Research, innovation, competitiveness

The priority responds to three major challenges: 

• innovative and smart transition, closely related to the new S3 Strategy, which indicates the guidelines for the regional research and innovation policy; 
• promoting digital transformation to improve opportunities for economic growth and social innovation, stimulating a cultural change and making digital a new territorial peculiarity; 
• boosting competitiveness within the regional production system by focusing on labour, the value of enterprise and the entrepreneurial and widespread pluralism of SMEs. 

The two-level transition driven by the S3 is about innovation, both in manufacturing and organisational level as well as in materials, supported with a smart and sustainable process. In order to respond to these challanges, it is paramount to enhance training opportunities and upskill companies employees. 

Specific Objectives 

• 1.1 Develop and strengthen research and innovation capabilities and improve the entry of advanced technologies
• 1.2 Enable citizens, companies, research organisations as well as public authorities to enjoy digitisation benefits 
• 1.3 Boost SMEs sustainable growth and competitiveness and improve job creation by investing in the manufacturing system 
• 1.4 Sustainable growth, competitiveness of SMEs and job creation by investing in the manufacturing system 

Funds 

A total of 468 million euros are allocated, which corresponds to 46% of the total financial resources of the Regional ERDF Program 2021-2027. The initial budget of 530 million euros has been updated following the integration of Priority 5 - Investments and Research for STEP Strategic Technologies into the Programme.