Category: News from Asia & Australasia

EU-Japan Region-to-Region Innovation Cooperation: The Fourth Exchange Meeting of EU Regions and Japanese Prefectures

As the EU-Japan Region-to-Region Innovation Cooperation programme will conclude in November 2023, the final exchange meeting between the EU regions and the Japanese prefectures participating in the programme will take place on 30 October 2023 with Session 2 from 16:00-18:20 JST / 8:00-10:20 CET (online). The meeting will be held in a hybrid format, with participation in person from Japan...

Brisbane hosts IURC delegation at Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS)

Brisbane City Council welcomed a delegation from Barcelona, Melbourne, New Plymouth and Christchurch from 9-13 October 2023 on the occasion of the Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS). The event - which gathered more than 1,100 delegates from 171 cities, including 118 Mayors and Deputy Mayors - involved IURC delegates in several workshops within the thematic areas "Cities of Connection" (technology,...

Circular Economy and Biomining: Forging the Way

25 September 2023 As part of the IURC thematic network ‘Ecological Transition & Green Deal’, on 25th September 2023, IURC AA (India) delivered the thematic event Legacy Waste Biomining: Challenges & Solutions. The aim was to share best practices on how to manage legacy waste. Officials from Panaji, Leh, Jamshedpur, Patna, Porbandar, Gangtok, Kochi, Chennai, Trier, Messina and the Greek Cities...

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...