HeatInvest

Project title: Enhancing cluster development and investment readiness of the heat-pumps and geothermal energy European value chain

Project Acronym: HeatInvest

Call: I3-2023-CAP2b (GA: 101225451)

Duration: 01/09/2025 – 31/08/2027

Total budget: 1.492.877,91 €

Consortium: Regional Development Fund of the Region of East Macedonia and Thrace, German Geothermal Association, Flemish Energy Cluster, Chamber of Installation Specialists in Bulgaria, Instytut Doradztwa Sustainable Infrastructure Cluster, South Transdanubian Innovation Agency, Extremadura Energy Agency (AGENEX), Equium Groupe and PROMEA.

Project description

HeatInvest focuses on accelerating the deployment of heat pumps and geothermal applications in less developed regions, enabling pertinent value chain actors to: a) pursue investment collaborations within their territorial value chains, and b) develop synergies with actors from business ecosystems with higher innovation performance.

The project brings together 9 partners (3 clusters, 2 associations, 2 regional authorities, 1 manufacturer and 1 policy research organisation) from 8 EU countries, and prescribes the following targeted activities:

- Living labs, seminars and matchmaking events that will strengthen the investment and business planning capacities of regional value chain actors, facilitating their access to local and EU-wide markets.

- Study visits, virtual tours and demonstration days that will enable the transfer of know-how and create interregional collaboration opportunities.

- Workshops, surveys, online databases and action plans that will enhance market understanding and update territorial policies related to innovation and smart specialisation (S3).

HeatInvest activities will enable beneficiaries and associated partners to equip themselves and their members with knowledge and skills to establish regional and interregional partnerships for the purposes of planning innovation investments. By actively reaching out to specified target groups within the relevant industrial ecosystem, namely manufacturers and installers, policymakers, utility companies, research organisations and local communities, HeatInvest will directly advance the commercialisation and proliferation of innovative heat pump technologies and geothermal energy initiatives.