And quite a lot has happened in Rijeka from October 21-25. The GREENPACT consortium decided earlier this year to combine different events for a trip to Croatia in autumn and met there for the Steering Committee Meeting, a study visit for stakeholders and – last but not least – the first international collaboration lab. This meant that not only the partners from 5 countries travelled to the Mediterranean but also finalists of the regional collaboration labs and training programs. The aim was to bring them together, exchange their experiences and have them work jointly on a new and Rijeka-specific challenge. They had the chance to get to know the city on a walking tour, were asked to identify local problems on sustainability and come up with a smart solution. The teams worked on their ideas and – after some mentoring and presentation guidelines – pitched them to the project partners and stakeholders. From “Make the City smile” to “We love the City that flows” to “Smart Window Design in the City Center” – all ideas would be easy to accomplish and we can’t wait to ask our Croatian partners in a few weeks if they are to be realised.
Also, for all participants, our hosts organised a sustainable city tour and presentations of best practice examples from small and specialised companies, like e.g. Tabitha’s Glass Emporium or a daily opened local Repair Café, organised by the regional Waste company.
It’s always great to meet the partnership in person and to deepen the relationship and talk about the project. It’s even better to bring young people and stakeholders, in order for them to get to know our project and its purpose and to spread the news about our activities back home.
At the moment all partner regions are preparing their second rounds of the training programs and are in the middle of collecting registrations. We are excited to tell you more in a few weeks!