Duisburg in Germany, North-East Romania and Italy’s Umbria have been named winners of the 2027 European Entrepreneurial Regions awards at a European Committee of the Regions (CoR) plenary session on 14 October.
The awards recognise regional strategies that put small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at the centre of plans on competitiveness, innovation and resilience, CoR said in a release on Wednesday.
The three winners were selected for approaches ranging from artificial intelligence and digitalisation to start-up support, renewable-energy communities, and stronger links between research and business.
The European Entrepreneurial Regions awards were created by the CoR and are presented every two years.
Alberto Cirio, President of Piedmont and chair of the EER jury, said the winners showed how “regional ecosystems can successfully connect research, entrepreneurship, and cutting-edge technology.”
Different approaches in three places
Duisburg’s award cites a strategy focused on applied artificial intelligence and digitalisation for SMEs, including a structured “SME adoption journey” designed to help firms develop, test and scale data-driven solutions, CoR said.
A flagship example is the “KI für KMU” (AI for SMEs) programme, which supports SMEs in integrating AI into business processes and value chains.
Rasmus C. Beck, managing director of Duisburg Business & Innovation GmbH, said the award recognised the city’s approach to economic transformation and pointed to projects supporting AI use in companies, logistics start-ups and the circular economy.
North-East Romania won for a strategy aimed at fostering innovation-driven entrepreneurship and connecting the region more closely to the EU Single Market — the bloc’s system for enabling goods and services to move across member states.
The region’s plan includes expanding support for start-ups and helping SMEs with the digital transition, with the Rubik Start programme cited as a flagship example offering mentoring, bootcamps and university partnerships.
Vasile Asandei, General Director of the North-East Regional Development Agency, said the award reflected work focused on people who “create added value”, and referenced initiatives including Rubik Hub and ROStartup.
Umbria’s award cites a model of SME-led growth centred on industrial innovation, digitalisation and sustainability, including support for clean-tech innovation and renewable-energy communities.
Stefania Proietti, President of the Region of Umbria, noted that the region’s actions included platforms supporting SMEs, AI for businesses and citizens, renewable-energy communities, and 38 PhD scholarships with a 40% higher amount.
The CoR said the EER jury — including representatives from EU institutions and other groups — will monitor implementation of the winning strategies during 2027.
