European Capital of Innovation 2027: the semi-finalist cities

The twelve cities will now compete for the titles of European Capital of Innovation 2027 and European Rising Innovative City 2027.

Supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC) under Horizon Europe, the European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital) recognise cities that open their governance practices to experimentation and aspire to become role models for other cities by pushing the boundaries of innovation for the benefit of their citizens.

Following a rigorous assessment by two panels of independent experts, the semi-finalists, listed in alphabetical order, are:

European Capital of Innovation category

• Alicante (Spain)
• Madrid (Spain)
• Manchester (United Kingdom)
• Montpellier (France)
• Tallinn (Estonia)
• Valencia (Spain)

European Rising Innovative City category

• Galway (Ireland)
• Kranj (Slovenia)
• Leiden (Netherlands)
• Oulu (Finland)
• Regensburg (Germany)
• Taranto (Italy)

What happens next?

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