After years in which universities and research institutes in South-Eastern Europe have struggled to attract and retain talent from the region, often emigrating to Western Europe, cohesion policy investments seek to at least partially reverse this trend by funding the creation of new cutting-edge research centres and flagship projects. Is this strategy working?
Astypalea: a little bit closer now?
16/9/2022Astypalea is a magnificent Greek island in the heart of the Aegean Sea. It is difficult to access from the mainland, but now significant European investments are changing its prospects, starting with internal mobility. A photo gallery
TRAVELLING Astypalea, the first ‘smart & sustainable island’ in the Mediterranean
Mary Drosopoulos | 13/9/2022On a remote island of the Aegean, thanks to a public-private collaboration and European funds, an innovative sustainable mobility system is being developed
Gabrovo: innovation through the dialogue between academia and business
In Gabrovo, in central Bulgaria, the “Centre of Competence” was designed to forge links between academia and the business world and to foster innovation. The Centre houses fourteen labs equipped with state-of-the-art research and analysis equipment, in many cases unique to both Bulgaria and the entire Balkan peninsula
INNOVATION Novska wants to become the "Silicon Valley" of Croatia
Klaudijo Klaser | 22/8/2022An incubator for start-ups and companies operating in the video game industry: this was the goal of a project financed thanks to the EU cohesion policy – one that has hit the mark
ECONOMY South East Europe: investments in innovation are not enough
Gianluca De Feo | 14/7/2022Within the EU, the Balkan countries are among those that invest less in research and innovation. European funds make a positive contribution, but the gap with the rest of Europe still tends to widen. The reasons are manifold
WORK4FUTURE The EU macro-regions: building redevelopment and environmental protection
Serena Epis | 20/6/2022Energy efficiency and renovation programmes in the building sector are crucial to achieve the 2050 climate neutrality target envisaged by the European Commission. This topic was discussed in a stakeholder session during the European Macro-Regions Week 2022
INNOVATION Romania's first smart street
Mihaela Iordache | 3/5/2022In Romania, Cluj-Napoca is one of the cities that have most believed in European planning, investing most of the funds in sustainability and new technologies
TECHNOLOGY Science and work: how to relaunch Gabrovo, the "Bulgarian Manchester"
Gabrovo | Francesco Martino | 14/4/2022Gabrovo, in central Bulgaria, used to be one of the country's main industrial centres: to relaunch it, the city university has launched a Centre of Competence, to reconnect the academia and the business world and foster research and training
SEAS European macro-regions: digitalisation and data sharing for safer and more sustainable maritime transport
Serena Epis | 17/3/2022Digitalisation and technological innovation are key to the development of the European maritime industry. Digital services for communicating data and information are increasingly essential to ensure better connectivity and safer, more sustainable navigation in European waters
