Catching-up Regions Initiative (CuRI)

Background

The European Union’s Cohesion Policy aims to reduce regional disparities and promote balanced development across all member states. During the 2014–2020 programming period, approximately €461 billion from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) was allocated to support regions in becoming more competitive and resilient. This commitment continues in the 2021–2027 programming period, with around €392 billion dedicated to Cohesion Policy objectives.

Despite this major investment, not all regions were able to benefit equally. The 2008–2009 financial crisis, together with long-standing structural challenges, limited the ability of some areas to absorb EU funding effectively and close the development gap with more prosperous parts of the Union.

In response, the European Commission in 2016 launched the Catching-Up Regions Initiative (CuRI). The initiative was designed to provide targeted, hands-on support to less-developed regions, using a practical, problem-solving approach with a focusing on tangible effects and investments. Working directly with local stakeholders, CuRI helps identify development bottlenecks and supports solutions tailored to regional needs.

CuRI was first piloted in Romania and Poland in 2016. In Poland, the initiative was undertaken with the World Bank as a partner, while in Romania it was the Joint Research Center of the European Commission that has coordinated the activities. Its success led to further expansion — to Slovakia in 2018, and then to the Baltic States in 2024, with the aim to support economically disadvantaged border regions.

Why the World Bank?

The European Commission chose the World Bank as a technical partner due to its deep operational experience, global development knowledge, and ability to bring diverse stakeholders together. The World Bank’s role was not only to provide expertise, but also to serve as an honest broker and coordinator in a multi-stakeholder and multi-level governance environment.

This collaboration is part of a broader, long-standing partnership between the two institutions. For the World Bank, the European Commission offers valuable lessons on how to design and implement development programs that help countries maintain their sustainable socio-economic growth. In fact, the Bank often refers to the EU as the “Convergence Machine” because of its success in helping countries move from middle- to high-income status.

Defining the Scope

From the start, CuRI was built around close cooperation with subnational and national actors. Participating regional and local authorities were in a driving seat when it comes to defining focus areas of the initiative to ensure local relevance and ownership. Through a series of meetings with key stakeholders (subnational, national, EC and WB), the teams worked together to identify high-impact, realistic actions that could be implemented within a short timeframe, usually one-year. This collaborative approach laid the foundation for targeted and meaningful interventions.

How the Initiative Was Implemented

CuRI stands out for its practical, cross-sectoral, and field-based structure. It brought together experts in such areas as spatial planning, transport, education, energy efficiency, entrepreneurship, innovation, health, social inclusion to work directly with regional and local partners. Given the initiative’s wide scope, strong technical and administrative coordination was essential. The World Bank established a dedicated core team to ensure smooth delivery, manage communications, and provide support across all components.

Each CuRI component dedicated to a specific area of work was led by a World Bank technical staff and supported by a team of local and international experts. These teams maintained regular contact with stakeholders on the ground - often weekly or biweekly - to provide hands-on support, maintain momentum and timely tackle emerging challenges. Thanks to this intense communication plans were translated in results within short annual cycles.

Progress was reviewed regularly through bimonthly or quarterly Steering Committee meetings chaired by EC representatives. These meetings provided a space for all stakeholders to review achievements, address challenges, agree on next steps, and adjust activities as needed. This rhythm of coordination helped keep the initiative on track and avoided delays that often arise in complex, multi-actor projects.

What Made CuRI Work?

Several factors contributed to the success of CuRI. First and foremost was the strong involvement of regional and local stakeholders. Their engagement throughout the process—from defining priorities to implementing actions ensured the initiative was grounded in real needs and had local support.

Another key factor was alignment with existing regional and national strategies. Rather than creating parallel efforts, CuRI interventions were designed to complement ongoing programs and strengthen what was already in motion.

Although CuRI activities were limited in duration, they served as a launchpad for additional investments. Many of the project’s recommendations helped regions unlock new EU and national funding, extending the impact of the initiative beyond its initial scope.

The European Commission played an active role throughout — not only financing the initiative but also guiding its progress and mediating when needed. Its close involvement helped maintain momentum and accountability.

Coordination on the ground was equally important. The presence of committed local teams ensured that activities moved forward efficiently across sectors and institutions. Combined with the World Bank’s technical expertise and its neutral, solution-oriented approach, this model allowed CuRI to deliver tangible results in a short timeframe.

Finally, CuRI was designed to be ambitious yet realistic. Each activity focused on a clearly defined goal that could be achieved within the available time and resources. This focus on practical outcomes over theoretical recommendations set CuRI apart and proved essential to its success.

Poland was selected as the first country to implement the Catching-Up Regions Initiative (CuRI) due to its pronounced regional disparities, despite impressive national-level progress. While Poland became a high-income country in 2008 and ranks among the top EU performers in absorbing structural funds, several eastern regions still lag behind in innovation, employment, and economic growth.

In 2016, five voivodeships - Warmińsko-Mazurskie, Podlaskie, Lubelskie, Świętokrzyskie, and Podkarpackie - were identified by DG REGIO as lagging regions, with GDP per capita below 50% of the EU average. To better address these challenges, the Polish government created a dedicated national operational programme (OP Eastern

Poland), and the European Commission launched CuRI pilots in Podkarpackie and Świętokrzyskie.

These two regions were selected for their contrasting profiles. Podkarpackie had strong R&D investment, especially in the aviation sector, but low start-up creation and weak links between academia and business. Świętokrzyskie, on the other hand, struggled with innovation, entrepreneurship, and aligning vocational education with labor market needs. Both regional authorities demonstrated strong political will to participate.

Following the positive outcomes of the first phase (2016–2017), CuRI expanded through two additional phases (2017–2019). These focused on extending earlier activities and supporting mid-sized cities in socioeconomic decline, such as Włocławek and Grudziądz. The scope widened to include energy efficiency and air quality, entrepreneurship and innovation support, financial instruments, spatial planning, and public service optimization in the context of demographic change.

By 2019, CuRI had reached seven additional regions, demonstrating that targeted, region-specific technical assistance can improve institutional capacity and investment outcomes. Poland’s CuRI experience became a blueprint for scaling the initiative to Slovakia and the Baltic States.

POLAND CURI I

	Poland Catching-Up Regions 1: Overview Report Provides a high-level summary of the Catching-Up Regions Initiative (CuRI) in Poland. It outlines the context, objectives, and design of the pilot implemented in two lagging regions: Świętokrzyskie and Podkarpackie. The report serves as a foundation for subsequent thematic studies.
	Key Regional Development Dynamics Explores the spatial development disparities in Poland and the role of policy in addressing them. It draws on international evidence and lessons from the CuRI pilot to inform regional development strategies, with a focus on Eastern Poland.
	Strengthening the Implementation of Work-Based Learning Details technical assistance provided in Świętokrzyskie to improve Work-Based Learning (WBL) in vocational education. The report highlights activities, results, and lessons from piloting WBL programs to better align education with labor market needs.
	Setting Up Regional Financial Instruments and Their Distribution Mechanism Analyzes the potential for improving access to finance for SMEs in Podkarpackie. The report proposes a strategy and operational model to reuse revolving funds from the 2007–2013 Regional Operational Program through financial instruments
	Designing Regional Technology Transfer Office - Podkarpackie Center for Innovation Presents a proposed model for a regional Technology Transfer Office (PCI) to strengthen collaboration between academia and business in Podkarpackie. It outlines design features, funding mechanisms, and long-term sustainability plans based on international experience.
	Recommendations for Easier Business Registration Offers practical recommendations to streamline business registration in Podkarpackie and Świętokrzyskie. Based on field visits and benchmarking, the report identifies priority actions to reduce the time and cost of registration processes.
	Activating Entrepreneurship in Deprived Areas Proposes an enterprise support scheme (ECS) for SMEs in Świętokrzyskie and Podkarpackie. The ECS aims to improve competitiveness and foster job creation through tailored business advisory services, co-financed with public support.

POLAND CURI II

	Poland Catching-Up Regions 2: Overview Report Summarizes the objectives, implementation, and progress of the second phase of the Catching-Up Regions Initiative in Poland. It provides an overview of the thematic areas addressed and introduces the new participating regions.
	Safer Food, Better Business in Podkarpackie and Lubelskie Assesses food inspection systems in Podkarpackie and Lubelskie and recommends improvements to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses. The report draws on international best practices and provides actionable steps for more effective and business-friendly food safety enforcement.
	Podkarpackie and Świętokrzyskie - Towards More Efficient Spatial Planning Identifies key challenges in spatial planning in the two regions and proposes reforms to improve planning practices. The report supports the integration of spatial strategies with EU-funded development priorities under CuRI Phase 2.
	Fighting Smog - Energy Efficiency and Anti-Smog in Single Family Buildings in Poland Proposes a comprehensive approach to reduce air pollution and improve energy efficiency in single-family buildings. Recommendations include financial incentives for fuel switching, thermal retrofits, and the creation of a national anti-smog fund.
	Podkarpackie Center for Innovation A follow-up to the earlier PCI report, this version further elaborates the design, financial plan, and sustainability roadmap for the Podkarpackie Center for Innovation. It updates assumptions and sets milestones for implementation, aiming for a break-even point in 15 years.

POLAND CURI III

	Poland: Catching-Up Regions 3 Provides an overview of the third phase of the Catching-Up Regions Initiative in Poland. It introduces new regions, themes, and strategic priorities, building on the experience from the first two phases.
	Towards Robust, Scalable and Inclusive Clean Air Program for All Reviews progress under two clean air programs and proposes improvements, including the integration of commercial banks, enhanced implementation support, and a targeted scheme for low-income households.
	Supporting Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship -Lodzkie, Podlaskie, and Dolnoslaskie Regions Summarizes technical assistance to three regions aimed at strengthening regional innovation ecosystems and SME support systems. The report includes diagnostics, policy recommendations, and capacity-building measures.
	Spatial Planning for the Włocławek Functional Urban Area Focuses on improving spatial planning processes in the Włocławek area. It presents analytical findings and proposes concrete steps to better integrate planning with local development priorities.
	Financial Instruments Performance Evaluation and Proposals for the Utilization of Funds in Podlaskie Voivodeship Evaluates the use of financial instruments in the 2007–2013 Regional Operational Program of Podlaskie. The report proposes an institutional model for managing returned funds and suggests options for reinvestment.
	Rural Public Transport in Zachodniopomorskie Identifies short-term opportunities to improve rural public transport in Zachodniopomorskie. The report highlights strategic interventions to increase accessibility and better match service supply with community needs.
	Addressing the Needs of People Over the Age of 65 in Grudziadz: A Model for Local Care Solutions Provides a model to improve elderly care services in Grudziądz. The report offers recommendations to integrate social and healthcare services and enhance the quality of care for the aging population.
	Strengthening Entrepreneurship in the Włocławek Functional Urban Area Diagnoses the entrepreneurial landscape in Włocławek and recommends measures to boost local business activity. The report outlines practical support tools and policy options to stimulate entrepreneurship.

Slovakia launched the Catching-Up Regions Initiative (CuRI) in January 2018, beginning with the Prešov Self-Governing Region. The country had seen strong national growth, but its eastern and central regions continued to face structural challenges—limited access to quality services, gaps in infrastructure, and high social exclusion, particularly among marginalized Roma communities.

The World Bank was invited to support implementation, following an administration agreement signed with DG REGIO in May 2018. Over time, CuRI expanded to include the Banská Bystrica and Košice regions and evolved through four main phases between 2018 and 2023.

CuRI Slovakia focused on a wide range of development priorities. It supported vocational education and training in all three regions, with a special emphasis on modernizing curricula and linking schools with employers. It promoted the integration of marginalized Roma communities, developed tools for industry–research collaboration, and improved public transport systems and spatial planning through the use ofGeographic Information Systems (GIS).

Other activities addressed regional tourism development (notably in Poloniny National Park), energy efficiency in public buildings, and basic water infrastructure in remote areas. The fourth phase (2022–2023) was the most comprehensive, introducing new themes like social economy (in Prešov and Banská Bystrica) and sustainable tourism (in Košice), and implementing a total of 15 activities across eight components.

To ensure a smooth exit, a fifth, transitional phase was carried out in 2024, concluding with a final technical conference in Bratislava in April 2025. Throughout all phases, CuRI in Slovakia emphasized strong local engagement, practical coordination, and capacity-building - making it a model for regionally tailored EU investment strategies.

Slovakia CURI I

	Slovakia Catching-Up Regions 1: Overview Report Provides an overview of the Catching-Up Regions Initiative in Slovakia. The report introduces the objectives, thematic areas, and regional partnerships established to boost inclusive development in lagging regions, particularly the Prešov region.
	Unlocking the Endogenous Tourism Potential of Poloniny National Park and the Snina District Explores how tourism can drive equitable growth in Snina and Poloniny National Park. The report recommends coordinated actions to strengthen the region’s position as a sustainable tourism destination, leveraging its natural and cultural assets.
	Minding the Skills Gap and Mismatches: A Report on Secondary Vocational Education in the Prešov Region of the Slovak Republic Assesses vocational education and training (VET) in the Prešov region and its alignment with labor market needs. The report identifies curriculum gaps, employer expectations, and proposes improvements for school quality and strategic planning.
	Establishing a Regional Spatial and Open Data Infrastructure in the Prešov Region Documents the setup of a regional spatial and open data infrastructure in Prešov. It details the establishment of a GIS unit, deployment of a geoportal, and promotion of open-source solutions to enhance regional data capacity and interoperability.
	Due Diligence Report on the Establishment of a Poloniny National Park Trail Presents a preliminary assessment of a proposed trail network in Poloniny National Park. It maps trail conditions, proposes connections to nearby attractions, and lays the groundwork for improving tourism infrastructure.
	Analysis of Destination Management System in the Prešov Region Analyzes tourism governance in Prešov, focusing on the functioning of Destination Management Organizations and Tourism Information Centers. The report recommends institutional improvements to support sustainable tourism and regional growth.
	Guidebook for Energy Management Systems Outlines steps to improve energy efficiency in Prešov's public buildings. It provides guidance for setting up an Energy Management System (EMS) and supports strategic planning to align with EU energy efficiency targets.
	Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings in the Prešov Region Focuses on financing options and implementation strategies for energy efficiency investments in public buildings. The report offers a framework for prioritizing projects and mobilizing ESCOs, building on earlier regulatory diagnostics.
	Prešov Region: Key Development Dynamics Analyzes economic disparities between regions in Slovakia, highlighting challenges faced by Prešov. It offers evidence-based recommendations to address uneven development and promote inclusive regional growth.

Slovakia CURI II

	Slovakia Catching-Up Regions 2: Overview Report Summarizes the objectives, partnerships, and priority areas of the second phase of the Catching-Up Regions Initiative in Slovakia. The report outlines progress in expanding CuRI to new sectors and regions, with a continued focus on education, transport, and innovation in the Prešov and Banská Bystrica self-governing regions.
	Toward an Integrated and High-Performing VET System - Ensuring Quality Education and Service Delivery in the Prešov Region Summarizes efforts to enhance VET quality and efficiency in Prešov. The report consolidates three activities focused on investment planning, quality assurance, and optimization of the secondary VET school network.
	Minding the Skills Gap and Mismatches: A Report on Secondary Vocational Education in the Banská Bystrica Region Assesses the VET landscape in Banská Bystrica and provides strategic recommendations. It supports local authorities in aligning skills development with labor market demands and EU funding opportunities.
	Digitalization of Public Transport in the Banská Bystrica Region Supports BBSK’s digital public transport initiative with a strategy and user-needs assessment. The report aligns regional efforts with smart mobility policy goals and digital government strategies.
	Supporting the Uptake of the Regional Spatial Infrastructure in the Prešov Region Details activities to strengthen the use of spatial data in the Prešov region. It highlights capacity building of the GIS unit, deployment of open data systems, and actions to meet sectoral data needs.
	Linking Industry and Research in the Banská Bystrica Region Proposes solutions to strengthen collaboration between industry and research in Banská Bystrica. The report identifies barriers to innovation and recommends actions to improve coordination and financing.
	Integrated Elderly Care Model for the South Gemer Functional Grouping of Municipalities Presents a pilot model for integrated elderly care tailored to South Gemer municipalities. It outlines institutional and legal conditions for scaling the model, aiming for better service delivery and sustainability.
	The Poloniny Trail Project: Taking it Forward Lays out a phased approach to developing a multi-use trail network in Poloniny National Park. The report explores opportunities for cross-border connectivity and enhancing tourism resilience post-COVID.
	New Perspectives on the Integration of Marginalized Roma Communities in the Prešov Region through Local Development Summarizes activities to support marginalized Roma communities through local development. The report emphasizes integrated planning, access to land, and the need for national-level strategies and financing.

Slovakia CURI III

	Slovakia Catching-Up Regions 3: Overview Report Summarizes the design, implementation, and outcomes of the third phase of the Catching-Up Regions Initiative in Slovakia. The report covers efforts across all three participating regions - Prešov, Košice, and Banská Bystrica - with a focus on vocational education, innovation, spatial data, transport, environmental infrastructure, and inclusive services.
	Research and Development: Banská Bystrica Region Presents two new tools to promote regional R&D collaboration in Banská Bystrica: a Regional Innovation Voucher scheme and the concept for a Regional Innovation Center. The report reviews implementation progress, challenges, and lessons from these instruments, alongside intergovernmental coordination and support for the innolabb prototyping hub.
	Creating an Environment for Technology Transfer and Greater R&D Collaboration between Research and Industry: Košice Region Assesses the research and innovation ecosystem in the Košice region and outlines a roadmap for developing a Regional Innovation Center. The report identifies system gaps, defines strategic priorities, and suggests institutional and financing options for fostering academia-industry collaboration.
	Addressing Health Workforce Challenges in the Banská Bystrica Self Governing Region: Recommendations and Future Directions The proposed recommendations for the BBSK Region are a combination of multiple interventions that span different areas, such as governance, education, work organization, scope of practice, financial incentives, data for informed policies, political economy analysis, and intersectoral governance. A solid financial situation, the ability to work independently, job stability, and the opportunity to use one's abilities on the job are all intrinsic and extrinsic factors that inspire the health workforce.
	Rapid Assessment of Health and Social Care: Košice Region Outlines a scalable model for integrated care services targeting elderly populations in the Košice region. The report provides legal and institutional recommendations, financial scenarios, and implementation pathways to support sustainable, person-centered care delivery.

Slovakia CURI IV

	Slovakia Catching-Up Regions 4: Overview Report Summarizes the scope, objectives, and thematic focus of the fourth phase of the Catching-Up Regions Initiative in Slovakia. The report introduces new and ongoing workstreams in vocational education and training, tourism, social economy, spatial data, and innovation across Prešov, Banská Bystrica, and Košice regions.
	Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Secondary Education in Slovakia’s CuRI Regions Presents the final assessment of the VET landscape in the Prešov and Banská Bystrica regions. In the context of digital maturity survey, the DigCompEdu framework was chosen as a suitable means to introduce the overall picture of digitalization with its multiple dimensions, factors, and their purpose.The report offers recommendations for school network optimization, strengthening digital skills, improving education quality, and better aligning VET provision with regional labor market needs.
	Digital Maturity Assessment in Secondary Education Reports on the results of a digital maturity survey completed by 45 VET schools and 14 grammar schools across Prešov, Košice and Banská Bystrica Regions. The analysis identifies strengths and gaps in digital infrastructure, teaching practices, and readiness for blended learning, providing input for regional and national digital skills strategies.
	Tourism Development: Gemer Trail, Taking It Forward Presents a technical and feasibility-oriented proposal to develop a 60-kilometer cycling trail in the Upper Gemer area of the Košice Self-Governing Region in Slovakia, as part of the Catching-up Regions Initiative, with the objective of improving connectivity, unlocking tourism potential, and stimulating local economic development in a structurally lagging region.
	Research, Development and Innovation Component: Banská Bystrica and Košice Regions Proposes a practical framework for establishing and operating Regional Innovation Centers (RICs) in the Banská Bystrica and Košice regions, aimed at strengthening regional innovation ecosystems. Building on earlier CuRI phases, it defines four core pillars (talent development, business creation and scaling, knowledge and technology transfer, and governance and ecosystem coordination) and outlines roles, activities, and funding logic aligned with EU cohesion policy and national RD&I strategies.
	Open Data in Regional Land Use Planning: Košice Region Provides practical guidance to the Košice Self-Governing Region on how publishing land use plans as open, standardized geospatial data can improve planning quality, interoperability, and efficiency while reducing costs and vendor lock-in. It reviews the current fragmented and largely non-machine-readable practice of land use planning data, assesses the legislative and institutional context (including INSPIRE and upcoming land-use reforms), showcases EU good practices, and concludes with concrete recommendations on data standards, licensing, procurement clauses, and governance arrangements to support more transparent, data-driven regional land use planning.
	Unlocking Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure: Košice Region Reviews advancements in geographic information systems (GIS) and open data infrastructure in Košice Self-Governing Region. It details achieved milestones, capacity development activities, and proposes next steps to institutionalize spatial data governance.
	Supporting Inclusive Growth through Social Economy: Banská Bystrica Region Assesses the current state of the social economy in the Banská Bystrica region, including both registered and informal social enterprises. The report identifies key development gaps and proposes the establishment of an Integrated Support Center to strengthen coordination, improve access to finance and services, and enhance the sector’s contribution to inclusive regional development.

Slovakia CURI V

	Slovakia Catching-Up Regions 5: Overview Report Summarizes the objectives, scope, and achievements of the fifth and final phase of the Slovakia CuRI. The report highlights activities across four components: Roma and social inclusion, health and human capital, local economic development, and program management. It documents lessons learned, investment outcomes, and the handover of knowledge to national and regional stakeholders for future regional development efforts.
	Supporting the Inclusion Agenda in Secondary Education in the Banská Bystrica, Košice, and Prešov Self-Governing Regions Analyzes systemic and local-level barriers to inclusive secondary vocational education, with a focus on marginalized Roma communities. Based on survey data, interviews, and school-level diagnostics, the report identifies key challenges in student engagement, teacher support, and school-to-work transitions. It provides practical recommendations for strengthening institutional capacity, learner guidance, and multi-level coordination to improve equity in education outcomes across the three participating regions.
	Enhancing Health Care Provision in the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region: Developing a Regional Telemedicine Pilot Project Proposal This report outlines a regional telemedicine pilot proposal designed to address health workforce shortages and improve service access in Banská Bystrica. It presents the rationale for telemedicine in Slovakia, summarizes findings from stakeholder consultations and international study visits, and details the proposed teleconsultation and remote monitoring system. The report also recommends policy actions to support implementation and sustainability of digital healthcare models.
	Progress Report on Support to Prešov, Banská Bystrica and Municipalities in Košice Self-Governing Regions on Improving the Integration of Marginalized Roma Communities Presents results from the CuRI V inclusion component, focusing on eight municipalities across three Slovak regions. The report documents hands-on support to local authorities in planning, preparing, and implementing infrastructure and social projects to reduce the development gap between Roma and non-Roma communities. It highlights achievements in project development, behavioral interventions, disaster risk management, and monitoring and evaluation.
	Lessons Learned from Developing a Regional Innovation Ecosystem that Focuses on Startup Support in the Emerging Innovator Context Assesses the startup and innovation ecosystem in Košice, focusing on early-stage support, access to finance, and collaboration between public and private actors. The report maps existing infrastructure and programs, identifies systemic gaps, and outlines a package of measures to strengthen entrepreneurship and innovation in alignment with regional and national smart specialisation priorities. It includes detailed proposals for startup support schemes and regional innovation governance improvements.
	Social Economy in the Prešov (PSK) Region The report focuses on building a stronger ecosystem for social enterprises to address long-term unemployment and social exclusion, particularly among Roma communities. Key actions included launching a Social Economy Community of Practice (PSK-SECoP), strengthening regional stakeholder coordination, and providing capacity-building support to local authorities.
	Enhancing Tourism in Snina District: Public Investment Plan Outlines a public investment plan to develop sustainable tourism in Snina and the Poloniny National Park area. The report proposes infrastructure and service improvements focused on accessibility, nature-based tourism, and cultural heritage. It includes an investment prioritization framework and coordination mechanisms to support local economic development and enhance the region’s attractiveness as a remote nature destination.

The Baltics CuRI was launched in early 2024 to strengthen the capacity of local and regional authorities in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to plan, fund, and implement sustainable development initiatives. Focusing on economically disadvantaged border regions, the initiative aims to ensure that European funds are effectively used to address local priorities. It supports both stronger project pipelines and more resilient institutions capable of delivering long-term, place-based development strategies. At the same time, it aims at generating knowledge that could be usable in other regions in the three Baltic countries and beyond.

Building on previous CuRI experiences in Poland and Slovakia, the Baltics CuRI takes a bottom-up, collaborative approach. Regional and local stakeholders - alongside national governments, the European Commission, and the World Bank - jointly selected the areas of focus. The initiative emphasizes locally led project development and cross-sector cooperation, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model. Target regions were selected based on shared structural challenges (shrinking, aging, infrastructure gaps, slower growth etc.) and security concerns along the EU’s eastern borders. The selected areas are:

• Estonia: South-East Region with a specific focus on three counties Põlva, Võru and Valga and additional focus on the linkages with Tartu as main economic center in the region.
• Latvia: Latgale region, the most eastern Latvian region with its two prominent urban centers Daugavpils and Rezekne and a number of more rural municipalities.
• Lithuania: Utena county and Švenčionys municipality from the adjacent Vilnius county; these seven municipalities are referred to as Utena+.

Running from mid-2024 and planned till end 2027, the initiative follows a phased approach: scoping and implementation. The Baltics CuRI added the dimension of peer learning among practitioners. Its other novelty consists in working directly with municipal authorities, who are the main driver of local development in the three Baltic states. Following the CuRI model, it began with stakeholder consultations (both national and local level) and diagnostics in 2024 that oriented the efforts on local economic development with a specific emphasis on identification of local businesses’ needs. In 2025, technical workstreams launched, including a business retention and expansion (BR&E) survey and a skills analysis in Latgale complemented with tailored socio-economic profiles. These resulted in preparing individual action plans for each of the participating regions, that are currently consulted with the stakeholders. When agreed upon, they will direct CuRI’s implementation phase. Currently discussed are three thematic areas i) skills, ii) infrastructure (housing, mobility), iii) entrepreneurship support.

In parallel to this analytical streams, two peer learning events for practitioners from the participating regions were held, first in Daugavpils, Latvia in March 2025 and second in Anykščiai, Lithuania in September 2025. The third one will follow in December 2025 in Võru, Estonia. They allowed stakeholders exchanging their experiences in the field of cross-border and inter-jurisdictional collaboration (Daugavpils), social entrepreneurship and innovation, and alternative ways to deliver public services (Anykščiai). The third forum (Võru) will emphasize smart shrinkage and participatory planning of public spaces.