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Where Regional Teams Shape the Future

A hands-on journey where diverse teams design and deploy innovation action plans that deliver real regional impact.

The Regional Team

Each participating region forms a Regional Team of up to 12 members, representing key stakeholder groups including government, academia, business, risk capital, NGOs, and entrepreneurs.

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The team is responsible for:

  • Assessing the regional innovation ecosystem

  • Co-creating a tailored Innovation Action Plan

  • Leading the implementation process during and after the Programme

 

A diverse team ensures that the action plan is grounded in local knowledge, cross-sector collaboration, and long-term commitment.

Image by Aron Van de Pol

Government

Drives policy and regulatory support. Ability to influence policies and funding.

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Entrepreneurs

Represents startups, validates ecosystem challenges. Experience in scaling businesses and mentoring founders.

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Academia

Supports research, technology transfer, & entrepreneurship. Commitment to academic-industry collaboration.

Image by Marek Studzinski

Risk Capital

Venture capitalist, angel investor, or private equity leader. Experience in early-stage and growth funding.

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Corporate / Industry

Integrates startups into value chain and fosters innovation.

Image by Nico Smit

NGO

Focus on equality and social impact . Experience in community engagement. Commitment to supporting underserved groups within the ecosystem.

The Programme Structure

Once the Regional Team is formed and the participation agreement is signed (more about it here), participants embark on a structured journey to develop and implement their Regional Innovation Action Plan.

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The Innovation Policy Ignition Programme is a two-phase process designed to turn regional ambition into action. During the first six months, teams participate in hybrid training delivered across five modules, two of which are held in Cambridge. This is followed by a three-month monitoring phase, during which teams begin deploying their action plans with the support of expert mentoring and peer learning.

 

The Programme provides the tools, frameworks, and collaborative structure needed to co-create and deliver impactful innovation initiatives tailored to regional needs.

The Programme Modules

1

Kick-Off & Team Foundations
2 day Visit in Cambridge

  • Team formationC

  • Understanding ones strengths

  • Defining high-level strategic vision, mission and ambitions

2

Ecosystem 

Audit and Pathway Identification

  • Learning from case studies

  • Breaking down key frameworks

3

Strategic Change & Policy Interventions 

  • Exploring change management and policy interventions to drive regional innovation

4

Innovation Policy & Ecosystem Design

  • Refining draft regional action plan

  • Preparing for the Cambridge visit

5

Final Cambridge

2.5-day Visit

  • Immersive visit to Cambridge for mentoring, insight, and peer exchange

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Monitoring Phase

  • A three-month follow-up phase focused on tracking early implementation progress through regular check-ins and mentoring.

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