📄 You can find Final Policy Brief at the bottom of this post ⬇️

As ERA_FABRIC reaches its conclusion, we celebrate a 30-month journey that has redefined how Europe can connect its research and innovation ecosystems. Funded under Horizon Europe, the project has tested, refined, and validated the concept of ERA Hubs – coordination functions that bridge regional strengths with European priorities.

Rather than creating new institutions, ERA Hubs build on what already exists: clusters, development agencies, university alliances, and innovation councils. ERA_FABRIC’s pilots across diverse governance contexts proved that what Europe needs most is clear mandates, sustained support, and policy recognition for these roles.

Through its work, ERA_FABRIC leaves behind:

• The ERA Hub Self-Assessment & Guidance Tool – helping regions evaluate and strengthen coordination capacity.

• Catalogue of Coordination Instruments – ready-to-use measures for strategic alignment and stakeholder orchestration.

• Business Plan & Roadmap – financing strategies, governance models, and performance metrics tailored to local realities.

• Policy integration tools – linking hub functions with FP10, Smart Specialisation 2.0, and cohesion policy.

The project’s core message is simple: coordination is not an administrative cost – it’s the backbone of impactful research and innovation. By embedding hub functions into existing institutions and funding frameworks, Europe can turn its distributed innovation assets into a cohesive, mission-ready fabric.

As we look towards FP10 and the renewed ERA agenda, ERA_FABRIC invites policy-makers, practitioners, and stakeholders to treat coordination as a capability to be grown – enabling Europe to transform ambition into collective outcomes.