FINEX HelpDesk // 28DIGITAL

What is FINEX?

FINEX is a Horizon Europe-funded project that strengthens collaboration across the European cleantech and deep tech innovation ecosystem. The project connects key stakeholders to support the testing, validation, and scaling of innovative solutions.

FINEX Innovation Ecosystems:

Estonia
Lithuania
Cyprus
Latvia
Finland
Bulgaria

Key areas:

Clean energy
Sustainable transport
Built environment
Smart governance

Learn more and follow updates on our official webpage or LinkedIn.

FINEX One-pager (PDF)

Pitch Presentation (PDF / Slide deck)

Knowledge, resources, and collaboration opportunities for ecosystem and policy actors

The FINEX Helpdesk supports cleantech ecosystem builders, policymakers, and regulators by providing access to knowledge, resources, and collaboration opportunities across the European innovation ecosystem.

Cleantech Ecosystem Builder:

Science & Technology Parks.
University Innovation Hubs and Centres of Excellence.
Cleantech accelerators and incubators.
Living labs and testbed operators.
Public innovation agencies and regional development bodies.

FINEX RCC Catalogue & Best Practices Report:

Access to the FINEX RCC Catalogue — a mapping of resources, capabilities and competences across 6 EU regions.
Best Practices Report with lessons learned from leading cleantech innovation hubs including testbeds, regulatory sandboxes and living labs.

Policy makers and regulators:

National and regional government ministries (energy, transport, environment, economic affairs).
Regulatory authorities and sandbox coordinators.
EU institutions (DG ENER, DG MOVE, DG GROW, EIC, EISMEA).
Parliamentary committees on innovation, climate and digital.

Evidence base for regulatory sandbox design.
International comparators for public investment decisions in experimentation infrastructure.
A framework showing the pathway: experimentation → regulation → market deployment.
Cross-border policy learning through FINEX network connections across 6 EU regions.
Alignment with EU priorities: Horizon Europe, Green Deal, New European Innovation Agenda.

From experimentation to market deployment

FINEX highlights the role of experimentation environments that enable innovation actors to test, validate, demonstrate, and prepare solutions for wider deployment.

TESTBEDS

Experiments to develop, test and upscale a product or service in a dedicated environment. The focus of the experiment is mostly technical. The type of evidence generated by testbeds concerns technology requirements and performance, including user needs and consumer protection features.

REGULATORY SANDBOXES

Schemes that enable the testing of innovations in a controlled real-world environment, under a specific plan developed and monitored by a competent authority.

LIVING LABS

Experimentation tool to co-create, prototype, test and upscale innovative solutions to (local) needs in real-life settings. One of their distinguishing features is the involvement of citizens as well as several other stakeholders and the end-users as co-creators during the entire experimentation process. The type of evidence generated by living labs is socio-technical and makes it possible to explore the effect of an innovation on users and society, thus leading to better calibration of requirements.

European Commission (2023). Retrieved from: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/download/fc6f35cd-a8d6-4770-aefe-c09ca85cff8c_en?filename=swd_2023_277_f1.pdf

Experimentation and support tools & services best practices

The FINEX Resource Catalogue maps organisations, infrastructures, programmes, and opportunities across the partner regions. Together, these form a flexible blueprint for the FINEX network to adopt and adapt, supporting the deployment of experimentation spaces and the development of globally competitive innovation ecosystems.

The best practices have been structured into six key categories
which cover all Resources, Capabilities, and Competences (RCC)
needed for cleantech innovation:

Talent Attraction &
Development

Programs & Services

Stakeholder Engagement,
Governance & Ecosystem
Connectivity

Funding Models &
Financial Sustainability
Connectivity

Regulatory & Policy
Environment

Physical Spaces &
Infrastructure

Access the full report

FINEX Resource Catalogue

The FINEX Resource Catalogue is designed as a practical tool to connect innovators with relevant partners, infrastructures, programmes, and opportunities across our innovation ecosystem countries – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Cyprus, and Bulgaria.

Collaborative and innovation spaces.
Business development and support programmes.
Experimentation environments, including testbeds and living labs.
Funding and investment opportunities.
Regional capabilities, resources, and areas of expertise.

Explore the catalogue and discover the opportunities:

Access the FINEX Resource Catalogue

Watch the FINEX Workshop series

Workshop 1: Physical Infrastructure for Experimentation → YouTube
Workshop 2: Programming & Support Services → YouTube
Workshop 3: Stakeholder Coordination & Engagement → YouTube

Upcoming Events

There are currently no upcoming events scheduled.

Past Events

Registration for past events is now closed.

Past events - more information

FINEX: Accelerating Experimentation in Sustainable Mobility and Transport

Date: 19.02.2026
Time: 11:00–12:45 EET / 10:00–11:45 CET
Format: Online workshop

This workshop will focus on sustainable mobility and transport, providing an overview of EU and Member State initiatives, along with concrete examples of how they are designed, implemented and used to accelerate experimentation and bring innovations to market.

FINEX Policy Workshop: Accelerating experimentation with Sandbox initiatives

Date: 16.12.2025
Time: 11:00-13:00 (EET) / 10:00–12:00 (CET)
Format: Online workshop

This workshop will focus on regulatory sandboxes, providing an overview of EU and Member State initiatives, along with concrete examples of how they are designed, implemented and used to accelerate experimentation and bring innovations to market. Featuring sandbox initiatives from FINEX partner countries, the agenda will highlight practical examples and foster targeted discussion among policy and innovation stakeholders, particularly in the area of AI experimentation.

Bulgaria – Matchmaking Event

Venue: Sofia, Bulgaria, GATE Institute
Date & time: 30/09/2025, 13:00-14:00

Contact for further details:
Simeon Malinov
simeon.malinov@gate-ai.eu

Cyprus – Matchmaking Event

Venue: University of Cyprus, KIOS Center of Excellence, Building SFS, Room 105
Date & time: 23/09/2025, 10:30-1:30

Contact for further details:
Y. Victoria Phakoukaki
phakoukaki.yiota-victoria@ucy.ac.cy

Estonia – Matchmaking Event

Venue: Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, Room U02-401
Date & time: 26/09/2025, 13:00-15:30

Contact for further details:
Carina Bitšikov
carina.bitsikov@taltech.ee

Finland – Matchmaking Event

Venue: Aalto University, Otakaari 1, wing H, room H1
Date & time: 25/09/2025, 10:00-16:00

Contact for further details:
Kalle Toiskallio
kalle.toiskallio@aalto.fi

Latvia – Matchmaking Event

Venue: House of Science, Latvian University
Date & time: 18/09/2025, 12:00-13:00

Contact for further details:
Paula Vanaga
paula.vanaga@rtu.lv

Lithuania – Matchmaking Event

Venue: Sunrise Tech Park Saulėtekio al. 15-1, Vilnius
Date & time: 25/09/2025, 10:00-12:00

Contact for further details:
Lina Stanionyte
lina@ssmtp.lt

International Matchmaking Event
(organized by EIT Digital)

Date & time: 7/10/2025, 11:00 (CET)

Connecting innovators with public testbeds to accelerate European cleantech

This session will unpack how the FINEX initiative connects startups, scaleups, corporates, public actors, and research institutions with testbeds to accelerate cleantech and deep tech innovation in Finland and across Europe.

11 June 2025, 11:00–12:00 EET
Online (via Teams)

Who should join?

Cleantech startups & scaleups
Universities & universities of applied sciences
R&I organisations
Public actors & testbed operators

Driving European Cleantech Growth - FINEX Cross-Regional Dialogue

Join us for the FINEX Cleantech Information Session, where we’ll introduce a new European initiative accelerating regional and cross-border cleantech and deep tech innovation. Where we showcase how the FINEX project supports startups, scaleups, corporates, public actors, universities, and research institutions working on cleantech solutions.

12 June 2025, 11:00–12:00 EET
Online (via Teams)

Who should attend?