Boosting Knowledge and Competitiveness in the Danube Region: Capitalisation Workshop in Bratislava

On 26 and 27 March 2025, Bratislava hosted a key Capitalisation Workshop titled “Boosting Knowledge and Competitiveness in the Danube Region,” bringing together representatives from 22 EU-funded projects. The projects spanned crucial thematic areas including Circular Economy, Technology Transfer, Sustainable Cities and Regions, Smart Specialisation, and Industry 4.0, with participants from across the entire Danube Region.

We were proud to take part in this inspiring exchange as part of the CI-HUB project, contributing to the shared goal of strengthening innovation, knowledge transfer, and competitiveness in the region.

The event was organised under EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), specifically by Priority Area 7 (Knowledge Society) and Priority Area 8 (Competitiveness of Enterprises). The workshop was officially opened by Jakub Birka, General Director of the Science and Research Division of the Slovak Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth. A video message from Oana Dordain, Deputy Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy, followed. The session was moderated by Martina Hartl, Deputy Head of Department for International Research Cooperation and Science Diplomacy at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research.

The main objective of the workshop was to promote mutual learning, increase visibility of project results, and foster collaboration across thematic and geographical boundaries. Emphasis was placed on the practical transfer of results into business, start-ups, and public practice, maximising their impact and reach.

The workshop also featured thematic focus group discussions in core areas:

• Sustainable Cities and Regions: Prioritising local sustainability projects, agile piloting, and knowledge continuity.

• Smart Specialisation, Industry 4.0 & Technology Transfer: Highlighting the importance of policy engagement, knowledge platforms, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

• Circular Economy: Stressing the integration of sustainability throughout project lifecycles and the need to optimise resource use.

The results of the event were structured around key themes:

Knowledge transfer & reuse, Increasing impact and visibility, Policy alignment and capitalisation, and Cooperation and future opportunities.

This gathering proved instrumental in identifying shared challenges, building new synergies, and reinforcing the network of innovation actors across the Danube Region. Going forward, efforts will concentrate on ongoing knowledge exchange, capitalisation of results, and cooperation through matchmaking and strategic partnerships.

PA7 and PA8 continue to support cooperation and invite stakeholders to join the dialogue and strengthen the Danube innovation ecosystem.