Cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) is guided by the ‘New Agenda for Relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean’[1] which emphasises the role of innovation for an equal partnership focusing on socio-economic development on both continents, seizing the potential of emerging green, blue, creative and digital economies.

In this context, the EU-LAC Innovation Cooperation initiative launched by the European Commission aims to strengthen the cooperation of EU and LAC innovation ecosystems through the engagement of start-up incubators and accelerators and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders, and to structure the EU’s engagement on innovation in the LAC region.

As part of the EU-LAC Innovation Cooperation initiative, a network of start-up incubators and accelerators in the EU and LAC is created. The network will help participants find reliable partners on the other continent, share knowledge and access new markets and technologies, collaborate on thematic challenges, promote staff and start-up exchanges, and tap into third party funding for further engagement.

In addition, EU-LAC Innovation Cooperation will launch joint initiatives with relevant EU and LAC start-up and innovation entities and strengthen the EU’s presence in the region. Services and activities, developed with a long-term vision, such as advocacy visits, peer-to-peer learning, bootcamps and online trainings, specifically targeted at EU and LAC incubators and accelerators, among others, will support the objective of sustainably consolidating the innovation efforts of the EU and its Member States in Latin American and the Caribbean.

The EU-LAC Innovation Cooperation initiative is operated by the Global Service Facility in support of the Directorate-General Research and Innovation of the European Commission.

The initiative is embedded in a wider network of activities fostering EU-LAC cooperation, including Enrich in LAC (European Network of Research and Innovation Centres and Hubs), the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator (a platform connecting businesses and entrepreneurs across both regions) and the EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda detailing strategic priorities and powering fair, green and digital transitions. In the area of fostering the green transition, the European Institute of Technology’s Climate-Knowledge and Innovation Centre (EIT Climate-KIC) is another strategic partner for EU-LAC cooperation.

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_3045