Success Skills aims to strengthen business succession as a key factor in the competitiveness of SMEs and sustainable growth in European regions.

The project is of particular importance for the Mazovia region, where nearly one million SMEs operate. It offers support to family business owners, successors, advisors, and educators, as well as business environment institutions. Activities include organizing workshops, meetings, and networking events, promoting good practices in succession, and updating the Implementation Program of the Regional Innovation Strategy for Mazovia. This will make it possible to prepare companies more effectively for generational change, strengthen local advisory competences, and adapt regional development policies to real demographic challenges.

SUCCESS SKILLS combines the knowledge and experience of international partners with practical solutions implemented at the regional level. The project aims to provide lasting support to companies in succession processes, thereby strengthening their innovation, competitiveness, and resilience to future challenges.

The Consortium:

1. Region of East Macedonia and Thrace (REMTH) – Lead Partner | Greece 
2. Public Institution Lithuanian Innovation Centre   – Lithuania
3. Mazovia Development Agency – Poland 
4. Marshal’s Office of the Mazovian Voivodeship in Warsaw –  Poland
5. KMOP – Policy Center ASBL  –  Belgium 
6. Pannon Business Network Association  –  Hungary 
7. Emilia-Romagna Region  –  Italy
8. Ukrainian Association of Light Industry Enterprises –  Ukraine
9. National Development Centre – Hungary
10. Plungė district municipality administration – Lithuania

Budget: €1,501,298

Implementation period: May 1, 2025–July 31, 2029

More about the project: https://www.interregeurope.eu/success-skills

Project team:

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre

cpi@armsa.pl

As of May 1, 2025, the Mazovia Development Agency Plc is implementing the WOMEX project – The role of women in the competitiveness of exporting SMEs, co-financed by the Interreg Europe 2021-2027 programme.

Project’s goal: WOMEX aims to facilitate the change in business culture in EU regions so that the competitiveness and sustainable growth of exporting SMEs are not understood without equal opportunities for women within them. The project addresses the chronic limitations of women in their access to the benefits of international trade, an especially fertile field for professionals and companies.

The seven participating regions face similar challenges: the impact in our economies and societies of gender bias in exporting SMEs, a scarce presence of corrective instruments in public policies aimed at them and meager incorporation of the gender perspective in its business strategies. EU regions play an important role in changing this paradigm: assuming the gender mainstreaming in public policies aimed at generating competitiveness and sustainable growth in exporting SMEs, and offering to professional women and women owners of exporting SMEs a catalogue of services facilitators of financing, training, and digitalization. This and advocacy initiatives will contribute to that change and impact socioeconomic growth and business ecosystems.

EU regions are fully committed to strengthening their SMEs’ competitiveness and long-term sustainable growth potential. However, decisive measures are still needed to raise gender mainstreaming in public policies for exporting SMEs to support higher productivity, employment, and prosperity. To tackle these challenges, WOMEX develops a catalog of best practices built by the partners through regional exchanges and based on the results of regional studies on exporting SMEs’ gender bias, and on the design of supportive tools ad hoc.

WOMEX is aligned with the EU’s will to work towards greater cohesion and convergence in regional policies, strengthening and developing its exporting SMEs jointly and intensifying efforts to make Europe a more prosperous society committed to gender equality in international trade.

Project implementation period: 1.05.2025-31.07.2029

Budget: €1,738,950

The Consortium:

1. Catalan Agency for Business Competitiveness (ACCIÓ) (ES)
2. Austria Wirtschaftsservice (AT)
3. Basque Trade & Investment (ES)
4. Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Pécs-Baranya (CCIPB) (HU)
5. Innovation Agency (LT)
6. Marshal’s Office of the Mazovian Voivodship in Warsaw (PL)
7. Mazovia Development Agency (PL)
8. Association of Business Women in Serbia (RS)
9. Regional Agency for Development and European Integration – RADEI (RS)

More about the project: WOMEX

Since 1 May 2025, Mazovia Development Agency Plc has been leading an international project entitled S3ADAPT – Integration of smart specialisation strategies into climate change adaptation policy, co-financed by the Interreg Europe 2021-2027 programme. The project is being implemented in close cooperation with the Marshal’s Office of the Mazovian Voivodship in Warsaw (Poland).

Climate adaptation is no longer optional – it’s essential! In the face of growing threats, from extreme weather events to environmental degradation, it is more urgent than ever to build resilience.

That’s where S3ADAPT comes in.

The project aims to integrate Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) with climate change adaptation policies to foster sustainable regional development and support efficient adaptation across Europe. By aligning innovation-driven regional strategies with the urgent need for climate resilience, the project will establish a strategic framework that helps adjust business models to emerging challenges (such as changing resource availability) and stimulate innovation to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. As a result, regional awareness and preparedness for extreme climate events will be significantly enhanced.

S3ADAPT reinforces the EU cohesion policy by promoting innovation, sustainability, and adaptability at the regional level. Leveraging S3 allows for the identification and development of locally tailored, innovative solutions that build regional capacity, address climate challenges and stimulate growth. The project fosters synergies between existing climate adaptation initiatives and new S3-based approaches, unlocking cross-sectoral potential and enabling the deployment of effective, place-based adaptation strategies.

S3ADAPT brings together partners from Poland, Spain, Ireland, Italy, and Lithuania, with discovery partners from Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This diverse collaboration combines expertise in policy design, innovation systems and stakeholder engagement, accelerating the development and implementation of impactful adaptation strategies.

S3ADAPT is co-financed by the European Union under the Interreg Europe programme.

Project budget: 2,028,605 euro.

Timeframe: 01 May 2025 – 31 July 2029.

Project Partners:

• Mazovia Development Agency Plc (Poland) – Lead Partner,
• Marshal’s Office of the Mazovian Voivodship in Warsaw (Poland),
• Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy),
• Southern Regional Assembly (Ireland),
• University of Limerick (Ireland),
• Lithuanian Innovation Centre (Lithuania),
• Municipal Parking Society of Las Palmas de GranCanaria, S.A. – SAGULPA (Spain),
• Research Council of Lithuania (Lithuania).

Discovery Partners:

• Dnipropetrovsk Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Ukraine),
• Association for risk management AZUR (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Further information: S3ADAPT website & LinkedIn.

Project Team:

Karolina Ivaldi
Lead Project Manager
k.ivaldi@armsa.pl

Katarzyna Cesarczyk
Project Manager
k.cesarczyk@armsa.pl

Milena Kubicka
Communication Manager
m.kubicka@armsa.pl

Klara Łukasiuk
Financial Manager
k.lukasiuk@armsa.pl

From July 1, 2024, the Mazovia Development Agency S.A., as a Partner, will implement a project with the acronym “Burnout Prevent” (Enhancing skills, developing innovative service solutions and policy recommendations for burnout prevention, in CE smart specialization sectors )under the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE 2021-2027 program.

Project period: 01.07.2024 – 31.12.2026
Project budget : 2 084 155 €

Consortium:

1. E-institute, Institute for comprehensive development solutions – Lider Projektu (SI) Lider Projektu
2. Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (PL)
3. Active Comenius University Bratislava (SK)
4. Slovak Business Agency (SK)
5. Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HU)
6. Padova Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture (IT)
7. Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia – Chamber of Agricultural and Food Enterprises (SI)
8. Croatian Chamber of Economy (HR)
9. Mazovia Development Agency Plc. (PL)
10. Bwcon (DE)
11. National Center for Public Health and Pharmacy (HU)
12. Croatian Institute of Public Health Hrvatska (HR)

Project description:

The overall goal of the project is to increase the competence of employees and SMEs, develop innovative solutions and policy recommendations that will help prevent employee burnout syndrome in Central Europe, and thus contribute to increased productivity and competitiveness of SMEs. Since the focus will be on preventive measures, the project will also contribute to reducing the burden on the health care system.
This will be the first project across the EU to comprehensively address all 3 aspects of burnout syndrome: corporate environment, leisure time and digital stress.

Project team:

Dział Polityki Miejskiej i Innowacyjności

Katarzyna Cesarczyk k.cesarczyk@armsa.pl

CE-PRINCE – green PRocurement and Innovation Network for Circular Economy

From June 1, 2024, Mazovia Development Agency, as a Partner, implements the project with the acronym “CE-PRINCE” under the Interreg Central Europe 2021-2027 program.

The CE-PRINCE Interreg Central Europe project is a unique initiative for a green PRocurement and Innovation Network for Circular Economy, co-funded by the European Union. It is a collaborative effort of 10 Central European partners and 14 associated partners.

The transnational partnership aims to support the transition to a Circular Economy in Central Europe (CE) by leveraging Green Public Procurement (GPP) as a means to improve companies’ circularity while reinforcing the public sector’s capacity to publish tenders containing more and more elements of circularity.

Circular Procurement considers the whole lifecycle of goods and services to avoid negative environmental impacts and waste creation and achieve an overall reduction in the amount of energy and materials consumed.

Circular/Green Public Procurement (C/GPP), a significant contributor to the EU GDP at 14%, is a powerful tool for the green transition. It not only enhances market competitiveness but also stimulates eco-innovation. However, the varying implementation rates and levels of obligation across countries pose a challenge. To maintain a level playing field and reduce administrative costs, standardisation of techniques and environmental standards is essential.

Recognising the pivotal role of public authorities, business support organisations, and industry agencies in driving the private sector, the project calls upon them to face the challenge of Circular/Green Public Procurement. The project focuses on strengthening businesses’ ecological transition and raising awareness in the public sector about its crucial role. This will foster a shared approach to C/GPP in CE.

Including circular principles in GPP criteria accelerates the transition of supply chains to a more circular economy, leveraging the matching between public demand and supply.

Implementing circular business models for companies is an essential step in terms of circular sustainability and improving competitiveness in Central Europe. However, it is necessary to investigate the initial barriers deeply before focusing on case studies to provide sector-specific guidelines that support the process towards circularity.

Therefore, Prince starts by conducting an in-depth survey of the dynamics on the demand and supply sides to define a transnational strategy (WP1) that, by meeting the needs of the different countries, can be translated into action plans and pilot actions (WP2 and WP3). The set of tools that will be defined by the project for the public side (strengthening of C/GPP) and the market side will support the transformation and enhancement of the circular economy in Central Europe.

Duration: 01.06.2024 – 31.05.2027
Budget : 2 056 792 €

Consortium:

1. Liguria Region (IT)
2. Chamber of Commerce of Genoa (IT)
3. Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (IT)
4. South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency (HU)
5. Styrain Business Promotion Agency (AT)
6. Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (SI)
7. DUBROVNIK DEVELOPMENT AGENCY DURA LTD (HR)
8. Mazovia Development Agency Plc. (PL)
9. Climate Alliance of European Cities with Indigenous Rainforest Peoples (DE)
10. ERI Hungary – European Research Institute Non-profit Ltd Co (HU)

More about the project: https://www.interreg-central.eu/projects/ce-prince/

Project team:

Department of Urban Policy and Innovation

Katarzyna Cesarczyk k.cesarczyk@armsa.pl

The 3I solutions for PS project aims to facilitate the implementation of modern, flexible and innovative solutions used in public services through scalable digital AR/VR/XR solutions.

The intention is to determine the connections between the planning, implementation and testing of solutions preparing AR/VR/XR tools for use by local public authorities and infrastructure solutions. The above action is used to formulate a road-map for public institutions to implement XR, as well as many other advanced technologies for society.

Partners:
Lead Partner: Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (Finland)
AR-GO lab Oy (Finland)
Mazovia Development Agency Plc (Poland)
Kaunas Science and Technology Park (Lithuania)
Smiltene Municipality (Latvia)

Duration: 01.08.2023 – 31.07.2025
Budget: 498,400.00 euro
Read more: https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/3i-solutions-for-ps/

Contact:
Department of Urban Policy and Innovation, ARMSA

Katarzyna Cesarczyk k.cesarczyk@armsa.pl

Project 3I solutions for PS is co-financed is realized under Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme.

Project OD4GROWTH – Strengthening the availability and processing of Open Data to support local growth and urban transformation  aims to strengthen the availability and usability of open data (Open Data) to support local development, in particular SMEs involved in the data economy, and to improve the availability of public services provided by local public entities in various fields.

The main topic of the project, i.e. the availability and processing of Open Data (OD), will be considered from three different points of view:
1. supporting the quantitative and qualitative availability of OA, mainly by public institutions;
2. supporting OD processing activities in order to raise the quality standards of public services addressed to citizens in various fields;
3. supporting the OD process to stimulate business and entrepreneurship with new products and services.

Participation in the project will allow access to examples and good practices from abroad, participation in substantive discussions on Open Data and using the potential of international partnership to prepare guidelines for the Masovian Voivodeship in this respect. The regional policy instrument that will be supported in the project is the Regional Innovation Strategy of the Masovian Voivodeship until 2030.

Budget

1 827 628,00 euro

ERDF contribution

1 462 102,40 euro

Duration

March 2023 – May 2027

Partners

Veneto Region (Italy)

Pannon Business Network Association (Hungary)

Mazovia Development Agency Plc (Poland)

Municipality of Szombathely City with county rights (Hungary)

Andalusian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FAMP) (Spain)

GRAND E-NOV (France)

Liepāja city municipal administration (Latvia)

Administration of Silute District Municipality (Lithuania)

Regional Development Fund of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace (Greece)

Associated Partners

Region Grand Est (France)

East Macedonia and Thrace Region (Greece)

Marshal’s Office of the Masovian Voivodeship (Poland)

Read more: www.interregeurope.eu/od4growth

Contact:
Department of Urban Policy and Innovation, ARMSA

Katarzyna Cesarczyk k.cesarczyk@armsa.pl

Since 1 March 2023. The Mazovia Development Agency Plc. as a Partner is implementing a project with the acronym PROACTsme (PROACTsme – Applied Data-Science and AI for proactive SME service) under the Interreg Europe 2021-2027 programme.

Project period: 01.03.2023 – 28.02.2027

Project budget: 1 515 448 €

INTERREG EUROPE funding: 970 664,40 €

Consortium

1. Generalitat de Catalunya, Business Management Office (ES) – project leader
2. Møre and Romsdal County Council (NO)
3. Public Institution Lithuanian Innovation Centre (LT)
4. Marshal Office of the Mazovia (PL)
5. Mazovia Development Agency Plc. (PL)
6. Development Agency of Eastern Thessaloniki’s Local Authorities (GR)
7. University of Limerick (IE)
8. CECOT Innovation Foundation (ES)

Project description:

A PROACTsme project aims to share experiences between European regions and lead to improved policy instruments for the development of smart, personalised, proactive public e-services for SMEs. The COVID19 pandemic has demonstrated the crucial importance of ensuring public service responsiveness to crisis to be able to accompany socioeconomic fallout. PROACTsme works towards this aim, placing the focus on smarter and digitised services for SMEs. Attention is specially put on the development and provision of personalised and proactive electronic public services, to reduce red tape for the business environment whilst anticipate policy and service needs, by this means building up a more resilient and competitive private sector in the different regions of the project.

What are the key elements about this project?

• Adopting data and analytics in business policy and intervention is of special importance in moving forward towards personalised and proactive service provision for businesses, yet not easy for the public sector.
• A transition to new technologies, new ways of working and a new, data-driven culture are among the main challenges. In this regard, PROACTsme will facilitate the exchange of experience, knowledge, and good practices in the use of data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) for:

1. Personalised and proactive services and reduced business-government interaction
2. Building business intelligence and tracking SME policy and service needs in a changing environment
3. Creating a more conducive environment for business.

Who are we?

By facilitating knowledge exchange, it will help build capacity, and enable participating territories – Catalonia (Spain), Central Macedonia (Greece), Mazovia (Poland), Møre og Romsdal (Norway) and Lithuania – to learn from each other, tapping into technologies, methods and solutions that are developed and applied elsewhere.

The application of identified practices on data governance will be further inspired by the advisory partner, the University of Limerick (Ireland).

Why should you keep up to date with us?

PROACTsme will drive change on regional and national policy issues that can help accelerate progress on the ambitious path towards achieving the EU Digital Decade targets.

Check our video to get to know us a little better. Welcome to PROACTsme!

More information can be found at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/proactsme

Contact to the project team:
Project Manager: Karolina Ivaldi
e-mail: k.ivaldi@armsa.pl
phone: 22 566 47 92

BSR DeepTech Launch – Deep Tech Entrepreneurship Launchpad – developing efficient model for fostering STEM entrepreneurship among students and young researchers, to increase deep tech innovation in economy

Since 1 August 2023. The Mazovia Development Agency Plc. as Leader is implementing the project with the acronym BSR DeepTech Launch within the framework of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme.

Project duration: 01.08.2023 – 31.07.2025

Project budget: 499 350,40 €

Project partners:

1. Mazovia Development Agency Plc. (PL) – Project Leader
2. Lithuanian Innovation Centre (LT)
3. Polish Technological Platform of Photonics (PL)
4. OpTecBB (DE)
5. Association of Research and Technology Organisations (RTO Lithuania) (LT)

Project description:

Deep Tech innovations have the potential to provide transformative solutions to global challenges, and increasing innovation in the economy provides better solutions to future crises while helping to strengthen its resilience.

The existing technology talent gap in the Baltic region can limit these processes, which is why efforts to increase the supply of startups and support entrepreneurship are so important, serving students and young researchers to explore startup opportunities. By inspiring potential startup founders and introducing entrepreneurial skills development at the pre-incubation stage, their chances of market success can be increased.

The aim of the project is to develop a toolkit – a Toolbox – containing the business skills and knowledge needed at an early stage of an entrepreneur’s career gaining the maturity to build a sustainable and crisis-proof business. The direct involvement of students and young researchers in the Toolbox development process will contribute to the creation of a tool that meets their real needs. The tools will be used in multiple configurations by technology entrepreneurship support actors such as business environment organisations, sectoral agencies, higher education and research institutions.

Project implemented with funding from the INTERREG Baltic Sea Region programme.

Project result: the Toolbox platform, developed as part of the project, is available online.

Toolbox is a comprehensive tool designed to support the development of deep tech skills, aimed at students, early-career researchers and educators who are preparing projects for market launch.

The platform offers, among other things:

• a tool for self-assessment of entrepreneurial skills,
• scenarios for role-playing games based on start-up challenges,
• the Think–Learn–Act module, guiding the user step by step through the process of developing an idea,
• the Pitch Training App – a tool for self-improvement of pitching skills, supporting preparation for project presentations, competitions and meetings with investors.

The platform is free and open to the public. Users can access its resources in a flexible manner – both individually and as part of teaching activities, incubation
or acceleration programmes.

Toolbox website: https://www.bsr-toolbox.eu/

Project website: https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/bsr-deeptech-launch/

Contact to the project team:

e-mail: cpi@armsa.pl
Tel: 22 566 47 60

The project contains the following activities:
• apprenticeships / professional internships for students
• vocational training for students
• development of educational and vocational counselling and cooperation with the labour market
• equipment for schools providing vocational education
• development and implementation of pedagogical innovation programs
• development of vocational teachers and practical vocational training for pedagogical innovation.