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VI regions hosted a seminar during the European Week of Regions and Cities, to present how they lead by example in achieving the Green Transition and supporting the EU Green Deal, as they collaborate on the basis of their S3 to develop their innovation ecosystem and new sustainable technologies.

After the welcoming words of Victor Vaugoin, Director of the Lower Austria Liaison Office, Felix Mittermayer, Administrator at the European Parliament AGRI Committee and Member of the Inter-Parliamentary Working Group on the Green Deal opened the seminar recalling the objectives of the Communication on the Green Deal, published in December 2019, and stressing out the primary role of regions and cities in mobilising research and innovation to transform the European economy and making it climate neutral by 2050.

Mr. Gian Luca Gurrieri, Head of the Unit for Air Quality and Climate at Lombardy region explained the added value of the Vanguard Initiative for the efforts of the region towards the adoption of new technology in the energy sector. He was followed by Ms. Tiziana Apollonia De Nittis from the Directorate General- Knowledge, Research, Labour and Enterprises, Sustainable innovation, Enterprises, Industrial chains, Energy and Green Economy area of Emilia Romagna Region who, while outlining the regional innovation ecosystem and S3 priorities, showed how a place-based approach can support the development of innovation ecosystems and can help to tackle new global challenges.  

In the same line was the message from Eva Pando General Director of the Economic Development Agency of the Principality of Asturias (IDEPA), who emphasized how Asturias aligned with the Green Deal by giving a prominent role to the decarbonisation of industry, the clean energy, and the circularity in its regional Smart Specialisation Strategy. The stage was then given to Indalecio González from the Asturian Energy Foundation (FAEN)  who complemented Ms. Pando by presenting the experiences of Asturias in the marine renewable energy sector and green hydrogen thanks to the interregional collaboration established through the ADMA and Hydrogen pilots. 

Reacting to the Hydrogen topic, Mr. Hubert Schrenk, Project Manager „e-mobility initiative of Lower Austria“ presented the opportunities and the potential for business and research in Lower Austria in economic and sustainable production, transport, and use of green hydrogen aimed at the implementation of pilot projects in promising fields with high potential for value creation. 

The roundup of innovative best practices, regional initiatives, and examples of interregional collaboration aimed at supporting the green transition was finally closed by Prof. Harma Albering, Director for Circular Economy at the Province of Limburg who intervened on the topic of Circularity in Limburg and Ms. Katrien Bernaerts, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering of Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials who brought a practical example of the Participation in Interregional Innovation Investment (I3) project via Vanguard initiative to implement an integrated value chain, from the production of materials from agro-waste biomass to its distribution and use in several sectors.

Please find here the presentation shared during the event.