to support the development and implementation of organic actions plans to proactively support SME competitiveness andsustainability. Sign up for the SME ORGANICS newsletter Subscribe now Lessons learnt Summary of lessons learnt during the first phase of the Project Download SME_Organics Press Kit A Scroll Down Pdf to discover what is SME_Organics and what can do for to improve the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises. Open Press Kit Newsletter If you prefer, you can access to the SME ORGANICS newsletter through this link. Go to newsletter - 1 Newsletter - 2 You also can access to the SME ORGANICS second newsletter through this link. Go to Newsletter - 2 (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.10"; js.async = true; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); SME ORGANICS Tweets by SME ORGANICS

Project results Insight into the policy changes and results of Interreg Europe projects and their interregional cooperation. We are proud to present an overview of the results interregional cooperation brings.See key numbers about our results Look at the map of involvement of regions in Interreg Europe Discover a few stories of policy changes Regional policy making made more efficient Our projects have been very active. By mid-October 2020, they: Held over 9,500 policy learning events;Identified more than 3,100 good practices. Over 1,900 of them are in our good practice database.Over 12,000 people engaged in the projects feel that their professional capacity increased thanks to the project activities.And 130 projects from the first and the second calls finalised their phase 1 and developed 873 action plans for their regions.See all our facts and figures Policy learning activities bring results So far, our projects have influenced 433 policy instruments, including 275 Structural Funds operational programmes. We estimate that the financial impact of this influence is 716 MEUR in total (603 MEUR of ERDF funding). That’s more than our own budget (359 MEUR). This funding has been allocated in the regions to finance activities inspired by the projects' exchange of experience. These results also show that Interreg Europe directly contributes to a more efficient implementation of the Cohesion Policy. Why? Because investment in solutions tried and tested in other corners of Europe saves time of regional policymakers. It makes the use of the financial resources available in their regions more efficient. Download a detailed list of the 433 policy changes All regions can benefit Close to 90% of NUTS 2 regions from all eligible countries are involved in our cooperation projects. Click on the map to see how many partners come from your region. Download this map with a full list of projects. Or check out all our maps of involvement by topic. Is your region not involved yet? Apply for a peer review through the Policy Learning Platform. Success stories about policy changes Click through the topics and read a brief summary of the selected project results. You may also want to:Scroll through our new publication about the latest programme achievements and 30 stories about policy changes from 30 projects in 30 countriesExplore our web documentary and find out what happens when people work together Research & innovation SME competitiveness Low-carbon economy Environment Research & innovation Research and innovation BRIDGES identified a good practice from Greece, the Autodiagnostic tool for agro-SMEs. The Poland's Lubelskie region used the tool to offer a special support to 63 companies to boost their innovation. You can read about the actions planned in all partner regions inspired by the project.[Jun 2020] HoCare brought more independence to elderly people in Cyprus thanks to telemedicine. A good practice from Slovenia inspired the Cypriot health providers to set up telecare services in their hospitals. The Ministry of Health mobilised EUR 400,000 of Structural funds for it. Read more[Jun 2020] ClusterFY has developed joint policy recommendations on cluster policy development, key enabling technologies and cluster internationalisation issues. They were also mentioned as a good example in the European Cluster Policy Forum paper. Read more [Nov 2019]ERUDITE used a new methodology to create digital services. They set up Fab Labs in Slovenia to help people develop new products and a Digital Hub in Ireland for capacity building, to create new jobs and startups, and support existing companies. Find out more[Nov 2019]Islands of Innovation influenced the ERDF Operational Programme in Fryslân, started funding new innovation projects on the Wadden islands, and developed a new pilot project with the help of EUR 25,000 from the Managing Authority. Read more [Nov 2019]RESET influenced the UK's Innovation Strategy and gained £5.4 million in fuding for a new project called the Future Fashion Factory. They also obtained £400,000 to develop new skills and move to a circular economy. Find out more[Nov 2019] INKREASE influenced the Austrian ERDF Investment in Growth and Jobs Programme, the measure on clusters/networks and location management. The CRAFT good practice from Brittany inspired the Lower Austrian Government to invest EUR 351,000 in a project called House of Digitalization. The aim is to develop a virtual one-stop shop to help in digitalization of SMEs. [Oct 2019] SME competitiveness Competitiveness of SMEs RCIA helped creative industry SMEs in Wallonia, Belgium, with a new incubator inspired by Riga’s CCI and Barcelona’s 3D incubators. The incubator provides SMEs with a portfolio of services, including access to the leaders in their field. The Public Service of Wallonia mobilised EUR 255,000 of the regional Structural Funds to set it up. [Jun 2020] Thanks to TRINNO, traditional sector SMEs in Slovenia have a voucher scheme to develop products and services using digital tools. Ideas from Ireland helped to set up the new scheme and simplify the innovation support. The national OP has distributed MEUR 3.58 in vouchers. [Jun 2020] The Spanish partner from Pure Comos was inspired by their German partner to include a financial advice service in their one-stop-shop system in order to increase the services to entreprises and entrepreneurs. Read more [Nov 2019] ESSPO influenced the ERDF Operational Programme in Wielkopolska region, Poland. They contributed to the design of a new instrument for the incubation of start ups in an open call. Find out more [Nov 2019]iEER influenced the ERDF Operational Programme in Southern Finland. Support to young entrepreneurs and the development of an entrepreneurship ecosystem are now a priority when putting out calls for proposals. Find out more [Nov 2019]RaiSE influenced the regional development strategy in Öbero, Sweden and now sees social enterprises as contributing to economic growth and doing something really meaningful for people in dire situations. Find out more[Nov 2019]ATM for SMEs influenced their Regional Operational Programme in Poland. Inspired by practices in microfinance for SMEs from Italy and Hungary, the Marshal Office of Świętokrzyskie decided to invest MEUR 7.5 in two projects to help the start-up enterprises in the region with new financial instruments such as loans or seed capital investments. Read more [Oct 2019] Low-carbon economy Low-carbon economy In SUPPORT project, the Energy Agency in Rhineland-Palatinate developed a project KomBiReK - Municipal greenhouse gas balancing and regional climate protection portals, inspired by a good practice from Romania. It will make energy balances more accessible and involve people in the climate protection. The project got EUR 550,400 from the regional OP[Jun 2020] RESOLVE helped the City of Roermond improve the mobility policy with several sustainable transport solutions: a bike-sharing system inspired by Rotterdam, a tour guide with retail commercials following ideas from Sweden,and a roadmap towards a coherent mobility policy inspired by ideas from the UK.[Jun 2020] The Italian partner of REGIO-MOB was inspired by the park and ride scheme in Lubljana. They launched a call for proposals in the Lazio region, which allowed the city of Rome to get MEUR 20 to develop their own park and ride solution. Find out more[Dec 2019]FINERPOL influenced the ERDF Operational Programme in Extremadura, Spain. By identifying the right type of financial instrument during their cooperation project, the Spanish partner managed to integrate financial instruments like guarantee funds in their region. Read more[Dec 2019]LAST MILE integrated a flexible transport system in Varna's regional plan and Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan. As a result, they helped create 25 new green jobs and launched seasonal electric minibus lines to tourist destinations. Find out more[Nov 2019]SET-UP helped to fine-tune two calls for proposals of the ERDF Operational Programme of Brittany, France, on the energy storage and conversion and on the collective self-consumption projects. Thanks to seeing actual cases of storage system use in other SET-UP partner regions, the energy conversion became a criterion for eligibility in one of the calls. Find out more[Oct 2019] Environment Environment CD-ETA helped the State Agency Archives Pleven digitise the negatives of old photographs in their possession, following good practices from Spain. Now they present the new images to the public and let people in the Pleven region and entire Bulgaria discover more of their history.[Jun 2020] BID-REX influenced the Catalan Strategy of Biodiversity which identifies the region's nature conservation priorities. One of their actions was to build a multi-source biodiversity information database. Find out more[Dec 2019]PERFECT influenced the Operation Programme in Bratislava that supports sustainable and efficient use of natural resources in the region. They launched a call for projects to help the region adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and foster green infrastructure. Find out more [Nov 2019]  Resource efficiency Thanks to COCOON, landfills in Spain's Andalusia region will soon provide their towns with a new land, safely recovered in novel ways following ideas from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. MEUR 2.36 from the Structural Funds make better landfill management in the region possible. [Jun 2020] INTHERWASTE influenced the ERDF Operational Programme in Andalusia to help with the collection, separation and treatment of waste in their historic region. They obtained 86,664 EUR from the regional government to fund a study of municipate waste collection models. Find out more[Nov 2019]BIOREGIO influenced the Finnish Sustainable growth and jobs programme. Partners' good practices and site visits inspired a project Kiertoliike and shaped its focus on bio-based content and the development of bioenergy solution in the Päijät-Häme region. The Finnish programme allocated EUR 995 450 for the project. Find out more[Oct 2019] 30 stories from 30 countries Read about our latest achievements and discover 30 stories about policy changes from 30 projects in 30 countries. Discover our publication When people work together solutions come easily Delve deeper into the stories of four of our projects. What did they achieve? How did they do it? Where did their inspiration come from? Explore our web documentary Effects of interregional cooperation Have a look at 20 stories about policy changes and their effects in regions participating in INTERREG IVC interregional cooperation projects (2007-2014). Check results from previous programme Project database Browse the largest database of cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation programmes in the European Union. Search Sign up for the Interreg Europe newsletter Subscribe now! Get inspired Discover our already approved projects and other cooperation opportunities Interreg Europe offers. Discover projects Enter the world of 258 interregional cooperation projects approved by the programme. Explore the policy learning and change taking place in each of the four themes. Discover now Discover our Policy Learning Platform The platform is a space for continuous learning where the policy-making community in Europe can tap into the know-how of experts and peers. Check the services the Policy Learning Platform offers! Learn more

.hero-carousel .hero-carousel__list {width:initial;left:50%;transform:translateX(-50%);} .hero-carousel .hero-carousel__list li {border:none;padding:0} .hero-carousel .hero-carousel__list .hero-carousel__menu__arrow {width:20px;height:20px;} .hero-carousel .hero-carousel__list .hero-carousel__menu__arrow:before {content:''} .hero-carousel .hero-carousel__list li p {display:none} .hero-carousel .hero-carousel__menu {background:none;} .hero-carousel .slider-sidecontrols a {position:absolute;display:block;z-index:1;top:25%;width:10%;height:50%;text-align:center} .hero-carousel .slider-sidecontrols a.slider-left {left:5px;} .hero-carousel .slider-sidecontrols a.slider-right {right:5px;} .hero-carousel .slider-sidecontrols a i {color:white;margin-top:50%;opacity:0;transition:opacity 200ms ease} .hero-carousel .slider-sidecontrols a:hover i {opacity:1} .hero-carousel .slider-sidecontrols a i:before {font-size:75px;} Policy brief on social economy and support to social enterprises The social economy is a crucial part of the EU socioeconomic landscape. To foster the growth of the EU social economy, policy action is needed. This policy brief aims to spotlight Interreg Europe projects that work to improve their local social economy. Read now Policy brief: Skills for innovation Discover five policy recommendations using the experience of Interreg Europe projects dealing with the development of skills for innovation to offer regions a path towards better regional innovation. Read more Policy brief: Sustainable tourism Overtourism has a devastating impact on natural and cultural heritage of many popular holiday spots around the world. This policy brief presents solutions to the current challenges of the tourism sector. Read now The knowledge hub regroups valuable resources in the forms of documents, webinar replays and the latest European news. Our thematic experts put these items together in collaboration with Interreg Europe projects and European experts in the field.Do you have a particular interest in a subject and want to discuss it with our thematic experts and community? Send over your request via our policy helpdesk.  Select the topic(s) of your interest in the bar below and explore the knowledge hub!  Research and innovation SME competitiveness Low-carbon economy Environment and resource efficiency Search Policy briefs The most recent expert analyses of the Interreg Europe projects and their topics See all 20/01/2021 Skills for innovation Discover five policy recommendations using the experience of Interreg Europe projects dealing with the development of... Tags: Policy-brief 18/01/2021 The social economy and support to social enterprises The social economy is a crucial part of the EU socioeconomic landscape. To foster the growth of the EU social economy,... Tags: Policy-brief, ... 17/12/2020 Sustainable urban logistics Urban logistics is responsible for significant carbon emissions, air pollutants and urban noise. Authorities realise... Tags: Economy, ... 14/12/2020 Sustainable tourism: strategies to counteract overtourism Overtourism has a devastating impact on natural and cultural heritage of many popular holiday spots around the world.... Tags: Policy-brief 29/09/2020 Facilitating business transfers for sustaining jobs and... In order to achieve more successful business transfers, the complexities of the process should be taken into account. In... Tags: Policy-brief, ... 28/09/2020 Energy self-consumption Self-consumption of renewable energy can provide financial, environmental and security benefits for households,... Tags: Economy, ... 25/09/2020 Innovation networks Innovation networks are central to the innovation process as they facilitate mutual learning and knowledge transfer.... Tags: Policy-brief 24/09/2020 Separate waste collection The European Union (EU) is aiming to reduce the environmental impact of waste and its dependency on raw material imports... Tags: Policy-brief 11/08/2020 Efficient business support ecosystems This policy brief explores various models for implementing and managing multiple-stakeholder collaborative practices for... Tags: Policy-brief, ... 15/07/2020 Good governance for biodiversity The economic development in Europe in the past century put an enormous burden on biodiversity. Biodiversity is vital for... Tags: Policy-brief 06/07/2020 Built Cultural Heritage Explore successful approaches and solutions in protecting, conserving and valorising of heritage buildings of cultural... Tags: Policy-brief 01/07/2020 Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) Learn from practices implemented in different regional institutional contexts such as concrete and transformative policy... Tags: Policy-brief 01/06/2020 Cycling cities Cycling has many socio-economic, health and environmental benefits that its promotion should be a logical policy choice.... Tags: Economy, ... 10/04/2020 Boosting entrepreneurship in rural areas Boosting entrepreneurship in rural areas opens new opportunities and markets. Rural SMEs show great potential as a... Tags: Policy-brief, ... 02/04/2020 Sustainable waste management in a circular economy The shift from a linear to a circular economy is a major challenge that requires sustainable management of waste and... Tags: Policy-brief 30/03/2020 Supporting local bioenergy development Bioenergy is one of the most flexible renewables that does not release new carbon into the atmosphere. Discover European... Tags: Economy, ... 21/02/2020 Improving the convenience of public transport The shift to a low-carbon economy will rely heavily on the use of zero-emission vehicles and increased use of public... Tags: Economy, ... 28/01/2020 University-Industry collaboration University-industry collaboration is a key component of the regional innovation policy-mix as the successful... Tags: Policy-brief 21/01/2020 Urban ecosystems Discover the importance of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions for the development of sustainable cities Tags: Policy-brief 02/10/2019 One-Stop-Shops One-Stop-Shops (OSS) bring together the full gamut of policy interventions, working with stakeholders to provide skills... Tags: Economy, ... 02/09/2019 Industry 4.0 This policy brief features six policy recommendations to support the development of industry 4.0 Tags: Policy-brief 17/05/2019 Demand Responsive Transport Demand-responsive transport (DRT) is a flexible mode of transportation that adapts to the demands of its user groups.... Tags: Economy, ... 23/04/2019 Circular Economy Business Models in the EU Discover the challenges and solutions that policymakers face in implementing circular economy business models. This... Tags: Policy-brief 03/04/2019 Policy challenges in exploiting research and innovation... The European research and innovation infrastructure ecosystem is diverse in scale and scope. In the Interreg Europe... Tags: Policy-brief 03/04/2019 Cultural Routes in Europe Discover the transnational routes that help tourists discover how Europeans have lived since ancient times. This policy... Tags: Policy-brief 26/03/2019 Funding Energy Efficiency through Financial Instruments Europe faces a major challenge to renovate its building stock and achieve its carbon emission targets. Doing so will be... Tags: Economy, ... 21/03/2019 Use of technologies for better protection and management of... Explore the link between technology use and the protection of natural heritage. Several good practices demonstrate... Tags: Policy-brief 12/03/2019 Promoting Active Modes of Transport Regional authorities prioritise the encouragement of active transport thanks to its health and other benefits such as... Tags: Economy, ... 28/02/2019 Eco-innovation Production-consumption trends are putting excessive and unsustainable strain on the environment. Resource input costs... Tags: Policy-brief 19/02/2019 Renewable Energy Communities At its most basic, renewable energy communities involve generation of energy from renewable resources and technologies,... Tags: Economy, ... 12/02/2019 Digital solutions in the field of cultural heritage This policy brief provides information on digital solutions in the field of cultural heritage Tags: Policy-brief 22/01/2019 The challenges and necessity of rural innovation Rural regions make up roughly half of the territory of the EU-28. By building innovation capacity and implementing... Tags: Policy-brief 21/01/2019 E-mobility Electric mobility (e-mobility) has emerged as one of the most promising technological solutions to replace fossil fuels,... Tags: Economy, ... 21/12/2018 Public-private startup accelerators in regional business... This policy brief discusses public-private partnership based accelerator models being set up as a response to the... Tags: Policy-brief, ... 19/12/2018 Behaviour Change for Energy Efficiency As buildings account for 40% of energy consumption in the EU and more than 35% of CO2 emissions, improving their energy... Tags: Economy, ... 04/12/2018 The role of staff exchange and mobility schemes in... The objective of this policy brief is to present some of the examples of mobility/staff exchange schemes that have... Tags: Policy-brief 16/10/2018 Food Waste This policy brief highlights policies and approaches which have been taken to prevent and reduce food waste, with focus... Tags: Policy-brief 05/10/2018 Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) are planning instruments for cities that encourage joined-up decision-making... Tags: Economy, ... 25/09/2018 Protection and sustainable management of heritage in coastal... The policy brief presents the main challenges that coastal and fluvial regions are facing with regards to protection and... Tags: Policy-brief 10/07/2018 Towards synergies between S3P-Industry and Interreg Europe... This policy brief identifies potential complementarities and synergies between partnerships of the Smart Specialisation... Tags: Policy-brief 24/05/2018 Role of Green Public Procurement in improving resource... Public procurements representing approximately 19% of EU GDP. By using procurement as a tool strategic policy goals can... Tags: Policy-brief 14/05/2018 Governance Change for Energy Efficiency in Buildings This paper presents the work done in Interreg Europe projects, looking at how governance and behavioural change can... Tags: Economy, ... 03/05/2018 Sustainable tourism The policy brief demonstrates that cultural and natural heritage is a significant asset for local communities and... Tags: Policy-brief 11/10/2017 The ins and outs of the Vanguard Initiative The Vanguard Initiative seeks to support interregional cooperation notably through industrial clusters and innovation... Tags: Policy-brief 09/10/2017 Digital transformation and SMEs: what regions can do This policy brief is an introduction to the policy field of digitalisation and digital transformation. Tags: Policy-brief, ... 21/09/2017 Improving energy efficiency in buildings This policy brief analyses Interreg Europe projects dealing with this issue and gives a clear overview on how to tackle... Tags: Economy, ... 21/09/2017 Smart grids: flexibility from new sources needed to make... This policy brief looks into why there is an increasing demand for flexibility in the electricity grid, how this... Tags: Economy, ... 21/09/2017 Access to finance for innovative SMEs Past and ongoing European projects have tried and tested solutions in this field and serve as valuable insight for... Tags: Policy-brief, ... 21/09/2017 Financing energy efficiency: models and lessons Experts from the Policy Learning Platform show which financial instruments can be used to improve energy efficiency. Tags: Economy, ... 21/09/2017 The role of regions in the implementation of the Small... This policy brief introduces the possibilities that regions have to support the implementation of the Small Business Act... Tags: Policy-brief, ... 21/09/2017 Sustainable management of bio-waste: Regional cooperation... This policy brief highlights the approaches which have been taken to improve management of bio-waste. The focus is put... Tags: Policy-brief 21/09/2017 Industrial symbiosis This policy brief provides information on how industrial symbiosis is supported by EU policy framework and on the... Tags: Policy-brief 21/09/2017 The SME policy of the European Union This Policy Brief introduces some initiatives and policies forming the SME policy of the European Union, the European... Tags: Policy-brief, ... 21/09/2017 Engagement of private investments to bring research and... This policy brief focuses on the desire to to bring research and development results to the market. Emphasis is put on... Tags: Policy-brief 21/09/2017 Protection of biodiversity and natural heritage: Exchange of... The policy brief highlights the need to improve the relevant policies and to provide multi-stakeholder solutions for... Tags: Policy-brief 21/09/2017 The role of cities and regions in promoting resource... This policy brief highlights the need to use resources in a sustainable way and presents key policy developments in this... Tags: Policy-brief 21/09/2017 The role of Clusters in supporting the Smart Specialisation... This policy brief seeks to shed some light on the emerging synergies on policies supporting smart specialisation policy... Tags: Policy-brief 21/09/2017 Enabling synergies through coordination between H2020 and... Creating synergies between Horizon 2020 and Structural Funds is a current challenge for European Managing Authorities.... Tags: Policy-brief 21/09/2017 Protection and sustainable management of cultural heritage:... This Policy Brief highlights the value of cultural heritage, and considers how regional actors can meet the challenges,... Tags: Policy-brief 21/09/2017 The triple helix challenge: Bridging the gap between science... A policy brief on EU-financed instruments that can be used to bridge the gap between the academia and the policymakers. Tags: Policy-brief 31/08/2017 Cultural heritage in urban areas: Sustaining heritage in... This policy brief highlights the approaches aimed at securing the sustainable management of cultural heritage in urban... Tags: Policy-brief 31/08/2017 Ecosystem services: Interregional cooperation for sustaining... Policy brief on EU policies, approaches and good practices as concerns protection and restoration of ecosystem services. Tags: Policy-brief 31/08/2017 Citizen engagement in the protection of cultural heritage This policy brief considers the mechanisms that can be used to foster the participation of citizens in cultural heritage... Tags: Policy-brief 31/08/2017 Promoting the low carbon economy in the EU: planning for... A Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) as a modern planning concept to promote low carbon urban mobility. Tags: Economy, ... 31/08/2017 Promoting the Low Carbon Economy in the EU: EU Policies and... Cities and regions will be an integral player in reducing emissions, achieving the Paris objectives and securing green... Tags: Economy, ... 31/08/2017 Role of regional networks and clusters as an instrument for... The brief gives insight on European initiatives that leverage the internationalisation efforts as well as Interreg... Tags: Policy-brief, ... 31/08/2017 Business acceleration schemes for start-ups, focus on... How accelerators can contribute to increase internationalisation of start-ups. Tags: Policy-brief, ... 31/08/2017 The potential of cross sectoral value chain innovation This policy brief explores the concept of cross-border and cross-sectoral value chain innovation and highlights the... Tags: Policy-brief, ... 31/08/2017 The regional ecosystem scoreboard methodology: a tool to... RES is a statistical tool, designed primarily for policy-makers responsible for regional, industrial, innovation and... Tags: Policy-brief 31/08/2017 Cooperation, complementarities and alignment of different... This policy brief highlights the possibilities for improving of policy measures presented in the Common Provision... Tags: Policy-brief Policy briefs, research and innovation Skills for innovation Discover five policy recommendations using the experience of Interreg Europe projects dealing with the development of skills for innovation to offer regions a path towards better regional innovation. PDF (1.10MB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness The social economy and support to social enterprises The social economy is a crucial part of the EU socioeconomic landscape. To foster the growth of the EU social economy, policy action is needed. This policy brief aims to spotlight Interreg Europe projects that work to improve their local social economy. PDF (658.67KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Sustainable urban logistics Urban logistics is responsible for significant carbon emissions, air pollutants and urban noise. Authorities realise that clean urban logistics need to become mainstream to support continued sustainable economic growth. PDF (1.08MB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Sustainable tourism: strategies to counteract overtourism Overtourism has a devastating impact on natural and cultural heritage of many popular holiday spots around the world. This policy brief presents solutions to the current challenges of the tourism sector. PDF (1.66MB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Facilitating business transfers for sustaining jobs and economic activity In order to achieve more successful business transfers, the complexities of the process should be taken into account. In this policy brief you'll discover business transfer challenges and good practices from Interreg Europe partner regions as potential so PDF (575.52KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Energy self-consumption Self-consumption of renewable energy can provide financial, environmental and security benefits for households, businesses, grid operators and society at large. PDF (892.43KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Innovation networks Innovation networks are central to the innovation process as they facilitate mutual learning and knowledge transfer. Explore the role of innovation networks within regional innovation ecosystems. PDF (551.25KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Separate waste collection The European Union (EU) is aiming to reduce the environmental impact of waste and its dependency on raw material imports and thus fosters the transition towards more sustainable materials management and a circular economy. PDF (1.09MB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Efficient business support ecosystems This policy brief explores various models for implementing and managing multiple-stakeholder collaborative practices for better business support delivery. PDF (918.40KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Good governance for biodiversity The economic development in Europe in the past century put an enormous burden on biodiversity. Biodiversity is vital for human health and is important for economic factors with over half of global GDP depending on ecosystem services. PDF (797.36KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Built Cultural Heritage Explore successful approaches and solutions in protecting, conserving and valorising of heritage buildings of cultural and historical value. PDF (976.25KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) Learn from practices implemented in different regional institutional contexts such as concrete and transformative policy changes on regional policy challenges ranging from the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) to S3 Monitoring. PDF (793.23KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Cycling cities Cycling has many socio-economic, health and environmental benefits that its promotion should be a logical policy choice. This policy brief helps turn these dreams into reality with good practices, guidance and recommendations backed by real-life examples. PDF (1.33MB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Boosting entrepreneurship in rural areas Boosting entrepreneurship in rural areas opens new opportunities and markets. Rural SMEs show great potential as a source of economic growth and innovation. PDF (782.51KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Sustainable waste management in a circular economy The shift from a linear to a circular economy is a major challenge that requires sustainable management of waste and resources. PDF (1.50MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Supporting local bioenergy development Bioenergy is one of the most flexible renewables that does not release new carbon into the atmosphere. Discover European Frameworks, funding schemes and Good Practices in this Policy Brief. PDF (1.51MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Improving the convenience of public transport The shift to a low-carbon economy will rely heavily on the use of zero-emission vehicles and increased use of public transport. Take a look at how you can improve its convenience in your region. PDF (1.12MB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation University-Industry collaboration University-industry collaboration is a key component of the regional innovation policy-mix as the successful exploitation of R&D results is fundamental for regional competitiveness. PDF (830.91KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Urban ecosystems Discover the importance of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions for the development of sustainable cities PDF (1.49MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy One-Stop-Shops One-Stop-Shops (OSS) bring together the full gamut of policy interventions, working with stakeholders to provide skills and knowledge for home renovation. PDF (621.65KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Industry 4.0 This policy brief features six policy recommendations to support the development of industry 4.0 PDF (1.40MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Demand Responsive Transport Demand-responsive transport (DRT) is a flexible mode of transportation that adapts to the demands of its user groups. DRT can also have significant environmental benefits through reducing the number of private vehicles on the road, and by supporting multi PDF (814.61KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Circular Economy Business Models in the EU Discover the challenges and solutions that policymakers face in implementing circular economy business models. This policy brief includes recommendations on how to speed up the development of these models. PDF (836.71KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Policy challenges in exploiting research and innovation infrastructure The European research and innovation infrastructure ecosystem is diverse in scale and scope. In the Interreg Europe community there are a number of projects tackling research and innovation infrastructure from different perspectives and their experience c PDF (1.18MB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Cultural Routes in Europe Discover the transnational routes that help tourists discover how Europeans have lived since ancient times. This policy brief presents the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes Programme, the EU’s policies on Cultural Routes, as well as lessons from interre PDF (1.03MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Funding Energy Efficiency through Financial Instruments Europe faces a major challenge to renovate its building stock and achieve its carbon emission targets. Doing so will be achieved through both public funds and investment from private funds. Read more about how public authorities can help to leverage priva PDF (740.84KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Use of technologies for better protection and management of nature and biodiversity Explore the link between technology use and the protection of natural heritage. Several good practices demonstrate inspiring examples on how emphasising the benefits of technologies and stimulating their uptake leads to great benefits. PDF (918.65KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Promoting Active Modes of Transport Regional authorities prioritise the encouragement of active transport thanks to its health and other benefits such as reduction of car use, congestion and air and noise pollution. PDF (1.34MB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Eco-innovation Production-consumption trends are putting excessive and unsustainable strain on the environment. Resource input costs are becoming volatile. Read in this policy brief why eco-innovation is a potential solution. PDF (1.25MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Renewable Energy Communities At its most basic, renewable energy communities involve generation of energy from renewable resources and technologies, which are partly or wholly owned by local communities. PDF (615.22KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Digital solutions in the field of cultural heritage This policy brief provides information on digital solutions in the field of cultural heritage PDF (1.41MB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation The challenges and necessity of rural innovation Rural regions make up roughly half of the territory of the EU-28. By building innovation capacity and implementing innovative solutions, rural and sparsely populated areas can overcome PDF (1.00MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy E-mobility Electric mobility (e-mobility) has emerged as one of the most promising technological solutions to replace fossil fuels, and has the potential to power most forms of personal and public transport. Local and regional authorities have a vital role to play i PDF (827.43KB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Public-private startup accelerators in regional business support ecosystems This policy brief discusses public-private partnership based accelerator models being set up as a response to the challenge of identifying and supporting innovative startups. PDF (937.26KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Behaviour Change for Energy Efficiency As buildings account for 40% of energy consumption in the EU and more than 35% of CO2 emissions, improving their energy performance has become a key policy aim in order to meet long-term climate and emissions targets. PDF (360.05KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation The role of staff exchange and mobility schemes in accelerating innovation policy transfer and uptake of good practices The objective of this policy brief is to present some of the examples of mobility/staff exchange schemes that have deployed within Interreg Europe projects, notably to support innovation and cluster programme development. PDF (620.04KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Food Waste This policy brief highlights policies and approaches which have been taken to prevent and reduce food waste, with focus on EU waste policy developments and regional actions. PDF (1.22MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) are planning instruments for cities that encourage joined-up decision-making across sectors and between stakeholders, for providing high- quality, sustainable mobility. The SUMP concept is elaborated by the Europea PDF (587.10KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Protection and sustainable management of heritage in coastal and fluvial regions The policy brief presents the main challenges that coastal and fluvial regions are facing with regards to protection and sustainable management of cultural and natural heritage assets. It demonstrates that cultural and natural heritage is a significant as PDF (0.99MB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Towards synergies between S3P-Industry and Interreg Europe projects This policy brief identifies potential complementarities and synergies between partnerships of the Smart Specialisation Thematic Platform for Industrial Modernisation (S3P-Industry) and Interreg Europe projects. PDF (936.38KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Role of Green Public Procurement in improving resource efficiency Public procurements representing approximately 19% of EU GDP. By using procurement as a tool strategic policy goals can be reached. This policy brief addresses the EU policies, approaches and good practices aimed at promoting green public procurement. PDF (536.08KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Governance Change for Energy Efficiency in Buildings This paper presents the work done in Interreg Europe projects, looking at how governance and behavioural change can support the transition to low carbon energy. It will present good practices which are readily transferable, and make recommendations for re PDF (708.41KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Sustainable tourism The policy brief demonstrates that cultural and natural heritage is a significant asset for local communities and sustainable tourism development. PDF (791.62KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation The ins and outs of the Vanguard Initiative The Vanguard Initiative seeks to support interregional cooperation notably through industrial clusters and innovation ecosystems creating new competitive advantages for Europe, member states and regions. PDF (1.31MB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Digital transformation and SMEs: what regions can do This policy brief is an introduction to the policy field of digitalisation and digital transformation. PDF (507.37KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Improving energy efficiency in buildings This policy brief analyses Interreg Europe projects dealing with this issue and gives a clear overview on how to tackle the widespread problem. PDF (1.04MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Smart grids: flexibility from new sources needed to make renewable power work This policy brief looks into why there is an increasing demand for flexibility in the electricity grid, how this flexibility can be provided, what the main challenges are, and how Interreg Europe projects are dealing with flexibility in the electricity gr PDF (1.49MB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Access to finance for innovative SMEs Past and ongoing European projects have tried and tested solutions in this field and serve as valuable insight for practitioners eager to support innovative SMEs and start-ups. PDF (567.78KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Financing energy efficiency: models and lessons Experts from the Policy Learning Platform show which financial instruments can be used to improve energy efficiency. PDF (429.09KB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness The role of regions in the implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe This policy brief introduces the possibilities that regions have to support the implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe. PDF (233.58KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Sustainable management of bio-waste: Regional cooperation for improved bio-waste management This policy brief highlights the approaches which have been taken to improve management of bio-waste. The focus is put on European Union waste policy developments and regional actions encouraging more sustainable management of bio-waste. PDF (454.95KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Industrial symbiosis This policy brief provides information on how industrial symbiosis is supported by EU policy framework and on the potential actions regions and cities can take to support the establishment of sustainable industrial networks that are based on exchanges of PDF (748.39KB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness The SME policy of the European Union This Policy Brief introduces some initiatives and policies forming the SME policy of the European Union, the European Small Business Act considered as the overarching policy. PDF (260.31KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Engagement of private investments to bring research and deveopment results to the market This policy brief focuses on the desire to to bring research and development results to the market. Emphasis is put on "off-the-shelf" financial instruments and the co-investment model. PDF (190.47KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Protection of biodiversity and natural heritage: Exchange of experience and policy learning for greener Europe The policy brief highlights the need to improve the relevant policies and to provide multi-stakeholder solutions for protection and sustainable use of the natural capital. Emphasis is put on the exchange of experience and policy learning for greener Europ PDF (263.02KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency The role of cities and regions in promoting resource efficiency across the EU This policy brief highlights the need to use resources in a sustainable way and presents key policy developments in this direction. Emphasis is put on policy actions of cities and regions aiming to improve resource efficiency. PDF (399.13KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation The role of Clusters in supporting the Smart Specialisation Thematic Platforms: Focus on Industrial Modernisation This policy brief seeks to shed some light on the emerging synergies on policies supporting smart specialisation policy implementation and cluster policy development, both key factors in driving regional innovation and growth, notably for SMEs. It also re () Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Enabling synergies through coordination between H2020 and ESIF Creating synergies between Horizon 2020 and Structural Funds is a current challenge for European Managing Authorities. This policy brief sums up the tools and approaches supporting such synergies. PDF (314.76KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Protection and sustainable management of cultural heritage: The role of regional cooperation in preserving cultural heritage This Policy Brief highlights the value of cultural heritage, and considers how regional actors can meet the challenges, and ensure sustainable management of these assets. PDF (249.38KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation The triple helix challenge: Bridging the gap between science and policymaking A policy brief on EU-financed instruments that can be used to bridge the gap between the academia and the policymakers. PDF (268.22KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Cultural heritage in urban areas: Sustaining heritage in cities and towns This policy brief highlights the approaches aimed at securing the sustainable management of cultural heritage in urban areas. PDF (319.52KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Ecosystem services: Interregional cooperation for sustaining the European natural capital Policy brief on EU policies, approaches and good practices as concerns protection and restoration of ecosystem services. PDF (697.01KB) Download Policy briefs, environment and resource efficiency Citizen engagement in the protection of cultural heritage This policy brief considers the mechanisms that can be used to foster the participation of citizens in cultural heritage projects and the value which this can bring. PDF (1.69MB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Promoting the low carbon economy in the EU: planning for sustainable urban mobility A Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) as a modern planning concept to promote low carbon urban mobility. PDF (92.18KB) Download Policy briefs, low-carbon economy Promoting the Low Carbon Economy in the EU: EU Policies and the Role of Cities and Regions Cities and regions will be an integral player in reducing emissions, achieving the Paris objectives and securing green growth, energy security and competitiveness. This policy brief presents a general overview of EU policies supporting the efforts of citi PDF (89.37KB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Role of regional networks and clusters as an instrument for internationalisation of SMEs The brief gives insight on European initiatives that leverage the internationalisation efforts as well as Interreg Europe projects that (1) address the role of regional networks and clusters as instruments able to foster the internationalisation of SMEs a PDF (80.23KB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness Business acceleration schemes for start-ups, focus on internationalisation How accelerators can contribute to increase internationalisation of start-ups. PDF (935.91KB) Download Policy briefs, SME competitiveness The potential of cross sectoral value chain innovation This policy brief explores the concept of cross-border and cross-sectoral value chain innovation and highlights the potential benefits in the context of regional smart specialisation strategies and innovation policies. PDF (635.69KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation The regional ecosystem scoreboard methodology: a tool to help analyse regional development framework conditions RES is a statistical tool, designed primarily for policy-makers responsible for regional, industrial, innovation and cluster policies and to help them identify the bottlenecks of the wider regional eco-system that could be targeted through specific polici PDF (516.21KB) Download Policy briefs, research and innovation Cooperation, complementarities and alignment of different funding sources for a more efficient use of resources This policy brief highlights the possibilities for improving of policy measures presented in the Common Provision Regulations (CPR 1303/2013), and in particular its Article 70 (Art 70), which allows investments outside the programme area. The brief also d PDF (502.15KB) Download var hashHandled = false; setTimeout(function(){ jQuery(function(){ /** * Open folders automatically referenced by hash */ var hash = window.location.hash.match('#([^:]*):?(.*)'); if(!hashHandled && hash && hash.length>1) { switch(hash[1]) { case 'open': window.open(hash[2]); break; default: jQuery('[data-folder="'+hash[1]+'"]').click(); break; } hashHandled = true; } }); }, 1000); Webinars Replay of the latest webinars See all webinars 25/01/2021 Webinar recording: Strategic planning for cycling Watch the recording on strategic planning for cycling, the first webinar of the cycling cities webinar series that was held on 21 January 2021. Type: Platform 20/01/2021 Webinar recording: Cross-sector inter-cluster cooperation Watch the recording of the webinar on cross-sectoral inter-cluster cooperation that took place on 19 January. Type: Platform 22/12/2020 Your #policylearning wishes become reality in 2021 In late 2020 the Platform launched a consultation with the community members to gather input and plan activities for next year. Here are the results. Type: Platform 02/12/2020 Webinar recording: Behaviour change for sustainable mobility Watch the webinar recording on behaviour change for sustainable mobility that was organised by the Policy Learning Platform and Urban Innovative Actions. Type: Platform 01/12/2020 The Cycling Cities webinar series Join the Policy Learning Platform for a webinar trilogy on how to support cities and regions in designing policies to foster urban cycling. Type: Platform 22/10/2020 Webinar recording: Protecting and restoring nature... On 20 October, the Policy Learning Platform hosted a webinar during #EUGreenWeek on better regional policies to protect and restore nature. Type: Platform 29/09/2020 Webinar recording on Centres of Competence Watch the webinar recording on Centres of Competence that took place on 25 September 2020. Type: Platform 19/08/2020 3 most popular #policylearning webinars Discover the most popular webinars of the Policy Learning Platform and register for the upcoming ones! Type: Platform Latest peer reviews See all peer reviews 01/12/2020 Sector Prioritisation and the Entrepreneurial Discovery... Discover the follow-up report of the peer review on sector prioritisation and the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP). Type: Platform 13/11/2020 Framing the Urban Logistics Strategy In September 2020, the Policy Learning Platform organised an online peer review for the city of Warsaw on its strategy for urban logistics. Type: Platform 05/11/2020 EU peers discuss digitalisation and technologies in light of... The Policy Learning Platform organised an online peer review, hosted by the Development Agency (IAF) of the Government of Aragon on depopulation challenges. Type: Platform 12/10/2020 Governance and management of Natura2000 park In March 2020, the Policy Learning Platform organised a peer review to assist the Naturpark Our (Luxembourg) in their policy challenge. Type: Platform 24/09/2020 Talent attraction, retention and startup monitoring in... EU peers help to improve talent attraction, retention and startup monitoring practices in Catalonia in the first ever online peer review Type: Platform 27/04/2020 Economic diversification and cleaning power production Discover the outcomes of the Peer Review in Stara Zagora on the topic of economic diversification and cleaning power production in a coal region. Type: Platform 24/04/2020 EU peers help improve regional competence centre in Karlovac Explore the recommendations given during the Peer Review in Karlovac to improve their regional competence centre for SME development. Type: Platform 24/04/2020 Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the health sector The Region Sud hosted a Policy Learning Platform Peer Review on the topic of Artificial Intelligence in the health sector. Discover the outcome. Type: Platform 20/04/2020 Establishing trustworthy artificial intelligence in Austrian... During the two-day Peer Review in Vienna, peers from different countries discussed how trustworthy artificial intelligence can be established in companies. Type: Platform 08/11/2019 Peer review on corporate social responsibility in the South... The Policy Learning Platform organised a peer review on the topic of the scaling the involvement of companies in CSR in the PACA region. Read about the outcome. Type: Platform 07/11/2019 The Platform helps Berlin to improve their Startup... Take a look at the recommendations gathered on this startup internationalisation strategy during the Peer Review in Berlin in July. Type: Platform 01/11/2019 Peer review on the internationalisation strategy for... Read about the policy recommendations for the internationalisation strategy for the business competitiveness agency of Catalonia. Type: Platform 26/08/2019 Policy recommendations on Structuring Centres of Excellence... Take a look at the policy recommendations gathered from the peer review in Sofia, Bulgaria, in June. Type: Platform 20/05/2019 Meeting EU peers helps Belgian policymakers to improve their... Take a look at the conclusions from the peer review on Joint Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan Coordination and Implementation in East Belgium Type: Platform 06/02/2019 Peer review on the innovation governance for Elväg highway On 29 and 30 January 2019, the Policy Learning Platform organised a peer review in Gävleborg, Sweden. Discover the policy recommendations. Type: Platform 27/10/2018 The first peer review took place in France Exchanging with policy practitioners from other regions helped Hauts-de-France to receive new inspiration to improve their absorption of structural funds. Type: Platform What's new in EU Latest updates from the four topics See all news 21/12/2020 Most popular #policylearning articles, policy briefs and... Discover the most popular #policylearning articles, policy briefs and webinars of 2020! Type: Platform 14/12/2020 From S3 to S4+: smart specialisation strategies for... Read about the evolution of the policy logic from S3 to smart specialisation strategies for sustainable and inclusive growth (S4+) Type: Platform 16/11/2020 European Green Deal Call Take a look at how to support the implementation of circular economy solutions at local and regional scale. Type: Platform 03/11/2020 State of Nature in Europe: a wake-up call for policymakers Read about the State of Nature report of the European Commission and learn about how European policies are falling short to reach objectives. Type: Platform 22/10/2020 Webinar recording: Protecting and restoring nature... On 20 October, the Policy Learning Platform hosted a webinar during #EUGreenWeek on better regional policies to protect and restore nature. Type: Platform 22/10/2020 European Commission launches the Renovation Wave On 14 October 2020, the European Commission launched its Communication and Strategy on the Renovation Wave initiative, read about the actions here. Type: Platform 12/10/2020 Even more from less Discover an overview of the policies, approaches and targets European countries in the field of resource efficiency and circular economy. Type: Platform 02/10/2020 Integrating environment into European Structural and... Better integrating environment into European Structural and Investment Funds: new project selection criteria Type: Platform 30/09/2020 European Commission aims to increase climate ambition Read about the intention to raise the EU's 2030 climate target with a 40% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030. Type: Platform 02/09/2020 Final National Energy and Climate Plans submitted All European Union member states have now completed their National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) Type: Platform var hashHandled = false; setTimeout(function(){ jQuery(function(){ /** * Open folders automatically referenced by hash */ var hash = window.location.hash.match('#([^:]*):?(.*)'); if(!hashHandled && hash && hash.length>1) { switch(hash[1]) { case 'open': window.open(hash[2]); break; default: jQuery('[data-folder="'+hash[1]+'"]').click(); break; } hashHandled = true; } }); }, 1000);