EABID Officially Launches in Brussels

On 23–24 March 2026 in Brussels, the European Association of Business and Innovation Districts held its first General Assembly and public launch event.

Day one was the formal foundation: statutes approved, governance elected, budget set, action plan confirmed. Day two brought together representatives from 14 European countries at the Microsoft Innovation Hub for two high-level roundtables, exploring how policy, capital and collaboration can actually translate into real outcomes for innovation districts across Europe.

EABID was built around a simple premise: business and innovation districts across Europe face similar challenges, but have no shared structure to learn from each other, coordinate, or collectively shape policy. The association sets out to change that.

"By uniting our strengths and amplifying our collective voice, we will ensure that Europe takes a position at the forefront of global innovation."

Leadership comes from three founding organisations: CEDAES from Spain (President Pablo García-Vigón González), Sandyford Business District from Ireland (CEO Ger Corbett) and Oeiras Valley from Portugal (Secretary General Tiago Sousa Dias), with Graham Colclough providing strategic direction.

What's Next

The work is just beginning. EABID will now focus on building its working groups, launching peer-review exchanges, and establishing its first co-designed pilots across member districts. More to follow.