EMPOWERED by NEIA: a new European initiative to support Clean Tech Sustainable Development

In August 2023 INNOVA has been awarded as coordinator of the EMPOWERED by NEIA new project under the Horizon Europe framework. The initiative brings together a team of stakeholders from 7 EU countries (Italy, Austria, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Estonia) with the ambition to engage in a process of peer mutual learning and cooperation and support Clean Tech for Sustainable Development. Based on an in-depth analysis of strengths, weaknesses, challenges and gaps in the ecosystems they represent, the EMPOWERED by NEIA team members strive to bring together the members of the innovation ecosystems they represent as active stakeholders in bottom-up policy-making activities tailored to their needs. Through an Entrepreneurial Discovery process, the aim is to stimulate a participative process that will allow to identify the best innovation opportunities in each ecosystem and align them with the ones of the peers. The results of the Entrepreneurial Discovery run locally by each partner will represent the foundation of Action Plans, elaborated according to the European Entrepreneurial Region approach, to strengthen the collaboration between the Regional European Innovation Ecosystems. These plans will be back up with collaboration and project ideas for which public and private funding will be sought.