From a practical perspective successful innovation requires a number of ingredients and players for the 'innovation ecosystem' to function properly. Among the ingredients are knowledge and ideas, financing and managerial/entrepreneurial talent etc. Particularly from a regional perspective it is of importance for public, private and academic actors to work together. This type of collaboration is for example at the core of the Finnish innovation success stories: clusters as being major drivers for innovation not only in Finland but throughout the European Union.

Apart from the local level where innovation is actually taking place, a framework forming an EU level innovation ecosystem can provide the added value of a coherent Community-wide approach. Collaboration of innovators from different locations of Europe that are working on the same or similar issues will strengthen the innovation process and output: more and better innovations.

By gathering the major European networks and players of the innovation ecosystem the K4I initiative provides an ideal platform to engage in joint activities and projects and the exchange of best practices.