The SustainX project continues to advance steadily toward its implementation phase, as partner regions get ready to engage directly with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through a series of national meetings. These events mark an important step in translating the project’s methodologies and tools into practical support for companies across Europe.
As part of this coordinated effort, the North-East Region of Romania hosted its SME-focused event on 12 December, bringing together regional business representatives, innovation experts, and academic partners. The session provided SMEs with insights into sustainable innovation, available funding opportunities, and guidance on shaping future innovation projects. Participants also engaged in interactive discussions to refine ideas and prepare for upcoming project activities.
Building on the progress achieved
Since its launch, SustainX has laid the foundations for a structured and collaborative approach to strengthening regional innovation ecosystems. The consortium—representing Romania, Greece (Thessaly), Bulgaria, Latvia, and the Canary Islands (Spain)—has worked intensively to:
- develop a unified methodology for SME engagement,
- analyse regional innovation landscapes,
- identify shared challenges and opportunities,
- and harmonise approaches that will ensure consistent, high-quality support across all regions.
These achievements set the stage for the upcoming national meetings, where SMEs will begin interacting directly with the tools and concepts introduced by the SustainX project.
Coordinated events across all partner regions
The Romanian session on 12 December is part of a wider series of national meetings organised by each partner region. Similar events will take place in Greece, Bulgaria, Latvia, and the Canary Islands, offering local SMEs the chance to explore the SustainX approach within their specific regional and sectoral contexts. Together, these coordinated sessions ensure that insights from all regions feed into the next stage of the project.
Preparing for pilot activities
The outcomes of the upcoming meetings will shape phase two, during which SMEs across the five regions will work with the SustainX methodology and tools in real-world settings. This will help re-validate the framework and ensure that the support services developed are practical, relevant, and capable of driving innovation-led growth.
By gathering SMEs around shared challenges and opportunities, the 12 December event in Romania represents a meaningful step toward empowering companies to innovate sustainably and engage in interregional investment initiatives such as the I3 Instrument.
