AXENCIA GALEGA DE INNOVACION

Their core work

GAIN is the regional innovation agency of Galicia, Spain, responsible for designing and executing the region's science, technology, and innovation policies. In H2020, they focused on delivering innovation management services to SMEs — particularly through the recurring GalacteaPlusKam programme, which provided diagnostic assessments and capacity-building for small businesses in northwestern Spain. They also supported technology transfer, circular economy value chains, and responsible research and innovation at the regional level.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2014-2017), GAIN was heavily focused on direct SME support — running repeated cycles of innovation diagnostics (KAM methodology), assessment tools, and technology transfer through twinning and peer learning. From 2018 onward, their focus broadened toward systemic and governance-level topics: circular economy value chains, responsible research and innovation ecosystems, territorial development, and regional governance of science and technology. The shift suggests a move from hands-on SME service delivery toward shaping regional innovation policy and ecosystems.

GAIN is moving from direct SME service delivery toward regional innovation governance and ecosystem design, making them an increasingly relevant partner for projects addressing territorial innovation strategies and responsible research frameworks.

How they like to work

GAIN operates almost exclusively as a participant (8 of 9 projects), serving as a regional public authority bringing policy perspective and local SME networks into larger European consortia. They coordinated only once (TETRAGON, a small CSA), suggesting they prefer to contribute regional expertise rather than lead project management. With 41 unique partners across 14 countries, they maintain a broad but not deep network — consistent with a public body that joins diverse coordination and support actions rather than building repeat partnerships around a single technology.

GAIN has collaborated with 41 unique partners across 14 countries, reflecting broad European engagement typical of a regional innovation agency participating in coordination and support actions. Their network spans multiple sectors but centres on innovation support organisations and public authorities rather than deep technical research partners.

What sets them apart

GAIN brings something few technical partners can offer: direct access to Galicia's SME ecosystem and the policy mandate to support technology adoption at the regional level. Their five rounds of GalacteaPlusKam demonstrate sustained, hands-on experience in diagnosing and improving SME innovation capacity — not theoretical, but field-tested across hundreds of companies. For consortium builders, GAIN is valuable as the bridge between EU project outputs and real SME uptake in northwestern Spain.

Highlights from their portfolio

• C-VoUCHER
  Largest single project by funding (EUR 216K), focused on circular economy value chains — marks GAIN's expansion beyond traditional SME diagnostics into sustainability-driven innovation.
• TETRAGON
  GAIN's only coordinated project, focused on technology transfer through twinning and peer learning with public-private partnerships.
• RRI2SCALE
  Most recent substantial project (2020-2022), signalling GAIN's shift toward responsible innovation governance at regional scale for smart cities and transport.