Latin America
Asia & Australasia
North America
EU Cities Gateway
China

Category: Thematic Cluster 2025-2027

EU and Asian Cities Advance Circular Economy Cooperation through IURC Mission to Iskandar Malaysia

Iskandar Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia | 16–19 June 2026 Representatives from European and Asian cities, the European Commission, the EU Foreign Policy Instruments Service, and the IURC Team gathered in Iskandar Malaysia for an advanced cooperation mission dedicated to accelerating collaboration on circular economy, wastewater management and sustainable urban development. Hosted by the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), the mission formed...

The city after dark in Buenos Aires: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission

Buenos Aires (Argentina) | 26 – 28 May The IURC programme held its Advanced Cooperation Mission in Buenos Aires as part of the Community of Practice on nighttime economy, bringing together representatives from Braga (Portugal) and Genoa (Italy) as European partners, and Salvador de Bahia (Brazil) from Latin America, hosted by the Government of the City of Buenos Aires. Over...

From Rome to Bologna on citizen participation: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission

Rome and Bologna (Italy) | 25— 28 May The IURC–LAC Community of Practice on citizen participation methodologies and nature-based solutions reunited in Italy for an intensive stretch of exchange between Latin American and European cities. Over the course of two visits — first in Rome and then in Bologna — delegations from Salvador de Bahia (Brazil) and Buenos Aires (Argentina),...

Affordable housing up close in Barcelona: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission

Barcelona (Spain) | 26 – 28 May The IURC programme held its Advanced Cooperation Mission in Barcelona, bringing together representatives from Cartagena (Colombia), Concepción (Chile), and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to explore how Barcelona approaches the affordable housing crisis — from regulatory frameworks and land management to neighbourhood rehabilitation and large-scale urban development. Over three days, participants combined workshops, site...

Exploring smart city platforms in Famalicão: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission

Famalicão, Portugal | 19 – 21 May The IURC programme held its Advanced Cooperation Mission in Famalicão, bringing together representatives from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Guadalajara (Mexico), and Piraeus (Greece) to explore how urban data and smart city platforms can strengthen local governance and support risk management. Over three days, participants explored how Famalicão has built its smart city ecosystem...

2nd Business Talk Webinar: Exploring How the GDS Index Helps Destinations Turn Sustainability Ambitions into Action

The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Programme hosted a Knowledge Transfer Webinar on 3 June 2026 titled “Deconstructing Sustainability: How the GDS Index Can Help You Transform Your Destination.” The event brought together representatives from cities, regions, tourism organizations, and sustainability practitioners to explore how destinations can measure, benchmark, and improve their sustainability performance using the Global Destination Sustainability...

IURC Regions Explore Joint Climate Adaptation Strategies for Forestry and Viticulture

Climate change is increasingly reshaping landscapes, ecosystems, and agricultural systems across the globe. To explore practical responses to these challenges, the region-to-region Community of Practice (CoP) #2 - Resilient Agri-food Industry & Forestry - recently brought together experts, researchers, policymakers, and regional representatives from Europe and Australia for a webinar focused on the impacts of climate change on forestry and viticulture. The event provided...

Bologna Hosts International Exchange on Repair and Circular Economy under the IURC Programme

From 24–26 May 2026, the Metropolitan City of Bologna hosted the first Advanced Cooperation Mission (ACM) under Community of Practice (CoP) 8: Circular Economy Urban Centres, bringing together representatives from Europe and Asia & Australasia to exchange knowledge and practical experiences on repair culture and circular economy solutions. Delegations from Bologna, Riga, Gangtok and Seberang Perai participated in a series...

Webinar: Digital & AI Deployment within Existing Companies

A webinar hosted by Sisak-Moslavina County (Croatia) was held on May 26, 2026 on behalf of the Community of Practice for Industrial Modernization and AI – Human-Centric Digital & AI Transformation. The session, which drew approximately 80 participants, highlighted practical pathways for SMEs to adopt AI, drawing on case studies from Croatia and Japan as well as cross-regional expert panel...

IURC Sustainable Tourism Collaboration Featured in Korean Local Media

An IURC CoP 3 (Sustainable Smart Tourism) collaboration involving Jeonju (Republic of Korea) has been featured in Korean local media following its successful selection for EU competitive funding support. English Translation Jeonju City has been awarded €10,000 under a European Union (EU) urban cooperation initiative. According to the city government, its collaborative project on sustainable tourism, implemented in partnership with...