iBuy aims at developing innovative models suitable to mobilise public and private stakeholders on the basis of the ‘entrepreneurial discovery process’ linked to the research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation in the area of public procurement for innovation, while promoting a European perspective and ensuring the durability and transferability of the achieved results.

The project seeks to enhance an efficient implementation of the new generation public procurement programmes for innovation that are co-funded by the European structural and investment funds and are linked to research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation. It is devoted to encourage public authorities to start acting from the demand side for innovation as it has been conceptualised in the Europe 2020 strategy and the Innovation Union.

The partners involved represent territories that are in early stages in the implementation of public procurement programmes for innovation. Thus, they collaborate to overcome common challenges, mostly based on their lack of experience as innovation demanders. The latter could be easily supported through interregional cooperation in order to generate synergies and common added value.