On 17 June 2025, the Excellence Hubs (EH) Community brought together key stakeholders from across Europe to officially launch the EH Community. The Kick-Off Meeting (KOM) marked the beginning of a new chapter for innovation ecosystems in Widening countries, aiming to strengthen research and innovation performance through cross-sector collaboration.

The Kick-Off Meeting provided a space for participants to outline the scope, objectives, geographical footprint, motivations, and expected outcomes of their involvement in the EH Community. Together, we explored strategies to:

• Build strong and sustainable R&I ecosystems in Widening countries and beyond.
• Develop long-term joint R&I strategies with clear European relevance.
• Establish shared investment plans that coordinate national, regional, European, and private funding.
• Launch R&I pilot projects that align with smart specialization strategies (RIS3) and the European Innovation Agenda.
• Cultivate new skills and competencies in high-tech and research-intensive fields.
• Strengthen the science-business connection to drive impactful innovation.
• Support entrepreneurial skills and knowledge transfer for researchers and professionals.
• Create new business opportunities for SMEs, start-ups, and spin-offs, especially in deep tech.
• Promote the inclusion of emerging innovation ecosystems from rural areas, the EU Outermost Regions, the Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership countries, and Ukraine, with additional support through optional mentoring programs.

By participating in this community, DxHub actively contributes to the shared mission of enhancing research capacity and fostering transnational collaboration. The Kick-Off Meeting concluded with a strong sense of purpose and community, setting the stage for future collaboration within the Excellence Hubs network.

Next stop, Ioannina.