I3 Instrument Support Facility virtual event: "How interregional consortia enable cross-regional technology transfer"

Cross-regional technology transfer is a strategic mechanism within the I3 Instrument designed to advance economic convergence and strengthen EU competitiveness. By moving beyond isolated centres of excellence, the I3 Instrument fosters interconnected innovation ecosystems where knowledge, technologies, and scaling capacities circulate freely across borders.

Central to this process is the role of interregional consortia. These structured partnerships bring together regions with complementary strengths - allowing advanced regions to share technical expertise and business models, while less-developed regions adapt these inputs to local markets, upskill their workforce, and integrate into wider European value chains.

What to expect?

The virtual event will demonstrate how the I3 Instrument operationalises technology transfer through Strand 1 (Interregional Innovation Investments) and Strand 2a (value chain development for less-developed regions). Participants will gain insights into:

• Building structured cooperation: How regions with diverse innovation capacities create "absorptive capacity" to assimilate external knowledge.
• The role of regional development agencies: How agencies act as the vital glue between SMEs, research actors, and funding mechanisms.
• Scaling and commercialisation: Moving beyond research exchange to the actual deployment of innovative solutions in diverse regulatory and market contexts.
• Sustainable transitions: Leveraging I3 Instrument to accelerate the green and digital transitions through collaborative innovation.

This session will:

• Explain how interregional consortia are structured within the Interregional Innovation Investment (I3) Instrument and to demonstrate how collaboration between regions with complementary capabilities enables cross-regional technology transfer.
• Showcase concrete, practical examples from funded projects (3DoP, DEREMCO, and CESAM) to illustrate successful technology transfer in action.

Who is this virtual event for?

I3 Instrument project coordinators and partners (regional innovation ecosystem stakeholders: clusters, incubators, universities, etc.); ERDF and S3 Managing Authorities in all EU regions, with special invitation to less-developed regions; EU institutions and networks supporting interregional collaboration.