The Interreg Euro-MED Innovative Sustainable Economy (ISE) mission met in Sarajevo on 2-4 April 2025 for the 3rd Community of Practice (CoP) meeting, organized by our lead partner BETA Technological Centre and hosted by our local partner CENER 21. The gathering brought together ISE Mission partners, representatives from the 14 Thematic Projects (TPs), as well as delegates from the Union for the Mediterranean, PRIMA, the Interreg Euro-MED Green Living Cities and Natural Heritage missions and external experts and stakeholders.
Group picture during the 3rd ISE CoP Meeting in Sarajevo. Photo: REVOLVE
Over three days, the event created a valuable space for collective knowledge-sharing, synergy-building, and laying the groundwork for effective cooperation. The gathering served as an excellent opportunity for all community members to update one another on their project progress and explore opportunities for collaboration. It was also a platform for capacity-building, peer learning with other Interreg Euro-MED missions, and discovering new initiatives such as the Mentoring & Twinning Programme.
Building synergies within the community
The ISE CoP plays a vital role in developing a network within the ISE Mission to enhance the impact of its projects. The community is structured around four key actions: Connect, Learn, Share, and Collaborate. This third meeting (the second held in person) offered the 14 TPs – as the core actors in the community – a dedicated space to reflect and engage with these principles.
The first day of the gathering was devoted to project presentations, where each TP pitched their circular and innovative solutions. These covered:
- New Business Models: 2B-BLUE, CARBON FARMING MED, OliveOilMedNet, and CircleMED
- Decision-making Support Tools: SPOWIND, Clepsydra, and eWAsTER
- Transformative Methodologies: BLUE ECOSYSTEM, AZA4ICE, GREENSMARTMED, and REVIVE
- Behavioural Change: ProcuraMED, REPper, and VERDEinMED
These pitch sessions allowed community members to gain a clear, first-hand understanding of each project’s work, fostering connections and identifying opportunities for future collaboration, which were further explored during networking breaks.
Capacity-Building and Knowledge Exchange
On the second day, the CoP members participated in hands-on discussions by thematic groups: marine resources, agri-food systems, industrial transition, and resource valorisation. The first co-creation activity invited TPs representatives to explore the key challenges they aim to address, successful practices in the area, proposed solutions, and stakeholder engagement strategies for their project’s focus area. This exercise marked the first step in the development of the ISE Mission White Papers, with further contributions to follow in future sessions throughout the year.
Presentation of Michele Giavini during the 3rd ISE CoP Meeting in Sarejevo. Photo: REVOLVE
Following up, participants had the opportunity to get a training session on practical strategies to influence citizen behaviour. The session organized by the ISE Mission partner ACR+, developed in response to needs identified by the TPs, was delivered by Rosa Strube (CSCP, Head of Sustainable Lifestyles) and Michele Giavini (Bioeco Expert), who provided both theoretical foundations and real-life case studies with keynote speeches on nudging in waste recycling habits highlighting some practical cases to spark discussion.
Giavini emphasised the importance of “making the problem visible” to inspire citizen action. Participants then applied these insights to their own project contexts, identifying tailored behaviour change approaches. TPs will later receive personalised feedback to further refine their strategies.
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- Hands-on work session during the 3rd ISE CoP meeting in Sarajevo. Photo: REVOLVE
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- Participants in discussion during the working groups at the 3rd ISE CoP meeting in Sarajevo. Photo: REVOLVE
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- Participants in discussion during the working groups at the 3rd ISE CoP meeting in Sarajevo. Photo: REVOLVE
Mentoring & Twinning Kick off
The 3rd ISE CoP was also an opportunity for the ISE Mission to update the community on the upcoming activities and workplan. One of these activities is the ISE Mission’s Mentoring & Twinning Programme. This flagship initiative supports the uptake and transfer of our Thematic Project (TP) results beyond the borders of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme.
The initiative was launched at the meeting in Sarajevo with the opportunity to meet and hear live from the first four external stakeholders (takers) who have joined the programme. The takers joining for this first phase of the programme are Olga Batran, Director at B-Hub, Birzeit University (Palestine); Georges Youssef, Mayor of the Municipality of Menjez (Lebanon); Konstantinos Papadakis, Co-founder & Chairman at AgroID S.C.E. (Greece); and Tomaso Fortibuoni, Researcher at the ISPRA (Italy).
Presentation of the Mentoring & Twinning Programme by Haris Paliogiannis (MIO-ECSDE). Picture: REVOLVE
At the CoP meeting, they had the opportunity to meet and discuss face-to-face with representatives of the TPs, as they were still exploring which projects would best suit their needs to ensure a successful transfer of knowledge and good practice.
The takers and givers are now entering a pilot phase where they will test and refine the methodology with the support of our partner MIO-ECSDE. The mentoring and twinning activities bring together partners and stakeholders, helping them to develop the skills and knowledge needed to successfully replicate innovative solutions in their local contexts. This professional exchange takes place online and, where possible, in person.
Collaborative conversations and regional cooperation
The last day of the meeting was dedicated to collaborative conversations with stakeholders within and beyond the ISE CoP community. Simone Cresti from UNISI presented the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network Mediterranean (SDSN), an associated partner of the ISE mission. Mohamed Wageih, PRIMA Project Officer, also presented the PRIMA calls for proposals, which are now open, giving CoP members the opportunity to directly ask any doubts or questions regarding the application process or the most valued elements within a proposal.
Moreover, the ISE mission partners also had the opportunity to share some insights and ask for input from the CoP members for joint communication and advocacy activities, led by project partners REVOLVE, Regione Emilia-Romagna and MedWaves
In order to have a local impact and strengthen the cooperation between local partners and Interreg Euro-MED ISE Mission projects, CENER 21 also organised, in parallel to the collaborative conversations, a regional workshop on the last of the CoP meeting. The aim of the workshop was to explore common opportunities and create pathways for sustainable industrial, agricultural and economic transformation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reinforcing the ISE Mission’s role as a driver of sustainable innovation across the Mediterranean.
Check the 3rd ISE CoP presentations:
