Danube StrategyStudy on the identification of lighthouse projects in the Danube region published – Steinbeis Europa Zentrum highlights best practices in key future-oriented fields

A study commissioned by the EU Danube Region Strategy, which has now been published, aimed to identify, evaluate, and highlight innovative and replicable projects from the Danube region. Together with our project partners Pannon Business Network from Hungary and the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum is thus contributing to the exchange of innovation, knowledge transfer, creativity, and best practices in the EU and beyond.

Ultimately, 30 initiatives of various kinds were selected in the fields of green tech and circular economy, digitalization/AI, and supply chains & finance instruments, covering all member states of the Danube Region Strategy – based on a pool of over 170 identified projects.  

Key conclusions

It is clear that the Danube region offers a diverse and innovative environment for business competitiveness, even if the innovation landscape varies from region to region. Initiatives that facilitate access to technology for SMEs, offer practical support, and build bridges between pilot projects and market launch are particularly successful. Low-threshold funding instruments such as voucher programs, small project funds, and dual education formats have proven particularly effective in promoting innovation and transformation, even for small businesses.

Perhaps the most promising trend for the future viability of the Danube region is the combination of digitalization (especially AI) and circular economy in the sense of an efficient, climate-friendly, and at the same time more productive economy – supported by the many local small and medium-sized enterprises.  

Workshops as part of the 14th EU Danube Region Strategy Annual Forum

In order to raise awareness for these results and the best practices from the study, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum organized two different workshops as part of the 14th Annual Forum of the Danube Region Strategy, featuring presentations by representatives of the lighthouse projects themselves.

The focus was on the topics of supply chains and finance, as well as green tech and circular economy. A total of six different speakers from the Danube region (more information on Workshop I and Workshop II) came to Sarajevo to present their project activities and discuss replication and scalability strategies.  

Click here for the full version of the study, and here for brief descriptions and presentations of all 30 lighthouse projects.