During the first phase, the European Service Innovation Centre will provide personalized support to the six selected regions which include the Basque Country and the Canary Islands in Spain, Emilia-Romagna in Italy, Luxembourg, Northern Ireland and the region of Upper Austria. These six regions were selected further to an informal call for expression of interest.

The European Service Innovation Centre ESIC will provide an analysis of service innovation policies of the six selected pilot regions by conducting a series of stress tests in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of such policies. The aim of these tests is to identify potential barriers and and scope for enhanced policy action. The tests will be followed by structured policy dialogues that will inform a policy briefing for each region.

In addition to this initial analysis the European Centre for Innovation in Services, wich was established as a result of the opening of an open tender process in February 2012, will systematically collect the results of the tests carried out in different European regions and will produce the European Service Innovation Scoreboard to indicate the latest trends. These indicators will be used to show the progress made by regions in this area. The ESIC will also issue recommendations and analytical work that will assist regions to choose the most effective ways to support service innovation systemically.

Service innovation is an essential element in the transformation of traditional industries and sectors of the economy in a economic ecosystem more productive, competitive and higher value-added. The European Innovation Centre Services aims to raise awareness of decision-makers on the important role played by service innovation in the enhancements of economic development and industrial improvement.