Two years of collaborative work ending

ENDURANCE – Accelerating Green Growth Across Europe’s Clusters

After two years of collaborative work across Europe, the ENDURANCE project has officially come to an end, but its legacy continues. Supported by the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, ENDURANCE set out to empower clusters, SMEs, and startups with the tools and knowledge to embed sustainability, innovation, and European Green Deal principles into their daily activities.

About the project

Launched in 2023, ENDURANCE aimed to develop a practical green acceleration methodology for European clusters helping them integrate growth, eco-innovation, and circular economy strategies into their support for SMEs and startups. By connecting knowledge, methods, and networks, the project contributed to the sustainable transformation of Europe’s industrial and innovation landscape.

Key results

The project resulted in a comprehensive set of resources designed for cluster managers, policymakers, and business support organisations:

• Green Acceleration Methodology: A structured and transferable framework offering clear scenarios and approaches to embed sustainability and innovation in cluster ecosystems.
• Audio-Visual Toolkit: A collection of learning videos and best practice stories to strengthen SMEs’ and startups’ understanding of circularity, green transition, and eco-innovation.
• Facilitator’s Guide and Toolkit: Practical resources enabling cluster managers to plan and deliver capacity-building workshops on sustainable business transformation.
• Policy Paper: A summary of key insights and recommendations to support clusters as essential drivers of Europe’s green transition.

Video interviews

As part of the ENDURANCE activities, video interviews were conducted with 10 SMEs and 13 cluster organisations across Europe to capture real-life experiences, challenges, and success stories. The interviews shed light on how different actors are driving green innovation and collaboration, and how clusters can play a central role in accelerating sustainable growth.

Watch the video interviews here

Workshop hosted by Clean

In the summer of 2025, Clean hosted a hybrid workshop both online and in-person, focused on strengthening the ability of cluster and project managers to support companies in their green and digital transition. The event featured hands-on tools, shared experiences, and practical insights on how to enhance collaborative innovation across Europe.

Lasting impact

Although the project has concluded, the resources and methodologies developed under ENDURANCE continue to support the European innovation community. Cluster organisations can now adopt and adapt the methodology to their own contexts; SMEs and startups can benefit from the ready-to-use frameworks and learning tools; and policymakers can draw inspiration from the policy recommendations to strengthen regional sustainability strategies.

The ENDURANCE journey may have ended, but its impact is just beginning by inspiring new partnerships, knowledge-sharing initiatives, and green acceleration efforts across Europe.

Tools from ENDURANCE

Download the Green Acceleration Handbook
Download the Learning Materials
Download the Facilitator’s Guide
Download the Policy Paper

Project details

Duration: 01/10/2023 – 30/09/2025
Budget: 1.860.551 DKK
Funded by: The European Union through the Erasmus+ programme (Project No. 2023-1-ES01-KA220-VET-000158027)