The SustainX program is one of the initiatives addressing the challenge of achieving a sustainable and inclusive digital transformation and it’s working to strengthen the bridge between knowledge institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and regional investment actors.
At the core of SustainX is a mission to cultivate a proactive culture of technology transfer and innovation investment readiness. The program focuses on empowering researchers, spin-offs, and SMEs to move beyond traditional commercialization models by embedding entrepreneurial awareness and establishing structured, accessible investment pathways. A key objective is to prepare a pipeline of high-potential innovation projects that are competitive for European funding, including through mechanisms such as the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) program. SustainX builds the capabilities needed to guide these projects from conception to market. To achieve this, SustainX is developing a program tailored to innovation investment planning, covering essential topics like:
- Market research and competitive positioning
- Project and risk management
- Financial planning and ESG impact assessment
- Funding strategy and investment readiness\
This program will be adapted to local contexts, ensuring its relevance to specific regional ecosystems and the innovation maturity levels of participating SMEs and spin-offs.
Following this, SMEs and early-stage ventures will receive support to refine their innovation projects—ensuring their feasibility, market maturity, and bankability. The goal is to turn high-potential ideas into investment-ready ventures with tangible economic and environmental impact.
Localizing Innovation support: The One-Stop-Shop Model
A major milestone of SustainX is the creation of a localized one-stop-shop facility to serve SMEs and innovation stakeholders. Inspired by the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) the model will offer:
- Business and innovation assessments
- Guidance on funding and investment strategies
- Access to technical and research expertise
- Strong links to local development agencies and cluster networks
This model will be tested and validated during the program, then made available for replication across other European regions through SustainX’s broader dissemination and scaling framework.
SustainX: Shaping Europe’s innovation future
Through its integrated model combining training, mentoring, infrastructure, and interregional cooperation, SustainX is paving the way for a more inclusive, innovation-driven, and investment-ready Europe. It enables academic excellence to translate into enterprise growth, empowers SMEs to pursue sustainable business models, and aligns regional development efforts with Europe’s green and digital priorities.
As a result, SustainX is not only strengthening local innovation ecosystems—it’s setting a new standard for how research, entrepreneurship, and investment can work together to fuel systemic transformation.
