Strategic technologies
Advancing digital, environmentally friendly and biotechnology in NRW
Supporting the development or production of critical, pioneering technologies for the ecological and digital transformation, securing and strengthening corresponding value chains and combating the shortage of workers and skills - these are the objectives of the new EU STEP regulation. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia has decided to take advantage of this and is the first region in the EU to adapt its ERDF/JTF program accordingly.
From biotechnology and digital technologies to environmentally friendly technologies - shaping change
STEP stands for "Platform for Strategic Technologies for Europe" and came into force on 01.03.2024. It defines the following objectives:
- The development or production of critical technologies in the European Union that are important for the ecological and digital transformation. They must be part of one of the following sectors: digital technologies, technology-intensive innovations, environmentally friendly and resource-efficient technologies or biotechnology. The technologies are classified as "critical" if they contain an innovative element with great economic potential or contribute to reducing the European Union's strategic dependencies.
- In addition, the entire value chain for the development or production of digital and environmentally friendly technology and biotechnology is to be strengthened. This relates to end products, special components and machines, raw materials and services.
- Not least, it is important to counteract the shortage of workers and skilled workers in sectors that are crucial for the ecological transition and digitalization, for example by investing in sector-specific training and further education. We are achieving this not only with the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Just Transition Fund (JTF), but also in combination with the European Social Fund (ESF).
Further comprehensive information on STEP can be found on the European Union's sovereignty portal.
What is the situation in NRW?
All in all, the implementation of STEP means increasing the sovereignty and competitiveness of the European Union in the long term. In order to drive this forward in North Rhine-Westphalia, the ERDF/JTF program NRW was adapted in 2024 and supplemented by the following priorities, each of which includes different measures:
Resilient coal regions
The following measures fall under this priority:
- Ensuring the availability of STEP transformation technologies that enable the transition to a climate-neutral economy
- Establishing organizational and technical infrastructures with which founders, start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), scientific institutions and universities can jointly promote the validation and economic exploitation of research results and STEP technologies
- Acquisition of rights to use laboratory capacities in the Rhineland mining area in order to make them available to SMEs, universities and university hospitals for development activities at a reduced price
The priority "Resilient coal regions" comprises the following funding measures:
Competitive NRW
The following measures fall under this priority:
- Development by SMEs of new, innovative, sustainable and marketable products, services and processes in the areas of STEP technologies, so that they reach the threshold for market launch - all within the innovation fields of the Regional Innovation Strategy of the State of NRW
- Funding of research infrastructure for the development of digital technologies, environmentally friendly and resource-efficient technologies or biotechnology
- market-oriented further development of STEP technologies to close gaps between scientific invention and commercial use
- innovative and intelligent new and further development of critical, data-driven, digital products, services and production processes
- establishment, expansion and modernization of infrastructure and equipment of vocational education and training institutions
The priority "Competitive NRW" includes the following funding measures:
Industrie.IN.NRW (3rd round started with STEP)
GreenEconomy.IN.NRW (3rd round started with STEP)
Energy.IN.NRW (3rd round started with STEP)
Healthier.IN.NRW (3rd round started with STEP)
Neue.Wege.IN.NRW (3rd round not yet started)
Next.IN.NRW (3. Round not yet started)
Resource-efficient NRW
The following measures fall under this priority:
- Further development of critical manufacturing and recycling technologies in the STEP sectors so that new products are low-polluting, durable, repairable and can be reused as materials at the end of their service life
- Promoting resource conservation projects, waste avoidance or closing material cycles in the STEP sectors
- Identification of opportunities for a circular economy and their implementation through environmentally friendly and resource-efficient technologies
- Support for start-ups in the development, production and testing of prototypes in the field of environmentally friendly and resource-efficient technologies
The priority "Resource-efficient NRW" comprises the following funding measures:
CircularCities - Circular Economy (with STEP added)
Ressource.NRW (with STEP added)
Requirements for the promotion of pioneering technologies
In terms of implementation, this means that in addition to the new pure STEP funding measures, in some ERDF/JTF funding measures such as innovation competitions, both STEP-related and non-STEP-related projects will receive funding. Projects that wish to be supported with reference to STEP must meet certain requirements. You can find out more about this in the respective funding announcement.
Support measures
The ERDF/JTF program NRW 2021-2027 offers a wide range of funding opportunities with its various priorities. The priorities are subordinated to a total of 14 different specific objectives, which result in over 30 funding measures to shape the future in North Rhine-Westphalia: