TWIN SYNERGIES: Advancing Green and Digital Innovation in Europe’s Widening Countries

As Europe shifts towards green and digital innovations, Widening countries—regions with lower research, development, and innovation (R&I) performance—must enhance their capabilities to stay competitive. The TWIN SYNERGIES project, funded by Horizon Europe with a budget of €1.5 million, aims to bridge this gap by fostering collaboration, boosting competitiveness, and promoting sustainable development.

The project unites nine partners: the Faculty of Information Studies (Slovenia), project coordinator), Novo Mesto Development Centre, University of Craiova (Romania), South-West Oltenia Regional Development Agency, Technical University of Ostrava (Czech Republic), Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre, Algebra University (Croatia), Development Agency Zagreb, and Steinbeis 2i GmbH (Germany).

Project Objectives

TWIN SYNERGIES focuses on five key objectives to support green and digital transitions:

Identifying Regional Challenges: Addressing gaps between regional and EU funding priorities, especially about the Green and Digital transitions.
Capacity Building: Developing a comprehensive training program to improve non-scientific skills like EU proposal writing and innovation management, enhancing regional competitiveness.
Encouraging Participation in EU Programs: Promoting greater involvement from Widening countries in EU research projects, fostering innovative ideas through a trial-and-error approach.
Peer-to-Peer Knowledge Transfer: Facilitating the exchange of expertise in digital technologies such as AI, High-Performance Computing (HPC), and Data Analytics, with a focus on environmental applications.
Improved Governance: Enhancing collaboration among policymakers and stakeholders to ensure better alignment of regional, national, and EU strategies.

To achieve its goals, TWIN SYNERGIES will undertake several key activities. The project started by identifying bottlenecks and opportunities through a detailed analysis of challenges related to regional and EU funding priorities, particularly in the context of the Green and Digital transitions.<

The project will then focus on capacity building, organizing workshops on EU funding proposal writing and offering coaching in innovation management, business internationalization, and strategic communication. These efforts aim to equip participants with the skills needed to develop and submit new project proposals.

Additionally, peer-to-peer learning will be a core component, with sessions focused on cutting-edge digital technologies such as AI, High-Performance Computing (HPC), and Data Analytics, especially in their environmental applications.

To enhance collaboration, policy dialogues and workshops will be organized, including cross-fertilization workshops and working meetings with policymakers, National Contact Points (NCPs), and managing authorities. These sessions will aim to create effective synergies and strengthen cooperation at all levels.

Through these activities, TWIN SYNERGIES will enhance innovation in Widening countries, align them with EU priorities, and promote sustainable growth.

Impact

TWIN SYNERGIES aims to transform innovation and collaboration across Europe. The project will boost innovation capacities, create a more competitive ecosystem, attract investments, and drive growth in Widening countries. It plays a crucial role in advancing green and digital transitions by promoting technologies that align with EU goals. The project will also strengthen international ties, opening up global collaboration opportunities for less-developed regions. Through improved policy alignment and governance, TWIN SYNERGIES ensures more effective cooperation on large-scale initiatives, ultimately contributing to sustainable economic growth across Europe.

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