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From 2 to 4 April 2025, the city of Sarajevo hosted the 3rd gathering of the Innovative Sustainable Economy (ISE) Community of Practice (CoP), bringing together around 100 stakeholders of the Interreg Euro-MED Missions as well as delegates from the Union for the Mediterranean, PRIMA and other invited external experts. MIO-ECSDE showcased one of the ISE Mission’s flagship initiatives designed to foster knowledge transfer and local impact: the Mentoring & Twinning (M&T) Programme.
MIO-ECSDE, with Haris Paliogiannis presenting on-site, guided the first steps of this key activity which supports the uptake of sustainable solutions developed by the Interreg Euro-MED Thematic Projects. The M&T Programme welcomed its first four “takers” from Greece, Italy, Lebanon and Palestine — each committed to exploring sustainable solutions tailored to their local needs.
Meet the beneficiaries:
- Konstantinos Papadakis – Co-founder & Chairman at AgroID S.C.E. (Greece)
- Tomaso Fortibuoni – Researcher at ISPRA (Italy)
- Georges Youssef – Mayor of the Municipality of Menjez (Lebanon)
- Olga Batran – Director at B-Hub, Birzeit University (Palestine)
The beneficiaries engaged directly with the 14 Thematic Projects (“givers”), initiating a pilot mentoring phase focused on aligning needs, approaches, and innovations. As the leading partner for the M&T component, MIO-ECSDE is facilitating this two-way exchange, supporting interested stakeholders in developing the skills and knowledge needed to successfully replicate innovative solutions in their local contexts.
Beyond the M&T Programme, the 3rd ISE CoP event proved to be a meaningful setting for collaboration and learning, laying the groundwork for effective cooperation among Mediterranean actors. The agenda featured a rich mix of workshops, peer-to-peer exchanges, and capacity-building sessions focused on behaviour change in support of circular economy.
Key sessions focused on enhancing synergies among the 14 Thematic Projects, scaling innovations, and aligning efforts with Mediterranean sustainability goals. Participants collaborated to identify common challenges and shape policy-oriented strategies—marking the first step toward the development of the ISE Mission’s White Papers, which will continue to evolve through future sessions.
MIO-ECSDE’s active presence throughout the event reaffirmed its commitment to cross-border knowledge exchange, strong environmental governance, and the upscaling of impactful solutions across the Mediterranean.
Read more about the 3rd ISE CoP here.
Read in French here.