[Erik Logar]

Idea Overview:

Many peripheral and rural areas in the Euro-Mediterranean region have registered geographical indications (GIs), particularly Protected Designations of Origin (PDO), with the hope of boosting their local economies and protecting traditional foods and their producers. However, preliminary research shows significant challenges: in many regions, these GIs exist only on paper and are not fully implemented. This is unfortunate because successful examples like Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and Aceto Balsamico demonstrate how powerful GIs can be for local economic and territorial development.

Project Aim:

We aim to develop and implement new solutions to help regions where GIs exist but are not functioning well in practice. Our goal is to create a common tool, strategy, or governance model that identifies challenges and successes of each GI and provides practical support to improve their implementation and impact.

Project Objectives:

Identify Challenges and Successes:

Conduct thorough research to understand the specific issues each GI faces.
Analyze successful cases to extract best practices.
Develop Practical Solutions:

Create strategies and tools to address identified challenges.
Promote the exchange of good practices among regions.
Empower Local Stakeholders:

Connect producers, local governments, and support services.
Provide training and resources to improve GI management.
Enhance Marketing and Production:

Develop marketing strategies to promote GIs.
Optimize production processes and organize producer networks.
Call for Partners:

We are seeking partners from the Euro-Mediterranean area who are interested in developing these solutions. We warmly welcome stakeholders with knowledge and ideas in this field, especially those with previous INTERREG experience. Ideal partners include:

Universities and research organizations
Associations of producers
Local and regional governments
Support service providers
Join Us:

If you are passionate about protecting traditional foods, supporting local economies, and have experience or interest in geographical indications, we invite you to join our project. Together, we can empower regions to fully realize the benefits of their GIs, creating a more vibrant and sustainable local economy.

Contact Information:
Please reach out to us with your interest, ideas, and any relevant experience. We look forward to collaborating with you to make this initiative a success. Post here or send email to erik.logar@zrc-sazu.si

[Gabriela Popova]

Dear Erik,
I am writing to you on behalf of BATTI. We are very interested in becoming a partner in your project proposal.
Bulgarian Association for Transfer of Technology and Innovation (BATTI) is the largest association in Bulgaria, focusing on the transfer of technology and innovation. BATTI has a head office in Varna. BATTI’s experts have been involved in more than 60 regional and international projects as a Lead organization and partner funded under Horizon 2020, Erasmus+, COSME, Bulgaria-Romania Cross Border Cooperation Programme, Bulgaria-Greece Cross Border Cooperation Programme, Black Sea Joint Operational Programme, Southeast Europe-Transnational Cooperation programme and different Operational programs in Bulgaria.
BATTI’s experts have years of experience in running and managing projects covering a wide range of actions including facilitating the public-private interaction, planning issues, capacity building and knowledge transfer for SMEs, companies, developing ICT and cloud technologies, public sector, developing regional and national tourism development plans, environment protection strategies, sustainable development, responsibility, promoting best practises in business support, providing professional and structured support services stimulating the development of the local economy business sectors, entrepreneurship’s initiatives, cluster’s initiatives, life-long learning, youth activities, immigrants’ integration, social entrepreneurship, empowering disabled people and cross-border cooperation.
The team of the association has extensive and varied in-depth experience in the preparation, implementation, monitoring, reporting and dissemination of results of projects, both as a leader and a partner organization.
BATTI may provide established contacts, networks, resources and experience necessary to more than 400 stakeholders in Bulgaria and the region from the public sector, NGOs, SMEs, universities, companies, etc; bringing together actors and stakeholders to facilitate learning, exchange of experience, culturally and economically to further develop existing and create new creative industries within the region and beyond.
Our project portfolio consists of a broad range of international projects, such as:
Increasing the Conformance of Academia towards Rehabilitation Engineering (i-Care), Development of Entrepreneurship in the Black Sea Basin (TREASURE), Black Sea Joint Environmental Monitoring and Protection (ALERT), Vocational Education and Training on Product Environmental Management for the Footwear and Textile Sector (EcoTextyle), etc. Further participation in the said project will complement the whole cycle of our services, add value to our mission and main activities, will creatively mobilize our resources and further the existing partnerships of BATTI, stimulating the creation of new links. A valuable output for BATTI is the opportunity to expand its internationalization and profit from the challenges of a broader partnership.
We would love to learn more about your idea. If you wish to know more, you can visit our website (batti.eu) or send us an email (battinnovation@gmail.com). We will be looking forward to your reply and hopefully working together soon!

[Avelina Onos]

Hi Erik!

This is Amanda from Incubadora CON VALORES (ICV), a Spanish NGO based in Valencia. We work on entrepreneurship and socio-labour inclusion for people at risk of exclusion, connecting the business sector with vulnerable communities through incubation programmes, mentorship and training, and we also support other NGOs through our global network 🌍

On the project side, we’ve been partner in more than 20 EU-funded projects (Erasmus+ KA2, CERV, AMIF, Horizon Europe) around migrant integration, gender equality, inclusive education and social inclusion. We also have a solid communications team and 30,000+ followers on LinkedIn, so we can help give real visibility to whatever we work on together.

Incubadora CON VALORES brings expertise in entrepreneurship education, incubation methodologies and ecosystem building, particularly supporting people and initiatives that face barriers to accessing economic opportunities.

Within this project, we could contribute to strengthening the entrepreneurial capacities of local producers and territorial stakeholders by developing practical training programmes focused on business development, market validation, value proposition, communication strategies and sustainable models for local economic activities.

Our experience in mentoring, coaching and building multi-stakeholder ecosystems involving companies, experts, entrepreneurs and local organisations could support regions in transforming existing geographical indications into stronger drivers of inclusive territorial development.

Would love to hear more about your project and see where we could collaborate. Feel free to reach me at amanda.ruiz@cvalores.org 🧡

[Monica Luxa]

Dear All,

The Chamber of Commerce of Cosenza (CC_CS) is a public body under Italian law representing the business system of the province of Cosenza, one of the largest and most diverse territories in the Mediterranean. The Chamber therefore has direct access to more than 100,000 registered companies active in the manufacturing, agri-food, construction, services, crafts and tourism sectors.
The Chamber has institutional functions of representation, promotion and development of the local economy, and manages business support services, facilitated finance instruments, and innovation, internationalisation and green transition projects. It works in close synergy with national and regional institutions and with national and European chamber networks, including the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), of which it is a partner through Promos Italia, the National Agency for the Internationalisation of Italian SMEs. We collaborate with the Municipality of Cosenza, the Calabria Region, universities (University of Calabria, “San Raffaele” Telematic University), research centres, Italian chambers of commerce, the Italian Association of Chambers of Commerce, major SME support bodies, national and international networks, European partners and business associations: a key requirement for the territorial anchoring called for by the call’s guiding theme, “Advancing territorial resilience”, and for the integration of results into local policies and strategies.
2. Interest in the call
The Chamber of Commerce of Cosenza intends to participate mainly as a partner in the Thematic Test projects to be submitted under Call 8 of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme.
We are particularly interested in the following missions and specific objectives (SO):
Mission “Strengthening an Innovative Sustainable Economy” – SO 1.1: developing and strengthening research and innovation capacities and the adoption of advanced technologies;
Mission “Promoting Green Living Areas” – SO 2.6: transition towards a circular and resource-efficient economy;
Mission “Protecting, Restoring and Valorising the Natural Environment and Heritage” – SO 2.7: protecting and conserving nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution.
3. Our added value
Technical expertise on the call’s themes
SO 1.1: support for the adoption of advanced and digital technologies in SMEs, innovation transfer from the research system to the productive system, and assistance with product/process innovation and internationalisation;
SO 2.6: circular economy and resource efficiency in production chains (waste, by-products, industrial symbiosis), technical assistance to companies for audits and transition pathways, awareness-raising and training;
SO 2.7: valorisation of the territory’s natural heritage (national parks and protected areas, coastlines, inland areas), pollution mitigation, urban green infrastructure, and networking with the managing bodies of protected areas and municipalities.
An ideal test territory
The province of Cosenza offers territorial contexts highly suited to the pilot projects required by Call 8: inland and mountain areas in need of resilience policies, valuable natural sites (Pollino National Park, Sila National Park, marine protected areas), medium-sized urban areas, a high-quality manufacturing and food-and-wine fabric, and typical Mediterranean challenges (climate change, hydrogeological instability, depopulation, seasonal tourism pressure).
Experience in transnational cooperation and in managing international and European Commission projects. A dedicated unit for the design and administration of EU funds, experience in communication and dissemination, event organisation, transferability and capitalisation of results; the capacity to coordinate multi-stakeholder working groups and to manage pilot activities in-house or through Promos Italia, of which the Chamber is a founding member.
4. Our contribution as a Partner
The Chamber of Commerce of Cosenza can guarantee:
pilots and field testing with companies and stakeholders in the Calabrian territory;
needs analysis and initial stakeholder engagement (preparatory activities);
dissemination, communication and SME involvement at national level and through the Enterprise Europe Network and the chamber networks;
transferability and follow-up of results into local policy instruments (chamber plans, memoranda of understanding, business services) and into regional strategies;
co-design and co-management: availability to contribute to drafting the application, also in the role of Lead Partner for projects consistent with the priorities indicated above.
Contacts
giuseppe.palopoli@cs.camcom.it clara.dambrosio@cs.camcom.it monica.luxa@promositalia.com

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