• All three of Ireland’s NUTS2 regions – Eastern and Midland, Southern and Northern and Western – were designated as Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs) by the European Commission on 19 June 2024, joining a network of 149 similarly designated regions across Europe.
• The RIV initiative, part of the New European Innovation Agenda, aims to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems, bridge the innovation gap in Europe and improve Europe’s overall innovation performance.
• Being part of the RIV initiative unlocks new funding and international collaboration opportunities for Ireland’s regions, to enhance competitiveness and innovation.
• Companies, research performing organisations (RPOs) and innovation hubs are encouraged to signal their interest in engagement to the relevant Regional Assembly.

All three of Ireland’s regions – the Eastern and Midland Region, Southern Region and the Northern and Western Region – have received the designation of ‘Regional Innovation Valleys’ by the European Commission. This label recognises the regions’ potential as hubs of innovation and economic growth within a network of 149 similarly designated regions across Europe.

A Regional Innovation Valley label connects regions with other designated ‘valleys’ across Europe to enhance their innovation ecosystems, fostering collaboration among European regions and cities based on their smart specialisation strategies (S3) and competitive advantage to address the innovation gap.

Being part of this network, designated regions are committed to collaborating on innovation projects with other European regions, reducing innovation gaps between leading and lower innovation performing regions, as well as creating new EU value chains in line with key EU priorities, such as food security, renewable energy, circular economy, digital transition and healthcare.

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke, TD said:

“I welcome today’s announcement that the Southern Region, the Eastern and Midland Region and the Northern and Western Region are to join 149 regions across Europe as part of the European Commission’s Regional Innovation Valleys initiative. Being part of this initiative will unlock new European funding and international collaboration opportunities for our regions, while fostering an environment where innovation can thrive.”

The Minister also emphasised the long-term benefits for the regions:

“The inclusion of all of Ireland’s regions as part of this initiative is reflective of my Department’s commitment to ensure that Ireland’s innovation ecosystem at national and regional level is supportive of regional enterprise strengths and potential, driving our strategic priorities around the twin digital and green transition, and leveraging knowledge and insights from European partners through international collaborative initiatives. With our ongoing implementation of Ireland’s Smart Specialisation Strategy, my Department will continue to work with stakeholders in our three Regions to pursue further EU funding streams and opportunities for international collaboration with the European Commission that will emerge as part of this designation.”

Cathaoirleach of the Northern & Western Regional Assembly, Cllr Jarlath Munnelly said:

“This designation recognises the special characteristics of Ireland’s regions and our Northern and Western Region’s potential as a hub of innovation and economic growth. The Northern & Western Regional Assembly is looking forward to engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and to connecting with other regions across Europe to learn from each other and collectively enhance our competitiveness and capacity for region.”

Innovation Regions selected to receive a RIV label are committed to:

• Strengthening their Research & Innovation (R&I) ecosystem
• Enhancing the co-ordination and directionality of their R&I policy and investment towards key EU priorities
• Engaging in R&I collaboration between more and less advanced regions with complementary smart specialisation strategies.

A key component of the Regional Innovation Valley initiative is its matchmaking process to facilitate connections between enterprise, research and public institutions, create partnerships, provide access to a pool of experts and mentors, and match innovation projects with potential investors and funding sources.

The European Commission will support these cross-regional and cross-sectoral partnerships by connecting various stakeholders within each region’s innovation ecosystem through matchmaking events and targeted communication actions.

While funding is not awarded to Ireland with this designation, it does enable regions to unlock new European funding sources and international collaboration opportunities. It also offers new opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses to access collaboration domestically and internationally to drive innovation.

Innovation agencies, companies, RPOs and innovation hubs are encouraged to signal their interest in engagement to the relevant Regional Assembly.