{"id":89,"date":"2024-10-22T07:56:55","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T04:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/?p=89"},"modified":"2024-10-22T08:32:07","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T05:32:07","slug":"reflections-on-the-european-week-of-regions-and-cities-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/reflections-on-the-european-week-of-regions-and-cities-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections on the European Week of Regions and Cities 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 22nd<\/sup> edition of European Week of Regions and Cities (EURegionsWeek) 2024, held on October 7-10 in Brussels, was a convergence of policymakers, academics, regional representatives and media. This annual event, organized by the European Commission\u2019s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy and the Committee of the Regions, provided a platform for sharing insights and fostering collaboration on EU cohesion policy topics. As a member of the pre-award team at the University of Vaasa Research Services, staying updated on the latest EU discussions is crucial for informing prospect project funding applications. That\u2019s why attending this kind of event is incredibly valuable!<\/p>\n

Key Learnings<\/strong><\/p>\n

The theme for this year, Empowering Communities<\/em>, underscored the importance of local and regional governance in driving sustainable development.\u00a0Many sessions highlighted successful case studies and EU project results where community-led initiatives have significantly contributed to economic growth and social cohesion.<\/p>\n

Numerous workshops and participatory labs showcased innovative policy solutions<\/strong> addressing regional disparities.\u00a0Focus was put on digital transformation in rural areas, demonstrating how technology can bridge gaps in education, healthcare, and economic opportunities to mention a few.<\/p>\n

The green transition<\/strong> was a central topic, with discussions on how regional ecosystems can lead in implementing the European Green Deal.\u00a0Practical examples included regional strategies for reducing carbon footprints and promoting renewable energy sources.<\/p>\n

The event facilitated extensive networking opportunities<\/strong>. Participants could engage with over 500 speakers and 7000 attendees, a combination of policymakers and stakeholders, fostering partnerships that extend beyond the event itself.\u00a0A great opportunity to networking for universities looking to collaborate on research projects and policy development.<\/p>\n

Experiences<\/strong><\/p>\n

Attending EURegionsWeek was not just about gaining knowledge but also about experiencing the enriching spirit of collaboration and innovation. The event was offering a blend of high-level policy discussions and practical workshops<\/strong>.\u00a0The exhibition area, featuring 30 stands and regional tastings, provided a vibrant space for informal interactions with policymakers and funders, prospect project collaborators and presenters from the workshops and sessions. The cultural exchange within the diverse European regions and the learning from the insights shared by eager representatives of innovative solutions, contributed to a common endeavor and ambition to driving sustainable development across Europe.<\/p>\n

One particularly memorable session was a participatory lab on urban mobility, where participants engaged in hands-on activities to design sustainable transport solutions.\u00a0This interactive approach not only enhanced learning, but also encouraged creative problem-solving.<\/p>\n

Implications for Universities<\/strong><\/p>\n

The event highlighted the critical role of academic institutions in regional development and regional ecosystems<\/strong>, from conducting impactful research and enabling innovations to training the next generation of responsible policymakers and leaders. Universities can leverage the knowledge and connections gained to enhance their contributions to regional and urban policy and a sustainable future.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, the European Week of Regions and Cities 2024 was an impactful convergence of the power of collaboration and innovation in addressing regional challenges and presenting possible solutions. The learnings and experiences from this event will undoubtedly inform and inspire future collaborations and research and innovation project preparations.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ps. If you\u2019d like to watch some of the EURegionsWeek high-level sessions, you can access them here:\u202f2024 Sessions | European Week of Regions and Cities<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Malin Wikstedt<\/p>\n

malin.wikstedt@uwasa.fi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 22nd edition of European Week of Regions and Cities (EURegionsWeek) 2024, held on October 7-10 in Brussels, was a convergence of policymakers, academics, regional representatives and media. This annual event, organized by the European Commission\u2019s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy and the Committee of the Regions, provided a platform for sharing insights and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":478,"featured_media":90,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-yleinen"],"acf":[],"post_meta":" Research services<\/a><\/span><\/span>Yleinen<\/a><\/span>","post_thumbnail":"\"\"<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/478"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89\/revisions\/92"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwasa.fi\/researchsupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}