The second edition of #GROWyourREGIOn conference is set to take place on 8-9 November in Valencia, Spain, with 350 participants from regional authorities that manage ERDF and INTERREG projects, clusters and the business community. The event is jointly organised by the European Commission's Directorates-Generals for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (GROW) and for Regional and Urban Policy (REGIO), in collaboration with the Valencia Regional Government.
The objective is to discuss lessons learned for boosting smart inter-regional cooperation through clusters and to co-create ideas for new approaches and initiatives towards Joint Cluster Initiatives for the post-2020 phase of European programmes through a participatory approach. It is therefore a direct follow-up of the recent Smart Specialisation Communication on 'Strengthening Innovation in Europe's Regions' and the renewed EU Industrial Policy Strategy and shall serve as an input to the next European Industry Day in February 2018.
#GROWyourREGIOn is a conference with a difference. Participants will not just be listening to inspiring practice cases and speakers, but are invited to actively contribute, collaborate and co-create. The event is an opportunity to:
• share your smart specialisation and cluster experience and practices;
• exchange ideas about future actions for smart interregional collaboration;
• learn about novel ways of supporting innovation and accelerating industrial modernisation and SME growth.
The event will also feature five pre-events, such as the steering committee meeting of lead regions of the Thematic Smart Specialisation Platform for Industrial Modernisation, a matchmaking event on digital transformation organised by WATIFY, COSME and Horizon2020 cluster projects partner meetings and RIS3 Valencia region steering committee as well as offer opportunities to meet experts.