On 26–27 November 2025, Regensburg hosted the 28th edition of Clusters Meet Regions and the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) Matchmaking, welcoming more than 200 participants from 18 countries to one of Germany’s most vibrant innovation hubs. Organised by the ECCP on behalf of the European Commission, and co-hosted with the City of Regensburg, Bayern Innovativ and the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, the event showcased how cross-cluster collaboration drives resilience and competitiveness from the ground up.

Participants explored Bavaria’s innovation leadership, with Regensburg standing out for its high GDP per capita and low unemployment, underpinned by a robust city-wide cluster policy in place since the 1990s. Bavarian State Secretary Tobias Gotthardt highlighted competitiveness as a regional priority. Cross-innovation sessions demonstrated how clusters from different sectors are joining forces to tackle shared challenges. Examples included the Regensburg Next urban mobility lab, sustainability-focused AI solutions, and partnerships between healthtech organisations and start-ups.

More than 80 one-to-one meetings during the ECCP Matchmaking session sparked new cross-border collaborations, while site visits to MINT-Labs Regensburg, RUBINA – House of Sustainability, BioPark Regensburg and the BUILDING LAB Regensburg: offered a first-hand look at Regensburg’s thriving innovation ecosystem."