With a budget of nearly half a million euros, InnovationGUIDE seeks to foster innovation ecosystems in Spain, Turkey, the Netherlands and Malta

InnovationGUIDE, a project in which we participate, will boost rural areas in pan-European countries by enabling entrepreneurs, including start-ups in the Deep Tech and social innovation sector, to take better advantage of the single market and attract new institutional investors to strengthen financial and capital markets in order to commercialize and expand businesses in their countries.

The European project, funded by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), has officially started with a kick-off meeting at the headquarters of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) in Istanbul. This ambitious project, involving six entities from Turkey, the Netherlands, Spain and Malta, focuses on identifying regional needs and connecting rural innovation ecosystems to foster entrepreneurship and economic development in the regions.

With a total budget of €496,862.50 and a duration of 12 months starting January 2024, InnovationGUIDE will target policy makers, researchers and practitioners interested in promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth in rural areas.

In addition to FEUGA itself, the project is integrated by the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), Universiteit Maastricht, Malta College of Arts Science and Technology (MCAST), Social Entrepreneurs Association Malta (SEAM) and StartupCentrum.

SOBRE INNOVATIONGUIDE

The project aims to integrate networks of people, organizations and institutions in rural areas that collaborate to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development.

In this sense, the motivation for InnovationGUIDE originates from recent situations and developments in the agriculture, fisheries, sustainable tourism and bioeconomy sectors in the consortium member countries. Therefore, the project seeks to address the barriers that important actors in the related sectors experience in accessing innovation and contributing to rural development.

ACTIVITIES

InnovationGUIDE will conduct a series of activities, such as the identification of potential stakeholders, common problems and needs of the regions and sectors, innovation-focused governance analyses, the development of financial sustainability plans, replication and sustainability guidelines, and an action plan to accelerate the implementation of innovation in regional rural ecosystems.

The project also plans to organize more than 8 regional events, an interregional event and establish an Interregional Innovation Assembly.

These collaborative efforts will identify and develop new ideas, products and services that address local challenges and opportunities. Recognizing the critical role of innovation in rural development, InnovationGUIDE is embarking on a pioneering journey to unravel the intricate tapestry of rural innovation dynamics.

For more information:

• Technical information responsible: Onurcan Misir – onurcanmisir@tim.org.tr
• Communications contact: Agustín Quesada – aquesada@feuga.es