The INSHAPE European Network of Innovation Hubs continues to drive forward its mission to make European society more active and healthier: more SMEs working in the fields of sport and vitality will be able to join INSHAPE in the coming months and receive support to scale up the EU market. Indeed, through a collaborative network of regional Hubs and service providers, INSHAPE focuses on encouraging innovation and aims to foster a culture of proactive care for health. By leveraging interregional cooperation, INSHAPE contributes to both public health improvements and economic growth within the EU.
The I3-INSHAPE project, co-funded by the European Union’s I3 (Interregional Innovation Investments) programme, is a key milestone in this journey. This project seeks to establish the basis for the European Network of Innovation Hubs, fostering collaboration among SMEs and companies, stakeholders, citizens, and end-users across Europe.
At the recent meeting in Rovaniemi (Finland) from September 24–25 in the framework of the project development, project partners from the regions of Lapland, South Netherlands, Lahti, Kajaani, East Hungary, Valencia, Catalunya plus the European Platform for Sport Innovation, discussed the core aspects of INSHAPE.
The Open Calls for SMEs from partners’ regions
Open Calls will be officially launched at the ELIS Summit in Eindhoven on the 13th of November. These calls are designed to encourage new collaborations between companies across regions. SMEs fro from the same regions as project partners can present their applications by submitting a project to overcome specific challenges of the sports and vitality sector. The selected projects will receive funding along with tailored support.
The Service Catalogue
Another crucial outcome of the meeting in Rovaniemi was the development of a comprehensive service catalogue. This catalogue will provide an essential tool for connecting innovation hubs, companies, and service providers, listing services related to key areas identified through the ELIS Pitch Stop approach at the ELIS Summit in Eindhoven. These services range from business support to technical resources and will be accessible via the INSHAPE website, which will be launched soon.
The INSHAPE Network: a call to SMEs and innovators
INSHAPE’s success depends on the involvement of a wide network of stakeholders. SMEs of the sports sector are invited to join the network and take advantage of the open calls and the service catalogue. By participating, organizations will gain access to vital funding, support, and innovation resources, helping to scale up in the European market and contribute to a more active, healthy Europe.
The next appointment will be the ELIS Pitch Stop Event and the ELIS Innovation Summit on the 13th of November, where the I3-INSHAPE Open Calls will be announced, companies’ progress will be evaluated and SMEs will showcase their innovation solutions.
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