We are thrilled and very proud to have been nominated to the Regiostars Awards competition in the SMART Europe category. Regiostars are awarded every year since 2003 by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy. The competition aims at identifying good practices in regional development and highlighting innovative, EU-funded projects, which could be attractive and inspiring to other regions and project managers.
Our project have not only been able to successfully build and transfer innovative capabilities among project partners thanks to unique design-led approach to knowledge exchange process, but also demonstrate impact on our regional innovation ecosystem already in the first year of the monitoring phase. Thanks to an exceptional enthusiasm and dedication of all project partners, the project can already pride itself with mobilising €10m; and implementation of such high profile initiatives like the launch of Valletta Design Cluster, Design Voucher scheme in Latvia or programme Diseño para la Innovación 2020 in Galicia among others.
Nominated projects will now be evaluated by a jury chaired by Michel Barnier and finalists will be announced in early September. Finalists will be invited to present their projects during the #EURegionsWeek from 11 to 14 October. Winners will be unveiled during the Awards Ceremony, that this year will be held on 2 December in Dubrovnik. In addition to five official categories, the public will decide on its own winner among the finalists through a public on-line vote and award the Public choice award to one of the projects.
Wish us luck and please vote for Design4Innovation in the public vote!
