Category: News from Asia & Australasia

7 October 2025 – Online session The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia Thematic Network hosted an engaging session on Climate Adaptation in Urban Areas, showcasing initiatives from pilot cities Chennai (India), Sofia (Bulgaria), and Pimpri Chinchwad (India). The meeting brought together city practitioners, experts, and IURC partners to exchange experiences on building urban resilience through integrated adaptation measures. Adapting Cities for a...

More than 50 regional development experts joined the Region-to-Region Cooperation on Innovation webinar on 1 October 2025, marking the start of the IURC Asia & Australasia Thematic Network breakout sessions. Divided into four clusters—Industrial Modernisation, Agri-Food, Clean Energy, and Blue Economy—participants exchanged ideas on pilot actions, key stakeholders, and implementation methods to advance regional cooperation and innovation. Moderated by Pablo Gándara, Bruce Wilson, Paul Dalziel and Eva Vila, the session...

On 2 October 2025, the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia programme held its first Deep Dive Session on Circular Economy (Cluster 4), focusing on waste and water management strategies. The event brought together 50 participants from Europe and Asia and showcased how cities are pioneering new approaches to transform waste into resources and wastewater into energy, while strengthening international cooperation. Setting...

The IURC Japan Kick-off took place in a hybrid format on 2 October 2025 as part of the Kyoto Smart City Expo 2025, co-hosted by Kyoto Prefecture. The session marked the formal launch of the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Programme (IURC) Phase II in Japan, bringing together European and Japanese representatives to deepen city and regional collaboration across thematic clusters such as urban innovation, industrial...

On 1 October 2025, the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia programme launched its Circular Economy Thematic Cluster (Cluster 4) with an introductory webinar attended by 59 participants from 17 cities in 10 countries. The session marked the beginning of a global exchange on how cities can rethink waste, food systems, and resource use while piloting innovative solutions to accelerate the...

1 October 2025 – Online session The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia Thematic Network hosted its third Region-to-Region Cooperation on Innovation webinar on Clean Energy and Blue Economy, bringing together 44 representatives from regional governments, research institutions, and development agencies across Europe and Asia. The event highlighted the growing momentum for cross-continental collaboration on hydrogen technology, renewable energy, industrial modernisation, and just transition strategies—key...