Brussels, 24–25 September 2025 – SustainX project, coordinated by Digital Innovation Zone (EDIH), was represented by Cristina Baghiu, Coordinator of DIZ EDIH, at the Annual I3 Instrument Forum 2025 – European Union’s flagship event for interregional innovation and collaboration. Organised by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), the Forum brought together decision makers, regional development agencies, clusters, and innovation actors from across Europe to share experiences and strengthen cooperation in advancing the green and digital transitions.
Day 1 – From Idea to Impact
The Forum opened with welcome remarks by Nicola De Michelis (DG REGIO) and Stéphane Ouaki (EISMEA), followed by a high-level plenary on the I3 Instrument’s objectives and future perspectives. A highlight for SustainX was the panel discussion “From idea to impact – success stories from I3 projects”. Here, Cristina Baghiu, Project Coordinator of SustainX and representative of Digital Innovation Zone, presented SustainX as a powerful example of how the I3 Instrument supports SMEs through training, advisory services, and interregional matchmaking.
“SustainX is how we walk SMEs from innovation ideas testing & training the rest of the journey—from digital pilots to bankable ventures and cross-regional growth. We are building a one-stop, local investment support that pairs DMA and tech adoption with market validation, investor engagement, and ESG-aligned growth pathways. It’s smart, simple, and scalable: a model we’re piloting in Romania that any business support organisation , including EDIHs, can embed to keep delivering impact long after programme funding ends. For customers, that means faster routes to finance and markets; for interregional stakeholders, it means a shared, investable pipeline of climate-positive innovations that can travel across Europe.
Speaking on behalf of the SustainX project partnership, from idea to impact’ isn’t a slogan for us—it’s our operating system.” – Cristina Baghiu – Coordinator of DIZ EDIH
Other panelists included Paola Bello (Clust-ER Health, Italy), Ángel Freire (ACCIO, Spain), Mariyana Hamanova (KLIYNTEH Bulgaria), and Ints Viksna (Latvian Technological Center). Together, they reflected on impact, sustainability, and the importance of comprehensive support throughout the innovation life cycle.
Day 2 – Building Synergies
The second day, hosted at EISMEA headquarters, was dedicated to I3 project coordinators. Sessions fostered peer exchange, explored synergies between projects, and engaged coordinators in focused breakout groups tackling domain-specific challenges.
In parallel, I3 Discussion Groups addressed strategic issues such as ecosystem management, engaging managing authorities, and strengthening value chains in less developed regions.
Looking Ahead
The Forum highlighted how I3 investments support transitions by facilitating collaboration among regional actors and scaling innovations. As coordinator of SustainX, the Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ) continues to support European SMEs’ access to knowledge, financing, and interregional growth opportunities. By bridging the gap between digital adoption and sustainable business models, DIZ positions SustainX not just as a project – but as a replicable model of innovation support for the future.
SustainX project received funding from the European Union through grant agreement no. 101184410.
“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”