Category: News from Asia & Australasia

Turku City, Finland, and Nagano City and Obuse Town, Japan hold an exchange and collaboration workshop

14 September 2023 Since the first phase of IURC (2019), Turku City, Finland, and Nagano City and Obuse Town in Japan, cooperated for “Integration of urban-rural circular economy in water-food-energy nexus.” Turku and Nagano shared a common interest in climate change action and renewable energies, in particular biomass.  Obuse, a small town surrounded by countryside, is interested in sustainable tourism and urban development harmonious with...

Advanced Air Mobility in the EU and Japan Webinar by EU-Japan Region-to-Region Innovation Cooperation

The EU-Japan Region-to-Region Innovation Cooperation Program’s webinar on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) held on 28 September from 9:00-10:30 CET aimed to introduce the respective initiatives of European regions and Japanese prefectures for the development and diffusion of electric vertical take-off and landing aircrafts (eVTOLs). Mr. Jukka Savo, the Principal Administrator at the European Commission for Aviation Safety Drones, AI and...

Albacete and Gangtok: Celebrating a Year of Partnership and Progress for a Greener Future

The partnership between Gangtok, India, and Albacete, Spain, has reached a significant milestone. The cities began their partnership in 2022 and have conducted two productive exchange visits, enabling them to share insights, best practices and ideas for creating more sustainable communities, with a focus on solid waste management awareness.  Based on the learnings of this partnership, a poster on waste...

EU-Japan Region-to-Region Innovation Cooperation: Webinar on Advanced Air Mobility in the EU and Japan

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) refers to the evolution of aviation and transportation through the development of vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, often referred to as flying cars. AAM envisions a future where these innovative aircrafts provide efficient and rapid transportation solutions to address urban congestion and provide point-to-point transportation solutions for short to medium distances. Unlike traditional aircraft that require...

IURC Portuguese Eco-School Delegation to Seberang Perai

11-16 September 2023 The Seberang Perai City Council hosted the Camilo Castelo Branco School Group (AECCB) delegation which was jointly led by Ms. Raquel Azevedo, Coordinator of the Eco-Schools Programme and Chef Ricardo Lanção, Professional Cooking and Pastry Technician at the AE Camila Castelo Branco (AECCB) of Famalicão. Two top students Mr. Gabriel Torres and Mr. Joāo Fontes were selected...

EU-NZ Pilot Action: Malaga Experts visit Christchurch Innovation Expo 2023

Three delegates from the IURC pilot city of Malaga participated at the Innovation Expo 2023 held in Christchurch - New Zealand - on 10th and 11th September 2023. Hosted by Smart Christchurch, the Spanish delegation looks to share experiences with the Christchurch Innovation Ecosystem. The delegation of Malaga includes Nieves Fernández (Architect and Environmental Urban Planner from Malaga Municipality), Patricia...

Dublin delegation visits Seoul to initiate a pilot project on Urban Mobility and Digital Transition

26-30 August 2023 Supported by the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme funded by the European Union (EU), Dublin City Council sent a 3-person delegation to Seoul (Republic of Korea) to initiate pilot project implementation in the fields of urban mobility and digital transition. This study visit is part of the competitive award given by the European Union, aiming to further develop the cooperation in building data-analytic...

Hamburg delegates visit Canberra and Melbourne

A delegation from the City of Hamburg held meetings with the local authorities of Canberra (ACT) and Melbourne from 25-31 August 2023. The delegation consisted of: Thomas Jacob and Sabine Schubbe, Senate Chancellery, European Affairs, International Projects Thomas Eichhorn and Dr. Michael Fischer, Agency für Spatial Information and Surveying Wolfgang Hoefs, New Mobility Solutions. The activity was jointly funded by the Hamburg...

Sofia – Semarang: Webinar on Tram Transportation

Learning, sharing experiences, best practices, the use of tram as public transport The collaboration between Sofia and Semarang cities is part of a global urban excellence network consisting of 130 cities, initiated by IURC and funded by the EU. The primary objective of this initiative is to address urban development challenges, with mobility being a significant concern worldwide. Trams are...

Professional Certification with Laboratory and Workshops: Green Design and Nature-based Solutions

MELAKARIVER FLOWS INTO STANTERNO RIVER: MEETING OF MINDS OF TWO IURC CITIES The Melaka Historic City Council officials (see attached profiles) have completed Phase 1 of the certification course (see attached pedagogical flow) provided jointly by the University of Bologna and GREEENARCO srl. on 26 and 27 July successfully. Phase 2 of the certification course will be continued in September...