On 3 June, Digital Innovation Zone hosted a new edition of Funding Wednesday, dedicated to cooperation opportunities under the Interregional Innovation Investments instrument and organised in the context of SustainX. The online session brought together SMEs, universities, European Digital Innovation Hubs, technology parks, research organisations and business support organisations from across Europe. Participants explored I3 Programme funding opportunities, exchanged project ideas and discussed how regional innovation actors can build stronger cross-border partnerships and competitive European value chains.
The event opened with an introduction to SustainX, presented by Cristina Vărvaruc from Digital Innovation Zone, followed by a presentation of I3 Programme funding opportunities delivered by Irina Robulet, also representing Digital Innovation Zone. The session highlighted the potential of the programme to support interregional cooperation, accelerate innovation and connect organisations with complementary expertise.
A central part of the webinar was dedicated to project ideas proposed by SustainX partners. Contributions were delivered by Lidia Alexa from “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iași, Irina Robulet from Digital Innovation Zone, Laura Lorenzo Brito from Fundación Santa Cruz Sostenible, and Agnese Kore from Latvijas Tehnologiskais Centrs together with Georgia Lalou from the Institute of Entrepreneurship Development.
The project ideas addressed several priority areas, including sustainable biomaterials and textiles, digital health, cybersecurity, sustainable tourism, artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing, green transition and emerging digital technologies. The discussions underlined the importance of building balanced consortia that bring together SMEs, universities, technology providers, testing and validation organisations, market actors and innovation support structures.
The Funding Wednesday edition also featured a best-practice session focused on successful I3-funded projects. Dr. Philippe R. Veber from the West University of Timișoara presented the SMART GROWTH project, offering insights into European cooperation, regional value-chain development and lessons learned from project implementation.
The final part of the agenda was dedicated to presentations from European Digital Innovation Hubs and regional innovation organisations. Adelina Marinescu presented the work of Digital Innovation Zone EDIH, while Roumiana Atanassova introduced EDIH Cyber4All / DIH Trakia Economic Zone. Mircea Petic presented the Digital Innovation Hub of Moldova, and Gvido Grinbergs shared the experience of Ventspils High Technology Park in supporting regional digital transformation, SME innovation and cooperation within the European innovation ecosystem.
During the Q&A and open discussion, additional participants introduced their organisations and expressed interest in future collaboration. Gianluca Tomasello presented AIR Andalusia, a newly launched European Digital Innovation Hub focused on artificial intelligence and robotics, with a regional interest in agriculture and the primary sector. Anna Pajarón represented Digital Impulse Hub, coordinated by the Chamber of Commerce of Terrassa near Barcelona, introduced the hub’s work in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, sustainability, circular economy and digitalisation. Sandra Bradesko from Technology Park Ljubljana also presented the park’s focus on health, well-being and digital health, highlighting opportunities for startups and cooperation in the digital health sector.
The discussions created a co-creation space for matchmaking between organisations interested in future project development. Participants exchanged perspectives on potential partnerships, startup support, health innovation, digital transformation and the development of new European project proposals.
A key message of the session was the importance of connecting regional innovation actors across Europe. By bringing together SMEs, universities, EDIHs, technology parks and business support organisations, Funding Wednesday created the common ground for identifying shared priorities, aligning complementary expertise and preparing future collaboration under European funding opportunities.
The session concluded with an invitation for participants to express their areas of interest and cooperation priorities, supporting the next steps in matchmaking, consortium development and project preparation. Through Funding Wednesday and SustainX, Digital Innovation Zone continues to facilitate cross-border cooperation, strengthen regional innovation ecosystems and support the development of impactful European projects.
