On 24 April 2026, the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions have presented a new Joint Action Plan for Enhanced Cooperation in Research and Innovation (“Action Plan”) to strengthen the regional and local dimension of research and innovation in the EU. The initiative is based on the belief that the competitiveness, sustainability and strategic autonomy of the EU depend not only on excellent research, but also on the ability to involve cities and regions as active creators of innovation policy, not just its implementers. The Action Plan builds on previous cooperation from 2020-2025 and will be implemented until the end of the Commission’s mandate 2024-2029. Read the full publication at this link.

The Action Plan is built on four main priorities:

• Building strong local and regional innovation ecosystems– this includes supporting the implementation of the European Research Area and ensuring that knowledge gained from frontier research is integrated into innovation output. Attracting and retaining talent is essential for this.
• Facilitating the green and digital transitionby supporting sustainable and inclusive innovation at local level.
• Raising awareness of – and promoting access to – funding opportunities and results under Horizon Europeamong local governors: creating synergies among funds and exchanging best practices, including on simplification, research and innovation.
• Supporting evidence-based policymaking in regions, including territorial foresight and resilience.

A significant part of the Action Plan is also the closer exchange of data, expertise and good practices between European institutions and regional actors. The aim is to ensure that European research and innovation priorities are effectively reflected in regional strategies and that regions can better respond to structural changes linked to industrial transformation, climate and digitalisation. This is intended to reduce the gap between innovatively strong and weaker regions in the EU.

From the perspective of businesses and innovation ecosystems, the Action Plan confirms that regions will play an increasingly crucial role in delivering European strategic objectives, including the European Green Deal and industrial transformation. For businesses, this means greater importance for regional partnerships, clusters and local innovation capacities, as well as better anchoring of ESG issues in regional development. Research and innovation are thus becoming a key tool not only for growth, but also for social cohesion and the long-term resilience of the European economy.