The CROSS-REIS project is currently generating promising results that have strong potential to go beyond the existing state of the art in the field of regenerative economy and innovation ecosystems. One of the key ongoing developments is the creation of a cross-disciplinary modelling framework that aims to integrate circular economy practices with broader aspects such as urban biodiversity, social inclusion, and quality of life. This innovative approach is designed to support more comprehensive and systemic assessments of regional transformation and resilience. In parallel, the project is developing the “Knowledge Agora” – a digital, open-access platform intended to serve as a central hub for sharing methodologies, research data, training materials, and policy tools. This platform is expected to facilitate co-creation between researchers, industry partners, and policymakers, fostering a more connected and impactful research ecosystem. The project is also working on the design of new indicators and metrics to assess the institutional and regional readiness for a regenerative economy, focusing on innovation capacity, knowledge absorption, and cross-sectoral collaboration. For these results to achieve their full impact, further steps will be necessary, including piloting and demonstration activities and strengthening of IPR and innovation management capacities. Additionally, the long-term uptake of these outcomes will benefit from the establishment of supportive policy and regulatory environments, particularly those that incentivize circular business models, public-private-academic partnerships, and institutional reforms in research assessment and career development.
