The IURC Asia and Australasia team launched the webinar series for the cooperation between EU cities and regions with pairs in Asia and Australasia. The event brought together around 200 representatives from European Union (EU) cities and regions and their counterparts from across Asia and Australasia. Moderated by Pablo Gándara, IURC Team Leader for the Asia and Australasia component, the session marked a key milestone in advancing international cooperation at the city and regional levels through an integrated, thematic approach.
In his opening remarks, Lutz Köppen from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), welcomed the participants, describing the launch as a landmark step in global collaboration. He emphasised that cities and regions are crucial laboratories of innovation, playing a leading role in the green and digital transitions. Koppen encouraged participants to use the IURC platform to develop solutions for common challenges such as mobility, climate change, energy transition, and circular economy.
Following this, Viktorija Kaidalova, IURC Programme Manager from the EU Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) in Asia-Pacific, outlined the new structure of the programme. Building on previous cooperation cycles (World Cities, IUC, and IURC Phase I), the current phase now connects 30 EU cities and 14 EU regions with an equivalent number of partners across Asia and Australasia. Kaidalova explained that the IURC would now operate through thematic clusters—bringing together cities and regions with shared interests rather than linking them solely by geography. The focus areas include urban innovation, circular economy, mobility, climate adaptation, industrial modernisation, energy transition, agri-food systems, and the blue economy. She stressed that this phase would prioritise concrete outcomes and measurable results, such as pilot projects and Memoranda of Understanding between participating territories.
Pablo Gándara then presented the overall IURC framework, highlighting its evolution into a global cooperation platform bridging continents and governance levels. The programme, he noted, will foster both city-to-city and region-to-region collaboration, supported by thematic exchanges and international events. Each partnership is expected to produce at least one pilot action by mid-2026, with the most promising initiatives eligible for competitive seed funding. He also previewed key milestones, including the IURC Global Networking Event in Barcelona (November 2025), the World Cities Summit in Singapore (June 2026), and a final showcase at the European Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels (2027).
Sandra Marín from the IURC team introduced the thematic cluster system in detail. She explained that cities and regions had been provisionally assigned to clusters based on their interests and applications, but participation remained flexible to encourage cross-sector collaboration. Upcoming cluster sessions would take place from September to November 2025, leading up to the in-person networking event in Barcelona. For cities, clusters include Mobility and Transport, Urban Innovation, Strategic Sectors, Circular Economy, Climate Adaptation, Urban Regeneration and Social Cohesion. For regions, they cover Industrial Modernisation, Energy Transition, Agri-Food Systems, and the Blue Economy.
The session also featured introductions from the regional coordinators and thematic experts who will guide collaboration in each country, territory and cluster. This team is supported by advisors specialising in business engagement, EU funding, and subnational diplomacy / international engagement.
During the question-and-answer segment, participants sought clarification on how partnerships would be formed and pilot projects developed. The IURC team confirmed that pairing between cities and regions would occur during the online thematic sessions and be formalised after the Barcelona event through short “multi-pairing applications.” They also highlighted opportunities for cross-participation—allowing regions to join city sessions and vice versa when relevant.
In closing, Pablo Gándara thanked participants for their enthusiasm and reaffirmed the IURC’s shift from a geographic to a thematic cooperation model. This new approach, he said, aims to ensure that global collaboration leads to practical, locally grounded actions contributing to the green and digital transitions. The September launch successfully set the stage for a dynamic period of online exchanges, paving the way for in-person collaboration and pilot project development in 2026 and beyond.