Intensifying Cross-Sectoral Innovation within the European Union (I-CSI EU)

The project Intensifying Cross-Sectoral Innovation within the European Union (I-CSI EU), funded by the Interreg Europe program, addresses the question of how regional policymakers can align innovation policies and instruments to enhance cross-sectoral innovations (Cross-Sectoral Innovation; CSI) generated by established, sector-oriented networks, thereby addressing local and regional societal challenges. Over a period of four years, the project partners will collaboratively develop how a regional sectoral innovation policy can be transformed into a cross-sectoral innovation policy. Existing solutions from the participating regions will be presented and platforms (such as hubs, clusters, etc.) will be visited. These joint study visits form an inspiring foundation for reflecting on suitable scenarios for the targeted promotion of CSI in the individual regions.

The involved (city) regions differ in their experience and development, yet they all face the same challenge: regional innovation potentials remain underutilized – sometimes due to the traditional focus on smart specialization sectors and sectoral 'silo' structures. When it comes to collaboratively designing innovative solutions for societal challenges, the current sectoral approaches are not conducive to cross-sector cooperation among SMEs, knowledge institutions, innovation hubs, clusters, and support organizations. Therefore, the eight involved (city) regions in the I-CSI project are striving to create an environment that builds on regional particularities and promotes cross-sector innovation through dialogue-oriented forums, targeted resources for moderation, and effective monitoring.

Supported by an advisory partner (TUA West, an agency of the province of West Flanders), the project partners apply the methodology of strategic foresight to design desirable future innovation ecosystems for the promotion of CSI together with relevant stakeholders. For this purpose, the partner regions contribute existing expertise and best practice examples that have already fostered cross-sectoral innovation – in the case of Bremen, the innovation strategy Land Bremen 2030. The various approaches are intended to be scaled, stabilized, and translated into new or improved policy instruments. In this way, the project partners aim to pursue a long-term strategic course, increase the impact of their policies, and generate economic growth – for example, by developing new (export) products or services.