The Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument (I3) is a tool of the European Union aimed at supporting innovation projects developed through collaboration between businesses, regions, and other actors in European ecosystems.
The programme promotes the creation of interregional partnerships and supports investments aimed at bringing innovative solutions to greater technological and commercial maturity.
On 1st October 2026, in Brussels, the Annual I3 Instrument Forum 2026, was held, an opportunity to take stock of the first five years of implementation of the instrument and the results achieved by the funded projects.
A programme to strengthen cooperation between regions
Since its launch, I3 has involved an increasing number of European territories.
The proposals submitted have concerned 229 of the 244 NUTS2 regions of the European Union, while the funded projects involve 185 regions and all member states.
The portfolio of the instrument currently includes 84 projects, for approximately 356 million euros of funding, involving around 1,500 organisations.
The supported projects aim in particular to strengthen European value chains and to promote collaboration between regions with complementary skills and specialisations.
What opportunities for SMEs
The I3 instrument can also represent an opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises interested in developing innovation projects in collaboration with partners from other European countries.
The funded activities concern, among others, areas related to green transition, digitalisation and advanced manufacturing.
Participation can enable companies to access new networks, collaborate with clusters, research centres and industrial partners, and develop solutions aimed at the European market.
A portion of the resources can also reach SMEs directly through cascading funding mechanisms.
A concrete interest for Italian companies in Belgium
For Italian companies active in Belgium, participation in European innovation ecosystems can foster the creation of new collaborations and access to international partnerships.
Belgium, and Brussels in particular, hosts numerous clusters, European organisations, research centres, regional agencies and entrepreneurial networks that can serve as strategic interlocutors for the development of projects with a European dimension.
In this context, instruments like I3 contribute to strengthening the link between innovation, territorial cooperation and the development of new market opportunities.
The calls 2026
The I3 2026 calls related to interregional investments, Strand 1 and Strand 2a, are open until 12 November 2026.
The Strand 1 supports partnerships between regions with common or complementary smart specialisation priorities, while the Strand 2a aims to strengthen value chains by also involving less developed regions.
For SMEs interested in innovation, internationalisation and collaboration with other European ecosystems, the programme therefore represents one of the tools to monitor within the opportunities offered by the European Union.