Members of the Economic Development Agency DEV'UP of Centre-Val de Loire (France); the Regional Agency for Technology and Innovation (ARTI) of the Puglia Region (Italy); the North West Development Agency of Romania (NWRDA;) and the Tartu Science Park (Estonia), have analysed in depth Extremadura policies that serve as a reference for greater effectiveness of the programmes financed with European funds that support research, technological development and innovation.

Among them, the Innovation and Talent Programme (PIT) launched by the Regional Government of Extremadura, alternates the training of technologists and technologists with professional practice in private companies in order to facilitate the employability of unemployed young people and enhance the capabilities of talent in the region in a number of strategic areas, such as agri-food, information and communication technologies, tourism, health, clean energy, basic research, humanities and social sciences, green economy, circular economy and bioeconomy.

Also, the RIS3 Extremadura 2027, the Smart Specialisation Strategy that defines the priorities to make Extremadura an exporting region of products and services with its own brand and high added value, concentrating public policies and resources on a series of economic, scientific and technological priorities. Finally, they were introduced to the Office for Innovation as a good practice in the implementation of R&D support policies.

This exchange of experiences will also allow the participating regions to finalise their action plans in order to improve key aspects of their R&D&I support instruments and implement them during the 2nd phase of the project.