The Commission has unveiled a second wave of Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs), expanding the initiative to new regions, while underscoring its growing appeal across the EU. The scheme continues to bolster innovation, economic cohesion and inclusive growth, reinforcing the EU’s commitment to bridging regional disparities through targeted support.
Regional Innovation Valleys, a flagship action of the New European Innovation Agenda, aim to harness the full innovation potential across European territories, including the deployment of cutting-edge technologies, to address key societal challenges and reduce the innovation divide. The 2025 call for proposals under the European Innovation Ecosystems Work Programme (EIE WP) and the WIDERA Work Programme, which has led to the launch of the second wave of RIVs, is backed by nearly €43 million in funding from Horizon Europe. The cumulative funding for the Regional Innovation Valleys has reached nearly €160 million of EU contribution.
The initiative, implemented by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), is designed to strengthen and connect innovation ecosystems across Europe, enabling regions to connect and work together on shared strategic challenges, while fostering greater cohesion.
This year, six projects will start being implemented that address five of the EU’s most pressing challenges: accelerating the green transition by reducing dependence on fossil fuels; strengthening global food security; advancing digital sovereignty, with a focus on cybersecurity and AI; enhancing healthcare innovation; and promoting a circular economy to boost sustainability. The selected projects bring together nearly 100 participants, from 16 EU Member States and 5 Associated Countries under Horizon Europe.
Next steps
EISMEA will proceed with the grant signature for the successful applicants of the 2025 calls. The new regions will be acknowledged and reflected on the RIVs map.
Background
The New European Innovation Agenda aims to position Europe at the forefront of the new wave of deep-tech innovation and startups. It supports the development and market uptake of new technologies addressing Europe’s most pressing societal challenges.
In total, the EU contribution for the initiative includes:
2023 calls:
2025 calls:
- €37.7 million under the European Innovation Ecosystems, part of Horizon Europe.
- €5 million under the WIDERA
More information
List of funded projects
Regional Innovation Valleys
Press contact:
EC Spokesperson for Research, Science and Innovation
