Interreg Central Europe

• www.interreg-central.eu

• Programme Thematic Objectives

  • A smarter Europe – innovative and smart economic transformation

    RSO 1.1 Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies

    • Cooperating for a smarter central Europe
      Interreg CE will support transnational cooperation to improve SME competitiveness. The aim is to improve policy learning, strengthen innovation capacities of stakeholders and to increase collaboration in and between regional innovation systems. Possible cooperation actions include the development and implementation of strategies, action plans, tools, training, pilot actions and related solutions. All actions should strive for better economic resilience of CE regions, emphasising greening and sustainability aspects and considering the low carbon economy as well as climate change adaptation.
      Actions should push the uptake of novel technologies and solutions. They should foster cross-sector linkages by improving cooperation among innovation stakeholders with similar challenges. Actions should establish and strengthen regional and transnational central European structures and value chains, which will reduce dependency on foreign suppliers. Cooperation of companies in interregional partnerships is in particular encouraged if these are part of value chains related to smart specialisation strategies of the participating regions.

      More concretely, Interreg CE will fund actions in the following fields (non-exhaustive list):
      - Green economy, bio-economy
      - Industry 4.0, robotisation, mechatronics, digital technologies, key enabling technologies
      - Cultural and creative industries and tourism
      - Health (care) innovation
      - Silver economy
      - Social innovation
      - Technology and innovation transfer
      - Interregional partnerships along value chains
      - Innovative schemes for financing innovation

    RSO 1.4 Developing skills for smart specialisation, industrial transition and entrepreneurship

    • Cooperating for a smarter central Europe
      Interreg CE will support transnational cooperation that improves knowledge and capacities necessary for an efficient entrepreneurial discovery process and the preparation or updating of smart specialisation strategies, in particular regarding digital skills and industrial transition as well as climate change mitigation and/or adaptation. This will strengthen the most promising areas for sustainable economic development based on the regions' distinctive structures and knowledge base and encourage the introduction and strengthening of sustainable and innovative products, services or processes especially by SMEs. Actions supported should be coherent with the relevant smart specialisation strategies of the participating regions. Possible cooperation actions include the development and implementation of strategies, action plans, tools, trainings, pilot actions and related solutions. Cooperation shall support the development and implementation of solutions for vocational excellence as well as for technology diffusion and skills building in national and regional innovation ecosystems in order to achieve the goals of the smart specialisation strategies of the targeted territories.

      More concretely, the programme will fund actions in the following thematic fields (non-exhaustive list):
      - Skills for sectors of relevance for smart specialisation, e.g. Industry 4.0, digitalisation, green economy, bio-economy, silver economy, health and life sciences, cultural and creative industries, sustainable tourism
      - Capacity-building and institutional learning for smart specialisation
      - Matching skills to labour market needs of regions in industrial and digital transition
      - Competences for innovation management in SMEs and entrepreneurship, including social entrepreneurship
      - Counteracting regional (urban-rural) disparities of human capital and brain-drain

  • A greener, low-carbon Europe

    RSO 2.1 Energy efficiency

    • Cooperating for a greener central Europe
      Interreg CE will support transnational cooperation to increase energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption and develop framework conditions for the sustainable production and use of renewable energies across the programme area. Possible cooperation actions include the joint development and implementation of strategies and action plans, tools, trainings, pilot actions and related solutions. Actions should improve energy-related policies and capacities and help central European regions and cities to implement affordable sustainable energy solutions that fit their specific territorial settings.

      Actions which are related to the promotion of renewable energy production should consider in particular their contribution to climate neutrality policies and potential environmental impacts and regional specific concerns as addressed within relevant international conventions (e.g. Alpine Convention).
      Furthermore, circular solutions, use and reuse of sustainable materials, and the integration of nature-based solutions should be considered, where appropriate.
      More concretely, the programme will fund actions to improve the situation in the following
      thematic fields (non-exhaustive list):
      - Smart integration of carbon-neutral solutions across sectors
      - Renewable energy sources
      - Energy efficiency of buildings and public infrastructures
      - Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from industry and other sectors
      - Energy planning at local and regional levels
      - Energy demand management and behavioural change
      - Financing schemes for energy efficiency and renewable energy investments
      - Energy poverty

    RSO 2.4 Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention and resilience, taking into account eco-system based approaches

    • Cooperating for a greener central Europe
      In line with EU Green Deal objectives, Interreg CE will support transnational cooperation to enhance policy learning and regional capacities on climate resilience across the programme area. Actions should emphasise sustainable ecosystem-based solutions and approaches to climate change adaptation and consider potential infrastructure upgrades as a last resort option.
      If applicable, adaptation measures should avoid potential hydro-morphological impacts on water bodies. Possible cooperation actions include the development and implementation of strategies, action plans, tools, training, pilot actions and related solutions. Actions should address the challenges of the territories to alleviate environmental and socio-economic impacts of climate change and related risks, through the cooperative development of approaches. This will help central European regions and cities to implement climate change adaptation measures that are tailored to their specific territorial settings.

      More concretely, the programme will fund actions in the following thematic fields (non-exhaustive list):
      - Climate change resilience and adaptation measures
      - Climate-proof landscape and urban planning
      - Resilience to weather extremes and related hazards (rainfall events, floods, landslides, heat, droughts, water scarcity, wildfires etc.)
      - Risk awareness, prevention and management
      - Socio-economic and health-related impacts of climate change

    RSO 2.6 Circular economy

    • Cooperating for a greener central Europe
      Interreg CE will support transnational cooperation to increase the deployment of circular economy approaches across the programme area. This will contribute to strengthening regional added value, especially in rural and peripheral regions. Possible cooperation actions include the joint development and implementation of strategies, action plans, tools, trainings, pilot actions and related solutions. Actions should be in line with the EU Green Deal and the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and therefore improve product life cycles, promote circular economy processes and foster sustainable consumption (refuse; rethink; reduce; reuse; repair; refurbish; remanufacture; repurpose; recycle; recover). In this context, emphasis should be put on household waste management, commercial waste management and environmentally friendly production processes and resource efficiency in SMEs. Transnational cooperation should push the transition to a circular economy by increasing knowledge, improving policy learning as well as practically testing good practices.
      More concretely, the programme will fund actions in the following thematic fields (non-exhaustive list):
      - Waste prevention and management, recycling and recovery of resources and raw materials
      - Repair and re-use
      - Circular economy value chains
      - Clean production processes and closed loop systems
      - Sustainable product design (e.g. eco-design) and product development processes
      - Behavioural changes of producers, consumers, public buyers etc.

    RSO 2.7 Biodiversity and green infrastructure

    • Cooperating for a greener central Europe
      Interreg CE will support transnational cooperation actions such as the development
      and implementation of strategies, action plans, tools, trainings, pilot actions and related solutions that protect nature more efficiently and make environmental management more sustainable.
      Actions should focus on the development and implementation of better environmental policies as well as on the joint development of approaches that are tailored to specific local conditions. Ecosystems that are stretching across borders (e.g. river basins, ecological corridors etc.) should benefit from transnational cooperation such as already existing multilateral initiatives, like the Green Belt Initiative.
      More concretely, the programme will fund actions in the following thematic fields (non-exhaustive
      list):
      - Biodiversity conservation and recovery, including urban green spaces
      - Protection of natural heritage, ecosystems and valuable areas incl. Natura 2000 sites
      - Reduction of environmental pollution (air, water, soil, noise, light etc.) and their human health impacts
      - Integrated environmental management and sustainable use of natural resources
      - Sustainable land management and landscape planning that optimise human activities with biodiversity protection and enhancement measures
      - Ecosystem services (e.g. production of food and water, clean air, recreational benefits)
      - Restoration of degraded ecosystems

    RSO 2.8 Urban mobility

    • Cooperating for a greener central Europe
      Interreg CE will support transnational cooperation for the development and implementation of strategies, action plans, tools, trainings, pilot actions and related solutions that aim at better policy learning and increased capacities for sustainable urban mobility. Actions should foster an integrated and smart green mobility in FUAs by considering governance aspects and improving coordination among relevant stakeholders and policies. In line with the EU “Urban Mobility Package”, actions should develop and deploy integrated strategies (e.g. Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans - SUMP). They should also test and introduce new green approaches and technologies for delivering solutions for urban mobility challenges. Furthermore, actions should balance out disparities between territories that are less advanced and more advanced in terms of green urban mobility.
      More concretely, the programme will fund actions to improve the situation in the following thematic fields (non-exhaustive list):
      - Sustainable urban mobility planning
      - Quality and efficiency of green, urban public transport services
      - Smart traffic and mobility management, including commuting solutions
      - Sustainable multimodal connections between urban and peri-urban areas
      - Sustainable multimodal urban freight and logistic solutions (including the “last mile”)
      - Reduction of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants from urban transport
      - Accessibility of urban public transport for everyone, especially for elderly and frail people

  • A more connected Europe – mobility and regional ICT connectivity

    RSO 3.2 Developing and enhancing sustainable, climate resilient, intelligent and intermodal national, regional and local mobility, including improved access to TEN-T and cross-border mobility

    • Cooperating for a better connected central Europe
      Interreg CE will support transnational cooperation to improve the mobility in and accessibility of rural and peripheral regions, especially in view of their linkages to main EU transport corridors and nodes, and in particular regional economic centres. Sustainable solutions such as improved digital connectivity will also help to reduce transport-related pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and positively affect socioeconomic developments. Possible cooperation actions include the joint development and implementation of strategies, action plans, tools, training, pilot actions and related solutions. Actions should improve transport-related policies and increase capacities for a coordinated, integrated planning of sustainable transport and mobility systems making use of digital solutions to the possible extent.
      More concretely, the programme will fund actions in the following thematic fields (non-exhaustive list):
      - Demand-responsive and flexible regional passenger transport
      - Accessibility of rural and remote areas and their connectivity to main EU transport corridors
      - Removal of transport barriers and bottlenecks across borders and beyond
      - Strategic regional transport and spatial planning
      - Multi-modal freight transport and logistic chains in rural and peripheral areas and connections to transport nodes

  • A better cooperation governance

    RSO 6.6 Other actions to support better cooperation governance

    • Improving governance for cooperation in central Europe
      Interreg CE will support transnational actions aimed at improving multi-sectoral
      governance processes on all territorial levels, in particular in view of complex challenges related to digitalisation, demographic change, climate change, public services of general interest and tourism including culture. Actions should follow a cross-sectoral approach and foster the horizontal and vertical cooperation of relevant actors of the public and, where appropriate, the private sector. Furthermore, actions should also strengthen capacities of public authorities to prepare integrated territorial development strategies.
      Possible cooperation actions include the joint development and implementation of strategies, action plans, tools, training, pilot actions and related solutions. Actions should focus on improving governance processes by better integrating policy sectors, by building consensus among relevant institutions, by better involving citizens and other stakeholders and by making use of digital tools.
      More concretely, the programme will fund actions in the following thematic fields (non-exhaustive list):
      - Reduction of administrative barriers, better policymaking and cooperation beyond borders
      - Participatory decision-making processes (e.g. citizen involvement)
      - Multi-level and multi-sector governance among areas with functional ties beyond borders
      - Integrated territorial development strategies, e.g. addressing demographic change, climate change, public services of general interest (such as health, education, social services) and tourism and culture
      - Digital governance

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• Currently there are neither job vacancies or calls for projects open for this programme

Last open call closed on 17th May 2023