Hubs of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the Transformation of Historic Urban Areas

Project Information

HUB-IN

Grant agreement ID: 869429

DOI

10.3030/869429

Project closed

EC signature date 23 April 2020

Start date 1 September 2020

End date 28 February 2025

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

Total cost

€ 8 140 227,62

EU contribution

€ 7 998 797,50

Coordinated by

LISBOA E-NOVA - AGENCIA DE ENERGIA E AMBIENTE DE LISBOA
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - HUB-IN (Hubs of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the Transformation of Historic Urban Areas)

Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2025-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Historic Urban Areas (HUAs) in Europe are facing growing pressures from economic decline, demographic shifts, and the need to adapt to green and digital transitions. These areas, rich in cultural value, risk becoming disconnected from contemporary urban life. The challenge is to regenerate HUAs in a way that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship while preserving their identity and preventing gentrification—aligned with the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach.
HUB-IN (Hubs of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the Transformation of Historic Urban Areas), funded by Horizon 2020, responded to this challenge by promoting innovation-led regeneration rooted in local heritage. The project’s core question was: to what extent can networks of hubs incubate actions that contribute to the sustainable transformation of HUAs?
Over 54 months, HUB-IN developed a methodology structured in four phases: understanding local context, co-creating visions, implementing pilot actions, and preparing for upscaling and replication. Cities created tailored roadmaps, tested innovative practices, and shared outcomes across a growing European network.
This structured journey supported the regeneration of HUAs through three Clusters of Innovation: Cultural and Creative Industries, New Lifestyles, and Resilient and Human Connected Places. Throughout, HUB-IN promoted a place-based model that links heritage with sustainability, entrepreneurship, and inclusive governance.
HUB-IN ultimately offers cities a flexible yet robust model to unlock their historic areas’ potential as engines for social and environmental innovation. The HUB-IN Cities Network now ensures ongoing knowledge exchange and advocacy, embedding heritage-led innovation in the future of urban development in Europe.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

HUB-IN guided eight pilot cities and 20 follower cities through four steps: Understand the State of Play, Prepare to Set Up the Hub, Set Up & Launch, and Learn & Develop. Key actions included analysis of local assets and challenges, co-design of roadmaps, and implementation of 29 pilot projects. These initiatives—such as cultural programming, creative reuse of public space, and entrepreneurial support—were tailored to local needs within three innovation clusters.
Each city applied shared tools, including the HUB-IN Framework, GeoTool, and Match & Ignite. Evaluation was conducted through the Common Impact Assessment Framework to measure impacts in cultural, social, economic, and environmental dimensions.
The project generated strong results: over 3,000 citizens engaged, 78 heritage-based products and services developed, €837,000 in additional funding raised, and 210 cross-sector partnerships created. All pilot cities achieved adaptive reuse of heritage spaces and initiated inclusive innovation processes grounded in place identity.
To ensure sustainability, the project deployed a comprehensive Exploitation Plan, structured around six pillars: replication in follower cities; peer learning and cross-fertilisation; local and EU policy contributions; integration in academia; acceleration of commercial opportunities; and long-term structures such as the HUB-IN Cities Network and Academy. These pillars have enabled HUB-IN to scale beyond its original scope and lay the foundation for enduring impact.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

HUB-IN has advanced the state of the art in heritage-led regeneration by providing a replicable model that integrates entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability in Historic Urban Areas. Before HUB-IN, there was limited systematisation of how heritage could support inclusive innovation. The project addressed this gap by applying a Theory of Change approach, linking short-term actions to long-term transformation across cultural, social, economic, and environmental domains.
The 29 pilot actions tested this framework in real-world conditions, demonstrating how heritage-led innovation can drive regeneration. The resulting benefits—captured in the Final Appraisal (D5.4) and Leadership Guide (D6.3)—include increased social cohesion, civic participation, creative entrepreneurship, and circular economy practices. Key outputs include over 3,000 engaged citizens, 78 new services and products, and €837,000 leveraged in additional funding.
Strategic insights from pilot cities confirm HUB-IN’s capacity to foster inclusive value chains, revitalise underused heritage spaces, and support long-term climate-conscious regeneration. These achievements are reinforced by alignment with EU policy priorities such as the New European Bauhaus and the Green Deal.
The HUB-IN Academy and Cities Network ensure the project’s legacy will continue, enabling follower cities to adapt and replicate the approach. HUB-IN now stands as a tested, scalable model that bridges cultural heritage and urban innovation, offering cities practical pathways toward sustainable and inclusive futures.

HUB-IN Cities Network

HUB-IN Final Results

HUb-IN Storytelling

HUB-IN GuideBook for Cities

HUB-IN Leadership Guide

HUB-IN Business and Financial Models Guide

HUB-IN Atlas

HUB-IN GeoTool

HUB-IN Guidance