On 18 June 2026, t2i – as Lead Partner of RECONNECT – took part in a landmark Euro-Mediterranean event in Bologna dedicated to cohesion, sustainability and regional innovation. Discover how RECONNECT’s circular blue economy model is gaining recognition at the highest levels of EU policy debate – and what this means for Mediterranean SMEs. 

The Mediterranean at a Turning Point: Where Cohesion Policy Meets Blue Economy 

The DAMA Tecnopolo in Bologna hosted “Verso un Mediterraneo più intelligente, verde ed equo” (Towards a Smarter, Greener and Fairer Mediterranean) on 18 June 2026. Organised by Regione Emilia-Romagna and the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions (CPMR) under the Interreg Euro-MED Innovative Sustainable Economy Mission, the event brought together regional presidents, European Commission officials and project partners to debate the future of cohesion policy in the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework. t2i attended as RECONNECT’s Lead Partner, contributing the project’s perspective on circular blue economy models and AI-driven innovation for coastal SMEs.
More updates on the RECONNECT official page: https://reconnect.interreg-euro-med.eu/news/

From Coastal Waste Streams to European Policy Priorities 

The morning plenary sessions addressed rethinking regional cohesion in a world in transformation, with institutional voices from Tuscany, Catalonia, Croatia and the European Commission’s DG REGIO. Key themes – climate change pressures, geopolitical instability, and the emerging data-driven economy – resonated directly with RECONNECT’s mission. The project works precisely at the intersection of Mediterranean blue economy waste streams (mussel shells, blue crab, fishing nets, fish skins) and circular innovation pathways for artisanal and coastal SMEs: the very actors cohesion policy must equip to compete sustainably in the next programming period. 

RECONNECT and the Euro-MED Innovative Sustainable Economy Mission: A Shared Agenda

The afternoon featured a world café co-creation workshop structured around four strategic tables: cohesion priorities in Mediterranean regions; multi-level governance and the centrality of territories; transformative innovation for sustainable development; and the added value of territorial cooperation. RECONNECT embodies all four dimensions. Through its Open Call for Veneto aquaculture and craft SMEs, its AI Matchmaking Tool (live at t2i.it/reconnect), and its growing cross-border network spanning Italy, Croatia, Spain and Greece, RECONNECT demonstrates how Interreg Euro-MED projects can translate policy ambitions into tangible circular value chains for coastal communities. 

Looking Ahead: RECONNECT’s Lessons for the 2028–2034 Programming Period 

The Bologna event delivered a clear signal: territorial cooperation projects are living laboratories that test new models of circular economy governance before they scale. As the European Commission drafts the post-2027 framework, RECONNECT provides concrete, replicable evidence. The consortium’s period 2 Jems reporting is complete; the AI matchmaking infrastructure is operational; supply-side partners in Veneto fishing cooperatives and demand-side industrial offtakers (from bioplastics to fashion) are actively engaged. The blue circular economy is not just an environmental imperative – as RECONNECT is proving, it is a territorial economic opportunity ready to be embedded in the next cohesion policy cycle. 

“Being in Bologna on 18 June was the right place at the right time for RECONNECT. The debates on cohesion 2028–2034 confirmed that what we are building – circular blue value chains, AI-powered partner matchmaking, open calls for coastal SMEs – is exactly what the Mediterranean’s next programming framework needs to support. We return from Bologna with stronger policy arguments and renewed energy to close our Open Call and expand the project’s network of innovators.”

Enrico Segantin
Senior Project Manager,t2i – technology transfer and innovation