On 11 and 12 June 2026, Laura Comelli, the Managing Authority of the Interreg VI-A Italy–Slovenia Programme participated in the Joint WestMED National Event Italy–Malta in Rome. Now in its fourth edition, the event brought together national institutions, research organisations, investors and maritime stakeholders from both countries to foster cooperation and innovation within the Mediterranean blue economy.
The event provided an important opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities linked to the green and digital transition of the maritime sector, with a particular focus on decarbonisation, safety, port infrastructure development and the strengthening of blue skills.
During the roundtable dedicated to INTERREG funding programmes, the Managing Authority presented the experience of the Interreg Italy–Slovenia Programme in the capitalisation of project results and their contribution to the objectives of the WestMED strategy. Among the projects showcased were POSEIDONE, TRECap, BLUECRAB, BioTiles and SeaInsights, examples of cross-border cooperation addressing strategic topics such as maritime governance, marine environment monitoring, biodiversity protection, invasive species management, coastal ecosystem resilience, and the collection and analysis of marine data.
Participation in the event also provided an important opportunity to engage with representatives of the WestMED community and stakeholders of the Mediterranean blue economy, helping to strengthen dialogue and identify potential synergies in the fields of maritime governance, environmental sustainability and the valorisation of project results at the Mediterranean level.
