Cross-Border SME Innovation Gets €2.4 Million Boost in Meuse Rhine Region
Maastricht, Thursday, 26 February 2026.
European funding breaks down barriers for small businesses seeking international partnerships through groundbreaking matchmaking program. STIPP connects SMEs across Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, achieving remarkable 82% approval rate for innovative projects.
Strategic Investment in Cross-Border Innovation
The STIPP (SME Transition Innovation Partner Projects) instrument announced on February 11, 2026, the approval of nine cross-border innovation projects with a combined European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) value of approximately €2.4 million [1]. These initiatives represent a total project budget of nearly €5 million, demonstrating significant private sector co-investment alongside European funding [1]. The program achieved an impressive 82% approval rate in its second call, indicating both the quality of applications and the effectiveness of STIPP’s selection process [1].
Fostering International SME Partnerships
The approved projects involve 26 small and medium enterprises from across four jurisdictions: the Netherlands, Flanders, Wallonia, and Germany [1]. Particularly noteworthy is that five consortia were formed through STIPP’s partner search support, facilitated by the STIPP BIDS team, highlighting the program’s crucial role in matchmaking and turning innovation concepts into funded collaborations [1]. This achievement underscores how targeted intervention can overcome the traditional barriers that prevent SMEs from engaging in cross-border partnerships, which often include language differences, regulatory complexity, and networking challenges [GPT].
Innovation Projects Addressing Industrial Challenges
The nine approved initiatives address one or more of STIPP’s three societal challenges, demonstrating the program’s relevance for applied industrial innovation [1]. Among the standout projects is PREAMA, which aims to boost productivity in automated manufacturing of carbon-composite propellers for electric aviation while reducing CO₂ emissions [1]. The LUCET project represents another significant innovation, developing an autonomous laser cleaning robot for Ultra High Vacuum pipes, supporting high-tech sectors and the Einstein Telescope supply chain [1]. LUCET officially kicked off on February 16, 2026, with a voucher handover and meeting hosted by Netalux in Beringen, Belgium, involving partners Netalux, ISATEC GmbH, Cilyx, and SAC Nederland [2].
Future Funding Opportunities and Regional Impact
Looking ahead, STIPP Call 3 opened on December 1, 2025, and runs until March 31, 2026, offering SMEs and innovation actors in the Interreg Meuse Rhine area continued opportunities to submit new cross-border innovation projects [1]. The program operates through a coalition of regional development agencies and creates tangible added value through targeted outreach, partner matchmaking, and grant support [1]. This approach helps innovations move faster from idea to implementation while reinforcing the region’s long-term competitiveness [1]. The Meuse Rhine region’s position as home to strong industries and innovation ecosystems makes it an ideal testbed for such cross-border collaboration initiatives, though the complexity of international partnerships for SMEs remains a persistent challenge that STIPP directly addresses [1].