As one of the consortium partners, the GATE Institute contributes to the project’s goal of expanding and better organising access to experimentation spaces. FINEX addresses a common challenge across Europe: many innovators working on clean technologies still lack suitable environments to test their solutions, face fragmented support services or encounter regulatory procedures that are not fully adapted to early-stage experimentation.
Through FINEX, project partners, including GATE, work to improve knowledge exchange, strengthen links between innovation actors and identify ways to support the development of solutions in fields such as sustainable mobility, energy systems, circular economy and urban development. The project also promotes dialogue between innovators, public authorities, research institutions and investors, acknowledging that experimentation requires coordinated efforts across different parts of the ecosystem.
One of the major outcomes in the first phase of FINEX has been the creation of a cross-regional overview of experimentation and testing facilities in the six participating ecosystems. This mapping exercise includes laboratories, innovation hubs, urban test environments, living labs, and digital platforms that support piloting and validation of new technologies.
The purpose of this work is to provide innovators and public authorities with a clearer understanding of what types of testing environments exist, how they can be accessed, and how they can support the development of cleantech solutions. This also helps highlight the importance of experimentation spaces in bridging the gap between research, policy development, and practical implementation.
Complete information on experimentation spaces in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus is available HERE.
In addition to the mapping, FINEX has already carried out a series of cross-regional activities designed to connect innovation actors and exchange experiences between ecosystems. These included thematic workshops, meetings with stakeholders, discussions on regulatory challenges and sessions dedicated to experimentation practices.
The project is now entering a stage focused on analysing the insights gathered so far, refining the identified needs in each ecosystem and preparing recommendations for how experimentation and testing conditions can be strengthened across regions. The results will support ongoing dialogue on improving regulatory frameworks, enhancing cooperation between innovation actors and encouraging more systematic use of testing environments.
By contributing to this process, GATE supports the broader European effort to create favourable conditions for developing and validating technologies that address environmental and societal challenges.
More information about the FINEX project and how to get involved is available at the FINEX Helpdesk
FINEX LinkedIn FINEX Homepage