Politehnica BukarestSupporting the Danube Region in Smart Specialisation

"Smart Specialization" is a strategic concept with the aim of promoting structural change, towards knowledge- and innovation-led growth of European regions. Steinbeis Europa Zentrum accompanies several actors in the Danube region in the implementation of regional development priorities in the cooperation of SMEs, universities and business development agencies in innovation projects. 

The Danube Transfer Centres (DTC) network currently counts 14 members in ten countries in the Danube region, which include DTCs in Karlsruhe (Germany), Cluj-Napoca, Craiova, Bucharest, Iaşi (Romania), Nitra (Slovakia), Novi Sad (Serbia), Maribor (Slovenia), Györ (Hungary), Ruse (Bulgaria), Vukovar, Zagreb (Croatia), Odessa (Ukraine) and Villach (Austria). The DTCs support the regional innovation actors in the field of technology transfer and have established themselves as a successful model for the entire region. 

Based on the previous close cooperation, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum and the Technical University "Politehnica" Bucharest successfully launched an Interreg project in 2020 to support the creative industries in the Danube region. The “Restart4Danube” project involves 25 partners from 12 countries, including public authorities, companies, business support organisations, research institutes, civil society actors and the Danube Transfer Centers Zagreb, Maribor and Craiova. Steinbeis Europa Zentrum facilitates the communication between regional and European policies and supports the regional actors to participate in tenders in the EU program Horizon Europe.