Since 2002 · Nordic · Baltic · European

Small towns.
Big ideas.

A network for smaller and medium sized places across the Nordics, Europe and the Baltic Sea Region.

We bring municipalities, regions, schools, NGOs and researchers together around planning, identity, participation and entrepreneurship — and turn the meetings into real projects.

Explore our projects About the network

2002: Network founded through the PIPE project
20+: Transnational projects delivered
15: Countries with partners and members
1: Annual gathering, hosted by a member town

Coming up

Next gathering

All events →

30 August 2026

Welcome to Edinburgh!

ICN 2026 - 10-11 November

Planning Aid Scotland will host the Innovation Circle Network gathering 2026. The program will focus on various projects and cooperation, with EU funding and other options. And the program will address the energy demands connected to the growing establishment…

International partners around a meeting table in Edinburgh, with a presentation on AI data centres and renewable energy and the castle visible through the windows

8 November 2026

Innovation Circle Network Meets in Edinburgh to Explore AI, Energy and Future Collaboration

Innovation Circle Network (ICN) will bring together international partners in Edinburgh for its 2026 network meeting, ho…

Ongoing work

Current projects

All projects →

2026 – 2028

GREEN SKILLS

Erasmus+ project building green skills for refugees, migrants and others who meet barriers to employment, with six partner organisations.

Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union

2024 – 2026

POMEIL

Erasmus+ project promoting migrant entrepreneurship and integration in the European labour market, with partners in Norway, Estonia, Poland and Greece.

From the network

Latest news

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Project partners around a meeting table while a presentation is shown on the screen behind them

1 November 2026

GREEN SKILLS – Building Competences for a Sustainable Future

GREEN SKILLS is an international Erasmus+ project aimed at strengthening competences in sustainability, green transition, and social entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on refugees, migrants, and other groups facing barriers to employ…

Members working with the Innovation Circle Network website on a laptop

2 October 2026

New ICN Homepage

The new website is now live

The new website is now live and available. A few adjustments and improvements are still being made, but the main features are already in place.

Presentation at Grensedagarna on the 90-minute rail vision for Oslo–Stockholm

2 September 2026

Borderdays BRIDGE — Nordic integration on rails

Nordic integration with a focus on transnordic transportation was the theme when the first Grensedagarna gathered both sides of the Swedish–Norwegian border at Morokulien.

A seamless 512 km rail link and 90 minutes between Oslo and Stockholm — the vision presented at the first Grensedagarna at Morokulien shows how transp…

19 August 2025

World cafe in Bialystok

ICN annual meeting in cooperation with FCIS 15 years anniversary

22-24 October there will be an event in Bialystok, focusing on social innovations and especially in Poland, an exploring the FCIS strategy 2030. FCIS…

20 March 2025

ICN met in Berlin and paved the way forward !

The Berlin meeting showed a boost in activities for the ICN. At the moment there are about 10 projects which are already in the pipeline for developme…

Want your town in the circle?

Membership is open to municipalities, regions, organisations and individuals who work with the development of smaller places.

Get in touch

Small towns.Big ideas.