Knowledge Exchange Platform (KEP)
The platform is a key forum for dialogue with European regions and cities on research and innovation, looking at how European policies can boost local R&I ecosystems and how local authorities can help shape and implement European initiatives.
It was set up in 2015 as a cooperation between the European Committee of the Regions and the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.
The platform was relaunched as KEP 2.0 in November 2020, following the Commission's plan for a new European Research Area to include strategic and coordinated support to regions and cities.
KEP 2.0 continues supporting the EU's policy ambition of creating dialogue and synergies between Horizon Europe and other funds, while providing a Europe-wide forum for informing regions and cities of the new European Research Area and R&I policy priorities.
Events that help achieve KEP objectives:
- thematic seminars in Brussels bringing together European and local experts, stakeholders and policy makers, such as members of the European Committee of the Regions. Usually, two thematic seminars are held per year.
- peer-to-peer events organised locally by a member of the European Committee of the Regions to exchange views with other members, research and innovation experts, EU-funded project owners and local stakeholders.
- showcasing events organised by third parties and contributing to the KEP annual Action Plan through participation of members of the European Committee of the Regions and the showcasing of EU-funded research and innovation projects.
The main objective of the Knowledge Exchange Platform is to present new research and innovation policy solutions and best practices in response to the many challenges local and regional authorities in Europe face.
Over a period of more than 10 years since the first KEP, more than 30 local and European events were organised and hundreds of regional decision makers, academic experts and stakeholders participated.
How to get involved
Joint action plan
The first joint action plan covering research and innovation ran between 2020 and 2025, initially setting the key collaborative actions between 3 Directorates-General of the European Commission (Directorate General for Research and Innovation, Directorate General for Education and Culture and the Joint Research Centre) and the European Committee of the Regions. Monitoring reports on the implementation of the joint action plan have been prepared yearly:
Annual monitoring report of the Joint Action Plan - 2024
Annual monitoring report of the Joint Action Plan – 2023
Annual monitoring report of the Joint Action Plan - 2022
Annual monitoring report of the Joint Action Plan - 2021
Building on the achievements of the previous JAP, a renewed Action Plan on R&I actions has been proposed in order to establish a structured framework for enhanced cooperation between the DG Research & Innovation of the European Commission, the Joint Research Centre, and the European Committee of the Regions, particularly its Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC), for the 2026-2029 period.
The new Joint Action Plan is currently in preparation, and the final text will be available here soon.
Contact
For more information please contact RTD-KEP
ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (RTD-KEP[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
Latest
The first Knowledge Exchange Seminar of 2024 will focus on “Knowledge valorisation for the regional and local R&I ecosystems”.
The first Knowledge Exchange Seminar of 2023 focused on ‘Open Science for higher quality, more efficient and more impactful research - Opportunities for Regions and Cities’
