The overarching objective of OPEN-INNO-Train is to form an international and inter-sectoral network of organisations collaboratively working on the joint research field of Open Innovation, University-Industry Cooperation and Research Translation. To facilitate Knowledge Development and Sharing in four contemporary areas - FinTech, Industry 4.0, CleanTech, FoodTech. For globally interconnected societies, scientific research has the potential to foster yet unrealised economic growth, competitiveness, and wellbeing. The conversion of research outputs into tangible outcomes, and, ultimately, sustainable impact is critically important and needs optimising. The process of converting research findings into economic and social benefits appears increasingly complex at a time when researchers often work in multidisciplinary teams, in a context of Open Innovation when cooperating with industry and other stakeholders. Illuminating it from the perspective of Research Translation, an approach increasingly gaining traction in the specific setting of University-Industry Collaboration, OPEN-INNO-TRAIN aims at opening the black box of knowledge conversion processes to generate and apply new insights from those four industry areas. Furthermore, OPEN-INNO-TRAIN encapsulates the development of robust Research Translation tools capable of facilitating the translation process of multidisciplinary research findings for the generation of impact. Combining scientific excellence from European and international universities, Research and Technology Organisations with hands on expertise from pioneering companies, OPEN-INNO-TRAIN will spearhead this sustainable venture using digital innovation hubs, co-tutelle, industrial PhDs, PPPs and training measures to encourage international cooperation among researchers and industry practitioners across disciplines whose final aim is to holistically foster, enhance and sustain over time the application of good research translation practices.

The RIPEET project will support Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) policy experimentations for energy transition in three European territories - in Extremadura (ES), Highlands and Islands of Scotland (UK) and Ostrobothnia (FI). The methodology builds on RRI, transformative innovation, transition management and the Multi-Level-Perspective. RIPEET brings together quintuple helix actors of the territorial socio-technical energy regime in Transition Labs in order to envisage and implement a place-based energy transition process. Building on this evolutionary model of socio-technical transitions, RIPEET will use existing landscape and regime-level pressures to facilitate the development of territorial socio-technical futures based on RRI actions. The governance and agency in this transformative process will be organised within the Transition Labs. These Labs will bring together stakeholders to co-create common visions based on the potentials and priorities of territorial eco-systems (mapping and visioning), generate transition pathways and innovation needs, launching a call for immediate bottom-up solutions to these (pathways and piloting) and anchor the process on organisational as well as policy level (sustainability and exploitation). The framework conditions, processes, and outcomes of these experiments will be mapped, monitored, and evaluated. This constitutes an evidence-base for the revision of sectoral policies, strategies and research and innovation (R&I) instruments as well as for establishing a European RIPEET community. Thereby, RIPEET will support territories in establishing experimental spaces to address the territorial dimensions of the European Green Deal. The consortium consists of 11 renowned and EU-FP-experienced universities, research organisations, SMEs, CSOs, business and innovation centres and regional authorities from seven European countries, with the competences and territorial anchoring necessary to implement the approach.

The IRIS project supports the Lighthouse cities of Utrecht (NL), Göteborg (SE) and Nice Côte d’Azur (FR) and their Follower cities Vaasa (FI), Alexandroupolis (GR), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (ES), and Focsani (RO) to address their urgent need to deliver energy and mobility services in their cities that are cheaper, better accessible, reliable, and that contribute to a better and more sustainable urban quality of life. By demonstrating smart solutions that integrate energy, mobility and ict, rooted in a City Innovation Platform, IRIS quantifies their value, and connects interests of many different stakeholders in innovative business models, allowing for upscale and replication of integrated solutions for sustainable cities across Europe and world-wide. To achieve this, IRIS works along five Transition Tracks based on common challenges, encompassing 16 integrated solutions that cities can mix and match according to their characteristics and district specific needs. Track 1, 2 and 3 enhance energy efficiency and utilize grid flexibility by balancing supply and demand dynamically and by 2nd life battery and V2G storage, to allow increase of renewable energy production and roll-out of e-cars and e-buses. Track 4 supports this by data sharing, a common architecture, use of standards, and governance practices accelerating innovation, standardisation and implementation of affordable smart applications. Track 5 integrates interdisciplinary citizen engagement and co-creation in Tracks 1 to 4, connecting the needs of end-users with those of other stakeholders, in further support of innovative business models. The expected impacts of IRIS are an open innovation ecosystem motivating citizens to act as prosumers; more effective urban planning and governance of integrated solutions; exploitation of validated innovative business models based on multi-stakeholder collaboration; more stable, secure and affordable energy and mobility services for citizens, with improved air quality.