The innovation, transnational and mainstreaming strand of the European Social Fund (ESF) supports a small number of strategic, regional projects looking to develop and deliver new ways of extending employment opportunities and raising workforce skills. In doing so, it contributes to the challenges of promoting social inclusion, raising productivity, fostering competitive businesses, and living within environmental and demographic limits.
Innovation can be defined as the successful exploitation of new ideas (Innovation Nation, DIUS, 2008). In the context of ESF, innovation can include new approaches, tools, methods and service provision to extend employment and raise skills. It can also mean adapting and applying existing approaches, tools, methods and services to new regions, sectors or target groups.
Learning from other countries is an important dimension of innovation within the ESF programme. Projects therefore include an element of transnational or interregional cooperation with at least one other EU Member State. This may involve joint development of new approaches, as well as sharing or transferring good practice between Member States.
Details of all ITM projects, where they are based, the work they are doing and their network of partners can be downloaded in the ITM Project Information Tool.
ITM Thematic Report 2009
The report is from the first round of the European Social Fund's, Innovation, Transnationality and Mainstreaming (ESF ITM) Thematic Network Meetings. The meetings took place between 28 July 2009 and 21 October 2009 and thematic networks were held for each of the six themes for innovation.
