14 Jan 2025
Three new countries join EIT Regional Innovation Scheme
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has announced that as of 1 January 2025, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Israel have joined its EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS). This programme addresses Europe's persistent innovation divide by providing tailored support to regions with lower innovation performance.
Eligibility for the EIT RIS is determined by the EIT Strategic Innovation Agenda (SIA) (2021-2027). Countries must be classified as either 'moderate' or 'modest' innovators in at least one of the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) annual reports from 2018, 2019, and 2020 for the 2021-2024 period, or from 2021, 2022, and 2023 for the 2025-2027 period. All countries eligible during the 2021-2024 period will remain eligible for 2025-2027, now joined by the three new countries.
The EIT RIS provides innovators from eligible countries and EU Outermost Regions with tailored EIT activities through a place-based innovation support approach. By connecting regional actors, innovators, and partners with Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem, the EIT RIS enhances innovation capacity and fosters collaboration with local and regional smart specialisation strategies.
The inclusion of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the EIT RIS strengthens the EIT's support for the Western Balkans, enhancing regional innovation capacity and European integration efforts. Between 2021 and 2023, the EIT invested €17.2 million in the Western Balkan economies, supporting 52 Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) partners in delivering innovation projects aligned with local smart specialisation strategies and the Western Balkans Growth Plan. Notably, the Western Balkans' 3% participation rate in EIT activities during this period was six times higher than their participation rate in Horizon Europe, underscoring the EIT's impact and relevance in the region.
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