Asturias aims to coordinate and even manage a European regional consortium to foster innovation in green industry. A science consultant, Borja Sanchez, said yesterday during a telematic meeting with representatives of the European Committee of the Regions that the Principality Government seeks to participate in a new call centered on creating regional innovation valleys across Europe. Six large super-regions will receive funding for 2023-2024, with applications due by October 17; each region could obtain between 8 and 12 million euros, and at least half of that total should support the development of three interregional projects in the region’s area of expertise.
Since last year, the region has participated in a regional EU innovation project aligned with this call. The consultant emphasized a key strength: the synergetic relationship between industry and its broader ecosystem. Accordingly, the focus will be a circular, carbon-neutral industry as the central pillar of the future consortium. This aligns with a primary objective for Asturias: to safeguard its industrial GDP, back the transition to greener manufacturing through science and innovation, and ensure a harmonious coexistence with the landscapes and protected areas that define Asturias. Borja Sanchez.
The Asturian nomination will be led by the new Agency for Science, Business Competitiveness and Innovation, Sekuens, with participation from the University of Oviedo. The initiative, named Ingenium, is a European super-campus managed by Oviedo and integrated with nine other academic institutions across the EU. The envisioned regional consortium for Asturias mirrors Ingenium in structure but operates at a regional level. The aim is to identify partners in other nations with similar characteristics and launch joint projects focused on innovation and green industry.
Next steps involve locating these sister regions. Oviedo’s university has already joined forces with institutions in Germany, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Romania, and Sweden. Representatives from Sekuens and Ingenium, including Eva Pando, the agency’s executive director, and Isabel Alvarez, manager of the Ingenium super-campus, attended the recent meeting.
To pursue this ambitious goal, the Principality plans a meeting on the 21st and 22nd of this month at the Laboral Centro de Arte de Gijón, bringing together researchers and policy centers from across the European Union.
According to the Minister of Science, there are two pathways to form a regional valley. Innovation can be pursued through the Interregional Investments in Innovation call (I3) and through Interconnected Regional Ecosystems (EIE). Taken together, the total funding amounts to 170 million euros, with 122 million already announced on May 17; the deadline remains October 17. For the EIE call, a regional consortium must include at least five regional or national officials from multiple member states or associated countries, with two regions being emerging or moderate innovators, and one a strong or lead innovator, as defined by the Regional Innovation Scoreboard.
“We will aim to position Asturias strongly in this call by presenting a model that leverages our ability to connect biodiversity in protected landscapes with a carbon-neutral, low-emission industry,” Borja Sánchez underscored.