Next2Met

A step forward towards attractive Next2Met regions

Who are we? 

Next2Met is an innovative interregional exchange project which aims at increasing attractiveness - for knowledge, opportunities, and capital - of territories located close to metropolitan areas. The project brings together 6 regional and local actors and 1 Advisory Partner sharing this common challenge and working together to implement policy solutions: “Soft digitalisation measures
to increase attractiveness of Next2Met regions • Regional Council of Päijät-Häme, Finland
• Ecoplus. The Business Agency of Lower Austria, Austria
• Barcelona Provincial Council, Spain
• Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, Ireland
• Podlaskie Voivodship, Poland
• WITENO GmbH, Germany                                                        • Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR), France This 3.5 year-long project started on 1 August 2019 and was officially launched in Brussels early September and will last until January 2023.

Why?

Compared to capital regions, ‘next to met’ areas are confronted with a lack of tools and critical mass of research, development and innovation, and therefore struggle with keeping experienced small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as highly-qualified people in the region. Next2Met focuses on these territories surrounding metropolitan areas because they not only offer benefits, but are also bottlenecks to attracting and retaining knowledge, people and capital.

Overall objective

In this context, Next2Met aims at improving policy instruments (ERDF Operational Programme and 2 local instruments) through interregional learning processes in 6 different regions. To achieve this, Next2Met partners will focus on soft digitalisation measures, making sure that public policy supports an increased attractiveness of its territories. Each of those regions will see projects financed which will promote innovation chain involvement and mobilise structural and local funds. Digitalisation, cooperation and specialisation are the cornerstones that form the basis of regional growth and this project aims to support the regions involved to fully exploit the potential in order to become more attractive “next to met” areas.