The green and digital transitions are key priorities for the European Union. Research and Innovation (R&I) policies are essential to support these changes. However, the tools currently used to assess such policies, especially macro-economic models, do not reflect how innovation actually works in the economy. They often miss important elements such as how green and digital technologies develop, how R&D investment creates long-term advantages, or how innovation affects jobs, growth, and sustainability.
The TWINRD project aims to improve these tools by developing new methods, data, and models that better represent R&I and its role in the twin transition. The project focuses on updating two leading macro-economic models used in Europe (GEM-E3 and NEMESIS) and creating a new open-source model that can capture the complex links between innovation, technology, and the economy. This new model will look at both the supply and demand side of innovation and help understand how policies affect economic and environmental outcomes over time.
TWINRD also includes collaboration and stakeholder involvement. The project includes a series of activities such as the development of new technology datasets for green and digital sectors, the improvement of modelling tools to reflect real-world innovation patterns, and the organisation of co-creation workshops and an open stakeholder forum. These actions will support open dialogue with policy makers, researchers, and other stakeholders. The goal is to ensure that the models and scenarios developed are relevant, useful, and based on real needs and experiences.
The project will provide better tools for designing R&I policies that support Europe’s goals for climate action, digital transformation, and long-term sustainability.
