What remains once an international project comes to an end? In the case of RTIT>>, its most important outcome is not simply the completion of planned activities, but the creation of meaningful and lasting connections between those who generate knowledge and those who can transform it into practical solutions for businesses and society.
With the successful completion of the RTIT>> Knowhow Communities for Accelerating RTI Transfer in the Danube Region project, in which the Applied Research and Communications Fund (ARC Fund) actively participated, the Danube Region now has a stronger foundation for cooperation in research, technology and innovation.
The challenge addressed by the project is familiar across many European regions: promising research results and technological ideas do not always reach businesses, markets and practical application quickly enough. RTIT>> focused precisely on bridging this gap—helping knowledge move beyond laboratories, universities and individual organisations so that it can be shared, developed and applied to create new products, services and sustainable business solutions.
The project’s focus on materials and materials technologies is particularly significant. This field underpins a wide range of industries and is closely connected to Europe’s green and digital transition—from bio-based and sustainable materials to new technological solutions with a lower environmental impact.
Throughout the project, partners did more than exchange experience. They also developed a shared direction for future action. The Joint Action Plan for accelerating research, technology and innovation transfer outlines how regions can more effectively connect science, business and public institutions. It is the result of collaborative work, training activities, discussions and the practical experience accumulated by the partnership.
A particularly valuable achievement is the identification, testing and validation of more than 65 tools supporting innovation transfer in real-life settings. These include approaches for improving cooperation between research organisations and industry, Design Thinking-based methods, and tools for creating and developing knowledge-sharing communities. Their value lies not only in their development, but also in their potential for continued use after the end of the project by companies, universities, research organisations and public institutions.
Businesses were active contributors rather than simply recipients of ready-made solutions. More than 200 enterprises from six countries in the Danube Region took part in pilot activities and demonstration events. They contributed to testing, providing feedback and refining the approaches developed through the project, helping ensure that the results are practical, relevant and aligned with the needs of companies.
The project also established three international thematic communities in areas with strong potential for future development: bio-based materials, sustainable materials and technologies, and advanced materials. These communities create opportunities for experts, entrepreneurs, researchers and innovation intermediaries to continue the dialogue, exchange knowledge and explore new partnership opportunities.
One of RTIT>>’s most lasting outcomes is the Knowhow Community Hub network. It will continue operating beyond the project’s formal conclusion as a space for cooperation, new initiatives and the joint development of future projects. In this way, the connections created and the knowledge accumulated will not remain one-off project results, but will become a basis for further action.
RTIT>> brought together 13 partner organisations from eight countries, more than 200 companies and three international expert communities. More importantly, it created conditions for stronger long-term trust and cooperation among regions with different levels of experience and capacity.
The RTIT>> Knowhow Communities for Accelerating RTI Transfer in the Danube Region project was implemented with the support of the Interreg Danube Region Programme and co-funded by the European Union.
