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Category: Regional Cluster Industrial Modernisation

From vineyard to value chain: Field Notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission in Mendoza   

Mendoza, Argentina | 28 September – 2 October 2026    How can regions make their agri-food systems more innovative, competitive and resilient — while ensuring that transformation reaches producers across the entire value chain?   That question guided the IURC Latin America and the Caribbean Advanced Cooperation Mission in Mendoza, bringing together representatives from Mendoza, Loreto, Rio Minho and South Tyrol as...

Beyond green hydrogen: Field Notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission in Alentejo  

Alentejo, Portugal | 28 September – 2 October 2026   What does it take to turn the promise of green hydrogen into a real opportunity for regional development? The answer goes far beyond technology. It involves ports, industrial infrastructure, research, investment, skills, regulation — and the ability of regions to ensure that the benefits of the energy transition reach the territories...

Meet the IURC LAC regions working on digital transformation

Across Europe and Latin America, regions face a common challenge: digital technologies — and particularly AI — are evolving rapidly, while many small and medium enterprises still lack the skills, resources or strategic guidance needed to adopt them effectively. Through the IURC Latin America and the Caribbean programme, Bucharest-Ilfov, Bacău County, Santiago Metropolitan Region and Tucumán collaborate within the Community...

Exchange visit of the CoP 5 Industrial Modernization with Ai to Emilia Romania and Auvergne Rhone Alpes – Sept 14 to 18, 2026

On September 14, member regions of the Community of Practice (CoP) gathered in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy to discuss industrial innovation driven by digitalization and the adoption of AI. Participants included government officials from Aichi and Hiroshima Prefectures (Japan), the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (France), the Catalonia region (Spain), Sisak-Moslavina County (Croatia), and the Western Greece region. The delegation remained in...

Meet the IURC LAC regions working on green and just transition

Across Europe and Latin America, regions are working together to advance more inclusive, coordinated and innovation-driven green and just transitions. Through the IURC Latin America and the Caribbean programme, these territories collaborate within the Community of Practice on Green and Just Transitions to exchange knowledge, address shared challenges and develop a transferable, citizen-centred governance model for green industrial transition. Their...

From waste to resource: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission in Porto 

Porto, Portugal | 21–23 July 2026  The IURC programme held a Green and Just Transition Advanced Cooperation Mission in Porto as part of the Community of Practice on urban regeneration and social cohesion (CoP 2), hosted by LIPOR — the intermunicipal waste management service of Greater Porto. Representatives from Hunedoara (Romania), Valle del Cauca (Colombia) and Chihuahua (Mexico) joined the host team for three...

Strengthening SME Digital Readiness Across Regions: Field notes from the Advanced Cooperation Mission in Santiago 

Santiago, Chile | 21–25 July 2026  How can regions better understand the digital readiness of their SMEs—and turn that knowledge into targeted, measurable support?  That question guided the latest IURC Latin America and the Caribbean Advanced Cooperation Mission, hosted by the Santiago Metropolitan Region as part of the Digital Transformation Community of Practice (CoP 1). Representatives from Bucharest (Romania), Bacău...

Webinar: Human-centric development of digital & AI skills

A webinar hosted by Catalonia (Spain) was held on July 9th, 2026 on behalf of the Community of Practice for Industrial Modernization and AI – Human-Centric Digital & AI Transformation. The session, which drew approximately 50 participants, highlighted the key essense of human-centric development of digital & AI skills, drawing on case studies from Catalonia, Western Greece, Hiroshima Prefecture (Japan),...

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...

EU–Japan Cooperation Enters Intensive Implementation Phase

The EU-funded International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme has entered an intensive implementation phase in 2026, further strengthening city-to-city and region-to-region cooperation between the European Union and partner countries. Cooperation is structured through Communities of Practice (CoPs)—thematic platforms coordinated by leading EU regions or cities—which bring together public authorities, industry, research organisations, and universities under a quadruple-helix approach. Each...