ADRION Annual & Capitalisation event
7th December 2021, H 10 – 13 online
Together for a resilient Adriatic-Ionian Region
ADRION Annual and Capitalisation Event took place on December 7th, via Zoom meeting due to the ongoing global pandemic. The event with the slogan “Together for a resilient Adriatic-Ionian region” hosted more than 90 participants from different countries, mostly from the Adriatic-Ionian region.
The event was an opportunity to take stock of the achievements reached by the Programme in the last seven years, especially in the frame of the EU Green Deal objectives. Examples of best practices and actions carried out by our projects and Thematic Clusters around the topics of circular economy, biodiversity, disaster risk resilience and sustainable tourism were presented.
Following the introduction made by Barbara Di Piazza (ADRION Head of Joint Secretariat), Caterina Brancaleoni (ADRION Managing Authority- Head of European policy coordination, planning, cooperation, and evaluation Unit at Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy) stressed the role of the Programme as a collector of new proposals and ideas for future initiatives. Dimitrij Kuzmič (ADRION Monitoring Committee member, Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, Republic of Slovenia) highlighted the evaluations and importance of the Programme.
Thanks to ADRION Capitalization strategy, we are promoting a collective process of mutual learning through our community, in order to better implement future programmes and innovative investments.
Senad Oprašić, Head of Environmental Protection Department at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia-Herzegovina, delivered a keynote speech on the contribution of EUSAIR to the EU Green Deal in the Western Balkans stressing the challenges of the region.
The support to green and blue corridors for marine special planning management is an important step to prevent floods in the Western Balkans countries
Marco Affronte (Municipality of Forlì, Italy, Project CIRCLE) explained in detail how CIRCLAbs contribute to circular economy through urban innovation and resilience. CIRCLE opened Circular Innovation Resilient Cities Labs (CIRCLabs) to design and test circular models focused on 4 pilot fields: industrial symbiosis, organic waste, waste electrical & electronic equipment (WEEE), construction and demolition waste (CDW).
Irena Bertoncelj, researcher at the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, presented the outcomes of the project DINALPCONNECT that strives to preserve biodiversity through the Alps and Dinaric Mountains. The project aims to improve ecological connectivity establishing a strategy for the transnationally coordinated development of infrastructure, urbanization, and management of agricultural and forested landscapes at a macro-regional level.
Ida Carolla (Municipality of Nardò, Italy) representing the Project EMOUNDERGROUNDS showcased how virtual reality can boost sustainable tourism and the valorisation of natural and cultural heritage.
On behalf of the Thematic Sub-Cluster on Risk Prevention and Disaster Resilience, Jessica Amadio (National Research Institute, Italy) explained the joint work carried out by the three projects of the sub-clusters targeting multirisks analysis.
Myrovali Glykeria (CERTH, Greece) showed the joint work developed by the ADRION Thematic sub-cluster on Innovation and ADRION branding portraying 8 projects, involving 77 partners. One of the highlights of the Sub-Cluster is the release of the first report on the recovery and restart of cultural tourism after the pandemic.
During the second part of the event, the speakers unveiled some of the novelties concerning the next programming period 2021- 2027 and the features of the new IPA ADRION Programme.
Giuseppe Di Paola, Coordinator of EUSAIR at the EU Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy highlighted the expected achievements for 2021-27 at EU level: a European Green Deal, a Europe fit for the digital age, an economy that works for the people, a stronger Europe in the world, promoting our European way of life, a new push for European democracy.
The EU Green Deal and the enlargement process are the two biggest priorities for the new IPA ADRION Programme
Lodovico Gherardi (ADRION Managing Authority DG for Resources, Europe, innovation and institutions, Emilia-Romagna Region – Italy) outlined the features and topics of the new Programme.
The IPA ADRION Programme will have a strong focus on environmental issues and a wide support to EUSAIR
To Battistina Cugusi, expert at the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers Department of Cohesion Policies, was given the role setting the conclusions of the event. Cugusi depicts ADRION as a bridge which connects people, places and reduce the chances of isolation. In other words, ADRION is the unique instrument which brings together the Adriatic-Ionian region and allows people to find joint solutions to common problems.