Expert in European innovation policies and project manager with over ten years of experience in managing EU-funded projects, specializing in territorial innovation, Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3), and regional development. Elisa Gerussi has worked for public institutions and research centers, including the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), supporting S3 strategies, participatory and capacity-building processes, and interregional cooperation initiatives. She has drafted European projects under programs such as Erasmus+, CERV, Interreg, and Horizon Europe, and has participated in the evaluation of urban cooperation initiatives such as URBACT.