Connecting Regional Innovation Valleys through Circular Industries
The event, "Connecting Regional Innovation Valleys through Circular Industries," held in Gijon on June 21-22, 2023 and co-organised by SEKUENS, the RDA of the Principality of Asturias, and the Joint Research Centre, aimed to address one of the "burning challenges" defined by the New European Innovation Agenda: achieving circularity in the process and energy-intensive industries. It was framed within the pilot project "Partnerships for Regional Innovation" and led by the Asturias region's experience, which dealt with cooperation opportunities for the industrial value chain
The discussion covered the upstream and downstream activities of the process and energy-intensive industries concerning the reliance on strategic raw materials, the energy transition and the circularity challenges.
During the event, European Commission Officials explained the main European policy instruments addressing European Industry challenges: the Green Deal Industrial Plan, Industry 5.0 approach, Transition Roadmap, Technology Demonstrators for Sustainability and the support Instruments to enhance cooperation among Regional Innovation Valleys.
The Asturian process industry innovation ecosystem was presented with the objective to inspire the participating stakeholders. Working sessions followed on the next day, applying the Joint Research Centre's methodology based on a mission-oriented dynamic. The working group made up of representatives from European territorial authorities and stakeholders of the regional circular and carbon-neutral industry ecosystem, analysed fact sheets on the innovation ecosystem from the regions of the Principality of Asturias, Region Sud-Provence Alpe Cte dAzur (FR), Basque Country (ES), Madrid Region (ES), Province of Limbourg (NL) and Centro Region of Portugal (PT), and identified potential avenues for collaboration making the most of the calls for promoting Connecting Regional Innovation Valley, announced in the event.
