Around 30 delegates from EU and non-EU regions joined discussions about the upcoming IURC event in Barcelona (3-6 November 2025), including logistics, agenda, and regional participation in various thematic clusters and breakout discussions. The conversation ended with participants expressing their regional interests and priorities for various sessions, emphasizing cooperation and alignment on clean energy, industrial modernization and blue economy. The meeting was moderated by Pablo Gándara, IURC AA team leader.
Regional Priorities for Breakout Sessions in Barcelona
Pablo led a discussion on the thematic breakout sessions for pilot regions, focusing on clean energy, mobility, and agriculture. He explained the allocation of regions to specific clusters and encouraged participants to make choices regarding their attendance at the breakout sessions in Barcelona. IURC Japan colleagues Ryoko Nakano and Hidefumi Imura provided updates on Japanese regions, while IURC colleagues Bruce Wilson (Australia), Yookyung Oh (Korea) and Paul Dalziel (New Zealand) shared information on Australian, Korean and New Zealand regions breakout sessions attendance, respectively.
The meeting then focused on identifying regional interests and priorities for various sessions, with participants expressing their preferences for specific topics such as agri-food, clean energy, industrial modernization, and the blue economy. Julia Diers from Bremen expressed interest in both clean energy and the blue economy, while Noelia from the Basque Country emphasized industrial modernization. Matt Lamb from Taranaki New Zealand mentioned to attend sessions on clean energy and agri-food, with a possible visit to Industrial Modernization. Gippsland, represented by Bruce, expressed interest in agri-food and energy. The discussion concluded with a brief mention of German and French regions, with Bremen being assigned to clean energy. Participants from other several EU regions, including Spain, Poland, Italy, and Croatia, also shared their interests, with some regions expressing multiple priorities. The discussion aimed to align regional interests with the upcoming sessions and events. Aida Diez from Catalonia provided additional information about the overall programme.
Global Coherence and IURC Global Event Barcelona Overview
The meeting then focused on global IURC regional coherence, with Pablo and Silke Haarich (Region-to-Region Coordinator IURC Latin America) providing an overview of the regions involved and their areas of interest, including agri-food, industrial modernization, clean energy and blue economy. Silke was invited to explain the overall setting.
The meeting finalised with a general discussion about the upcoming IURC Global Event in Barcelona, focusing on the event’s structure, logistics, and activities. Pablo outlined the event’s schedule, including a reception at the Palace of Pedralves, guided visits to European pavilions, and a closing session featuring a 30-second presentation from each region or city. Participants were reminded to download the event app and register for pavilion visits.
