PAN-EUROPEAN INNOVATION LENDING ENVELOPE I

The objective of this Lending Envelope is to finance investments in Research, Innovation and Digitalisation to be carried out by eligible counterparts, notably midcaps and corporates, across the EU, with a focus on innovative companies. The investments to be financed will be largely consistent with the Research, Innovation and Digitisation policy window (RIDW) or financed under EIB Own Risk.

The aim is to finance investments in Research, Innovation and Digitalisation to be carried out by eligible counterparts, notably mid-caps and corporates, across the EU, with a focus on innovative companies. The investments to be financed will be largely consistent with the Research, Innovation and Digitisation policy window (RIDW) or financed under EIB Own Risk.

The objective of this operation is to finance sub-projects mainly eligible under the Research, Development and Innovation, and the Digital technologies and services InvestEU's Eligible Areas.

The individual sub-projects will concern investments expected to contribute to the further development of knowledge in the fields of innovative technologies, to have positive impacts in terms of knowledge creation and sharing, environmental, safety or health benefits, improved consumer surplus. They are expected to create further incentives for investments in research, development, innovation, digitalisation in Europe and to contribute to economic growth and employment.

EIB financing contributes to address the market failures and gaps associated with (i) imperfect competition and incomplete markets, in the case of innovative and still market-entry stage technologies for application in different industrial sectors, and those associated with (ii) projects with positive knowledge, environmental and safety externalities generation. The specific details about the project expected benefits, market failures and investment gaps addressed will however be assessed during the appraisal of each individual sub-project.

The sub-projects are expected to be sound, properly managed and implemented by competent and knowledgeable management and development teams, which will make possible implementing them, integrating all relevant sustainability features, delivering the expected results and addressing the relevant market failures.

The EIB's involvement is expected to overcome in particular the sub-optimal investment situations imposed by commercial credit supply in RDI projects for which a clear funding gap exists but also to companies for which flexible funding is important for sustained stability and competitiveness.

The EIB's involvement is expected to generate positive effects, mainly in terms of availability of long-term funding, at favourable rates and allowing diversification of sources of funds. The EIB's involvement should also have a positive impact on mobilising other financiers (including national promotional banks) and signalling that a project is sound and worth supporting.

The sub-projects under the proposed operation would not have been carried out, or not to the same extent, without InvestEU support.

The EIB will require that projects financed under this operation comply with domestic and EU applicable legislation, as appropriate.

The Bank will require that projects financed under this operation comply with domestic and EU applicable legislation, where applicable.