I3-INSHAPE: Working to establish the INSHAPE Network for Sports & Vitality’s SMEs
3.4.2026
Partners from six European regions met in Finland to advance the final steps of the I3-INSHAPE project and prepare for
the November 2026 launch of the INSHAPE Network of Innovation Hubs.
On 12–13 March 2026, the fifteen partner organisations of the I3-INSHAPE project gathered in Kainuu, Finland, for a two-day project meeting.
Hosted by the University of Jyväskylä and Kajaani University of Applied Sciences (KAMK) in the heart of the Finnish wilderness of Kainuu region, the gathering brought together fifteen organisations from six European regions South Netherlands, Brussels-Capital Region, Päijät-Häme, Kainuu, Lapland (FI), Észak-Alföld (HU), Comunidad Valenciana, and Catalunya (ES) to review progress and align on the project's final phase, with one shared goal in focus: the launch of the INSHAPE Network of Innovation Hubs in November 2026.
A key starting point was the Innovation Support Programme (ISP). Partners agreed on a new team structure to maximise the ISP's impact in its final phase. The programme provides hands-on, step-by-step guidance to SMEs, from idea development to EU market entry. The recent IPR and GDPR online training modules highlighted the importance of these topics for the implementation of the SME’s projects and were defined as highly valuable tools for companies navigating the European innovation landscape.
After that, the Business Model talk highlighted the strong SME’s demand for support on revenue streams, joint venture acceleration, and marketing. Meanwhile, pilot testing of the I3 Collaborative Projects (which entered INSHAPE through the project's Open Call in 2025) is actively underway, with hub managers supervising SMEs as they bring their solutions to market.
At the same time, the upcoming INSHAPE Connect digital platform will serve as the operational backbone of the Network, enabling SMEs across regions to offer and request services, find partners, and cooperate across borders. A structured monitoring framework and a comprehensive Service Brochure are being finalised ahead of the November launch.
– We are not just wrapping up a project. We are laying the foundations of something that will outlast it. The INSHAPE Network is our answer to what European SMEs in sports and vitality have been missing: a permanent, connected ecosystem where innovation is built together, says René Wijlens from the Project Leaders’ Cluster Sports & Technology (CST).
The INSHAPE Network of Innovation Hubs will officially launch in Eindhoven on 10-12 November 2026, marking the transition from a funded project to a self-sustaining European ecosystem. For SMEs and startups in the sports and vitality sector, it will offer access to interregional partnerships, innovation support, and a clear pathway to scale across the EU.
About I3-INSHAPE
I3-INSHAPE is an EU-funded project under the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) instrument, building a European competence centre for SME innovation in the sports and vitality sector. The project unites 15 partner organisations across 6 European regions: Cluster Sports & Technology – CST, IMEC, InnoBeweegLab (NL) | EPSI (BE) | LAB University of Applied Sciences, Lahti Region Development LADEC Ltd, University of Jyväskylä, KAMK, LUAS (FI) | MSE Cluster Ltd (HU) | Universidad Europea de Valencia, 4ivlcesport, Metric Salad, ACCIÓ, INDESCAT (ES).
More information!
The Innovation Ecosystem for Healthy Active People in Europe or I3-INSHAPE innovation project develops digital solutions for citizens' health and well-being. LADEC is one of the project's leading partners. The I3-INSHAPE project is part of the Interregional Innovation Investments i3 funding program and its funding authority is the European Commission.