EIB Lunch Dialogue on Cohesion: Investing in strategic technologies for inclusive, green and digital

All regions will need to transform in the coming decades to reach the European Union’s climate goals and reduce the digital divide. However, not all regions in Europe have the same starting point. Different regions have different investment needs and innovation potential. Cohesion regions tend to invest more in transport, energy and infrastructure, but less in research and innovation. Moreover, the regions closer to the war in Ukraine, more dependent on fossil fuels and with energy-intensive industries, face bigger barriers to private-sector investment and have less capacity to innovate. There is also a difference in the type of innovation investments between the different regions. Less developed regions tend to focus on innovation investments with a strong infrastructure component as opposed to stronger focus on services in transition regions while focus is high on industry and manufacturing in more developed regions. This finding indicates that the most developed regions are better placed to develop strategic technologies for the twin transition, which might further deepen territorial disparities. These are some of the issues to be discussed during the lunch dialogue. The lunch dialogue will feature a strategic discussion on the role of cohesion policy in equipping less developed and transition regions for the twin transition. The discussion will outline the investment trends, gaps and opportunities for cohesion regions with a focus on innovation. This will lead to a reflection on future of cohesion policy post 2027.