News

Helsinki-Uusimaa speeding up circular economy innovations together with other European top regions

The European Commission has identified the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region as a Regional Innovation Valley (RIV). In cooperation with other top regions in circular economy, Helsinki-Uusimaa is carrying out the project European Circular Innovation Valley, the ECIV.

Published: 3.10.2024

By bringing together a range of regions across Europe with different innovation levels and linking up their key innovation actors, RIVs aim to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems, bridge the innovation gap in Europe and improve Europe’s overall innovation performance. The project offers the possibility to strengthen the regional innovations in circular economy and make them more international.

– Our objective is to increase the regional research and development expenditure to 5 per cent of the region’s GDP by 2030. Being chosen a RIV and a ECIV cooperation partner are significant steps on our way to these targets, Mr Eero Venäläinen, Regional Development Director at the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council, states.

The ECIV project, part of the Horizon Europe programme, aims to build Europe’s largest circular economy innovation ecosystem, driving sustainable development and collaboration across the continent. This project is set to turn European regions into dynamic circular economy hubs – so called European “dance floors” for circular solutions.

Proposing innovative circular solutions

–Our Region is one of the key regional partners in the ECIV. The Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council offers its extensive experience in circular economy projects, such as the Helsinki-Uusimaa Circular Valley and the national Economy Green Deal, commented by Ms Christine Chang, Project Manager at the Council.

Over the next five years, the ECIV will significantly advance the transition towards a circular economy of the regions (and of Europe) generating sustainable growth and development in the participating regions.

–Through the ECIV, we can share our expertise and build Europe’s largest circulation economy ecosystem while providing opportunities for our businesses to join international innovation efforts, Ms Chang continues.

Sixty percent of the ECIV project will be allocated to open calls organised by the Normandy Region in France, encouraging startups and other companies to propose innovative circular solutions. Funding will be offered to international/transnational projects in value chains of various industrial sectors. During 2025, our regional actors in Helsinki-Uusimaa will be informed about their possibilities to apply for funding.

ECIV actors meeting up in September 2024, Brussels. Photo: The ECIV project.

ECIV building and renewing co-innovation

The ECIV brings together 19 entities from 9 countries, led by the Government of Navarra, Spain. Key regional project partners are also the Northern Netherlands Alliance, North Middle Sweden Region, the Ministry of Innovation and Growth of Bulgaria, the Service Public de Wallonie Economie in Belgium, Scottish Enterprise, and Lithuania’s Innovation Agency in the Baltics. The Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource Management (ACR+) belongs to the ECIV, as well.

The project, going on from 1 September 2024 to 30 August 2029, is funded by the Horizon Europe programme, and its total budget is 2.2 million euros. The share of the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region is about 356,000 euros.

72 regions have been identified as Regional Innovation Valleys (RIV) by the European Commission. All regions participating in the ECIV project are Regional Innovation Valleys. The Innovation Valleys promote European strategic priorities, like green transition and digital transformation.