CoR Members have today adopted by unanimity ECR Member Andrea Putzu's opinion on place-based innovation. The key messages include calls for better recognition of regions as drivers of innovation, continued financial support, and better synergies between EU funds and programmes aiming to stimulate innovation. 

Mr Putzu, Member of the Regional Council of Marche, underlined the importance of harnessing place-based innovation for the future of European competitiveness. "Our regions are creative ecosystems full of untapped potential and policymakers must recognise that one small spark of an idea from a region can ignite transformative change across Europe and beyond. In a time of immense global competition, it is our duty to act, and show the world the power of Europe's creativity" – he stressed. 

European funds and programmes designed to support place-based innovation include Horizon Europe, EU structural and investment (ESI) funds, the Recovery and Resilience Facility, Erasmus, InvestEU, and sectoral programmes. Mr Putzu called for better synergies between existing policy and funding instruments in the future. He also argued, that due to their innovation potential, regions should be placed at the very heart of EU industrial policy in the New Innovation Agenda to be defined after 2024, as well as in the next 10th Programme for Research and Innovation. 

The opinion also voices support for the continuation of Regional Innovation Valleys and Partnerships for Regional Innovation, calling to extend key innovation initiatives to enlargement countries. "Supporting place-based innovation allows us to harness our comparative advantages locally, and build not one, but many successful "Silicon Valleys" across the European Union"- he concluded.