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The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme continues to strengthen connections between European innovation ecosystems and partner cities worldwide. During a mission to Grenoble TechFest from 5-6 February 2026, Oscar Prat van Thiel, SNKE on Business and Academia Support, engaged with regional stakeholders, startups and technology leaders to explore how emerging European solutions could support urban transitions across Asia and Australasia.
Held in Grenoble, one of Europe’s leading deep-tech innovation hubs, TechFest provided a dynamic platform to identify collaboration opportunities aligned with IURC’s Communities of Practice (CoPs), particularly in the fields of urban innovation ecosystems, industrial transformation and sustainability-driven technologies.
Grenoble as a bridge between regional innovation and global cooperation
The mission took place in the context of the Region Auvergne Rhône Alpes’ coordination of the Region-to-Region Community of Practice on Industrial Transformation with AI, and Grenoble Alpes Métropole’s leadership role in the City-to-City CoP “Economy in Cities – StartUps, Innovation Ecosystems and Branding.”
Discussions highlighted the potential of TechFest to become a milestone event linking European cities and regions with partners in Asia and Australasia. Stakeholders explored how future editions of the event could serve as anchor moments for joint workshops, innovation exchanges and international matchmaking activities.
The initiative also builds on growing cooperation with Japanese partners, including Nagoya, with discussions around aligning innovation exchanges such as TechGala in Japan and TechFest in Grenoble to support long-term collaboration between ecosystems.
Scouting European innovation for global urban challenges
A key objective of the mission was to identify European companies whose solutions could contribute to IURC’s work with cities and regions tackling climate, economic and technological transitions.
Several companies demonstrated strong potential for collaboration:
Clean Ocean Coatings – revolutionizes the commercial shipping industry with an innovative and environmentally friendly hull coating that eliminates microplastics pollution – a largely overlooked major source of marine contamination caused by ship paint degradation – while delivering significant fuel efficiency and cost savings for shipping operators.
- Bloomineral – develops carbon-negative biominerals grown using algae and light that permanently store captured CO₂ while creating high-performance, circularly produced materials for applications across construction and industrial sectors – including concrete, cement, plastics, glass and other everyday building products.
Fer’O Tech – develops decentralised, gravity-based wastewater treatment systems capable of removing up to 90% of phosphates using locally sourced iron-based materials, offering a low-maintenance, electricity-free and cost-effective solution particularly suited for rural, peri-urban and remote areas.
Bonvan – markets a low-cost, standalone wind turbine designed for deployment in remote or off-grid locations, using a highly efficient technology capable of harnessing low-intensity wind and breezes to generate reliable power for consumer, agricultural and light industrial uses. Its portable, decentralised design enables rapid installation and supports energy autonomy by reducing dependence on traditional electricity networks while accelerating the transition to clean energy.
- Ateliers des Châteaux – creates unique, eco-responsible accessories by collecting and upcycling historical textiles and leather sourced from castles, hotels, museums and heritage sites.
Engagement with these companies forms part of IURC’s ongoing work to develop and maintain a business and expert database, connecting European innovation providers with partner cities seeking practical solutions and pilot opportunities.
From exchanges to long-term collaboration
Beyond individual meetings, discussions focused on how to ensure that innovation exchanges translate into sustained cooperation rather than one-off activities. One concept explored was the creation of a Europe–Japan Entrepreneurship framework linking universities, innovation centres and local ecosystems to foster entrepreneurial skills among young people while supporting market access and technology transfer between Europe and Japan.
Such initiatives could complement planned exchanges between European and Japanese innovation events and reinforce the long-term impact of IURC activities beyond the programme’s current phase.
Strengthening IURC’s role as a global innovation connector
The mission confirmed the growing role of IURC as a facilitator between public authorities and private innovation actors. By combining city-to-city and region-to-region cooperation with business engagement, the programme continues to help translate policy dialogue into concrete collaboration opportunities.
As cities and regions worldwide accelerate their s
earch for sustainable solutions, innovation platforms such as Grenoble TechFest provide valuable opportunities to identify new partnerships and support European expertise in addressing global urban challenges.