Volunteering to boost green hydrogen mobility in the Alpine Region
Hello everyone! I am Eliana, currently an IVY Project Partner for the H2MA project under the INTERREG Alpine Space programme. For the past two months, I have been living in Velenje, a small city with three lakes surrounded by Slovenian nature and mountains. Here, I am volunteering at the leading organization of the H2MA project. But what does H2MA mean? The H2MA initiative stands for “Green Hydrogen Mobility for Alpine Region Transportation”. The project aims to foster the development of green hydrogen mobility infrastructures within the Alpine region; through the development of cooperation mechanisms, strategies, tools, and resources, it seeks to increase the capacities of territorial public authorities and stakeholders to overcome existing barriers and collaboratively plan and pilot test transalpine zero-emission H2 routes. H2MA partners come from five different countries in the Alpine Space (SI, IT, DE, FR, AT), and together they are working to achieve the project goals: improving the governance of green hydrogen mobility, boosting the uptake of green H2 for heavy-duty transportation across the Alpine space, unlocking green financing and improving the cooperation framework between public authorities and businesses involved in green H2 mobility. My role at the organization is to support communication within the framework of the project, to gather information and prepare creative graphic material to share the project’s advancements on social media. I joined the project in its second year of existence, for now I have only met the partners during the online meetings, but I hope to participate in face-to-face meetings in the next months! Since I arrived here I have been warmly welcomed! I am enjoying the experience here and I am grateful to have the opportunity to creatively support the organization, and live a small city surrounded by nature. Moving to beautiful Slovenia has been a great decision for me. As we are halfway through the project’s life, I look forward to seeing what the future months will bring. – Eliana C., IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Alpine Space project “H2MA”, at the Energy Agency of Savinjska, Šaleška and Koroška region (KSSENA) Discover more about the Interreg Alpine Space project H2MA Click Here Discover more about KSSENA Click Here
My journey as an Interreg Volunteer Youth at the University of Patras
Hello everyone! I’m Paty, an Interreg Volunteer Youth at the University of Patras, in the department of Civil Engineering. For the past three months, I’ve proudly served as a Project Partner for the Dialogue 4 Living Areas project, finding a welcoming atmosphere and strong support from the team since day one! The Dialogue 4 Living Areas project takes a holistic approach to green living areas, promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy, citizen energy communities, sustainable urban transport, improved waste and water management, and the development of urban and peri-urban agriculture. Aligned with the mission to foster green living areas, the project focuses on shaping policies and initiatives through dialogue involving stakeholders. In my capacity as an IVY Project Partner, my responsibilities have spanned diverse tasks, from conducting research to engaging in discussions and collaborating with fellow partners to define strategic goals. Drawing on my background in biology, I actively contribute my expertise to initiatives promoting sustainability, energy efficiency, and renewable energy awareness, among other topics. A notable highlight in my journey was attending the enlightening event, “Connecting the dots: The path to a smarter and greener Mediterranean”, in Ljubljana. This two-day gathering, supported by AEBR and my host, the University of Patras, not only expanded my professional network but also deepened my practical understanding of the project by providing me with the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions with key stakeholders. In essence, this experience has been enriching, fostering my creativity and refining my skills within an exceptional working environment. Without hesitation, I recommend the IVY experience to anyone contemplating this impactful journey! – Panagiota P., IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Euro-MED project “D4LA”, at the UNIVERSITY OF PATRAS, Special Account for Research Grants Discover more about the Interreg Euro-MED project D4LA Click Here Discover more about the University of Patras Click Here
Life as an IVY Volunteer in INTERREG Europe’S project OD4GROWTH
I am Dimitrios, I am 23 years old and I have the opportunity to participate in the OD4GROWTH “Strenghtening the availability and processing of Open Data to support local growth and urban transformation” project of the INTERREG EUROPE Interregional Cooperation program from October 2023 at the host organization, the Regional Fund of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. So far everything is going well. The OD4GROWTH project of the INTERREG EUROPE Interregional Cooperation program has important goals and aspirations to strengthen the digital economy and twin transition in Europe. I can highlight the following objectives of the project: Raising awareness of public and private entities about the importance of open data, with the aim of exploiting it and activating a regional ecosystem for open technologies. Motivating agencies to make available and use data in order to increase the quantity and quality of available data. Formulation of a commonly accepted regional open data policy. Public Regional Authorities (Public Sector), Users (Civil Society) and Businesses (Private Sector) benefit through the 3 main themes Quality and Quantity of Open Data provided by Public Bodies. Quality of services addressed to citizens. (quality standards) Support in the development of new services using Open Data. (businesses) The project includes partners from various European countries, with experts in the field (Spain, Italy, Poland, France, Lithuania) and others (Greece, Hungary, Latvia) who need support to increase the availability and usability of Open Data. The total budget of the project amounts to 1,827,628 euros. I participate in supporting the development of the regional ecosystem for open data (communication, informing about the development of the project, supporting the organization of local meetings). I run a feedback mechanism to collect information! By actively managing these aspects, I contribute significantly to the successful development of a regional ecosystem for open data, fostering collaboration and ensuring the continuous development of the initiative. Project partners collaborate through online meetings, scheduled steering committee meetings, and ongoing email communication. In summary OD4GROWTH wants to contribute to the development of the EU by improving and revising policies to strengthen the data economy in the EU and contribute to a smarter Europe, an open society and a common policy. With its participation in the project, the Regional Development Fund of East Macedonia and Thrace wants to develop in the East Macedonia and Thrace Region measures-instructions regarding Open Data (availability & usability). I like to participate in this important project because it has important possibilities for me to understand how an important project works. Of course, I will not omit how much the colleagues (manager, mentor and other employees) who work at the Regional Fund of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace have contributed to the development of my skills. Finally, I believe it was an important opportunity of my life that will open new paths in my future! – Dimitrios G., IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Europe project “OD4GROWTH”, at the Regional Development Fund of East Macedonia and Thrace Discover more about the Interreg Europe project OD4GROWTH Click Here Discover more about Regional Development Fund of East Macedonia and Thrace Click Here
My experience as an IVY Volunteer at EGTC-GO
Now halfway through my six-month journey with the EGTC GO, I find myself reflecting on the richness of this experience. In my third month, I am deeply immersed in supporting the Small Projects Fund (SPF), a cornerstone initiative of the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia program. The SPF project, a cornerstone of EGTC GO, aims to support small-scale projects with a “bottom-up” approach. These projects are designed to strengthen the role of culture and sustainable tourism in economic development, social inclusion and social innovation. My role is critical in preparing the tools needed to kick off the first 27 SPF projects. Each project embodies a unique collaboration between Italian and Slovenian partners, spanning areas ranging from culture (music, theater, cinema), sustainable and green tourism, religion, education, and youth engagement. By early 2024, many of these projects will be ready to begin their activities, marking a significant milestone in cross-border cooperation. /*! elementor – v3.18.0 – 20-12-2023 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=”.svg”]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} This experience is enriching me significantly, giving me a deeper understanding of the true value and meaning of cooperation. Being part of such a dynamic environment has allowed me to learn about EU cohesion policy in action, to see how it facilitates regional development and promotes unity across borders. As I continue my journey with EGTC GO, I am excited to see the impact of our work and the lasting contribution we are making to the cross-border community. This experience is not just about professional development; it is about being part of something bigger, a testament to the power of collaboration and shared goals in shaping a better, more cohesive Europe. – Svetlana D.V., IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Italy – Slovenia project “SPF GO! 2025”, at European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation EGTC GO Discover more about the SPF GO! 2025 project Click Here Discover more about the host organization Click Here
Unforgettable 3-month experience in the culinary tourism industry in Latvia
I would like to tell you about the exciting experience I have gained by participating in volunteer work through the Interreg project “Innovative Solutions for the Rural Food Production Sector to Diversity into Sustainable Culinary tourism services – BASCIL”. Before I accepted participation in the project, I had already heard something about such projects in my neighbourhood, but I didn’t really know how they work and how you can apply for your participation. This summer I was honoured to participate in this Interreg project and develop my existing skills as well as gain new experiences. During 3 months, I have met knowledgeable, experienced, hardworking and country-loving people from the Latvian country tourism association “Lauku Celotajs”. Before I met these people, I had no in-depth knowledge of the tourism industry, but now I have an idea of how projects can be implemented in the tourism industry. It was also a great pleasure to work in such a good team, where I could turn to for help and advice. I learned more about systems where you can develop websites. I also broadened my horizons regarding the articles of the tourism press release, so that I could interest more and more foreign guests in visiting our beautiful land – Latvia. Mainly, I was entrusted with communication with tourism entrepreneurs, providing them with all the necessary information about this year’s tourism events, which were implemented by the association “Lauku Celotajs”. I not only informed about the events, but also invited to participate in them. This year, I found out that “Home Cafe Days” are being held in Latvia for the third year. Home cafe days are an events where not only professional catering entrepreneurs can participate, but also ordinary households who live outside the city daily. The main goal of the event was that every householder could assume the role of the manager of his “cafe”. For someone it was an opportunity to realize their dream for at least two days, but for others it was an opportunity to rethink their life plan and maybe open their own, real cafe in the future. Also, one of the goals of the event was to attract visitors from neighbouring countries, sharing their traditional flavours that cannot be tasted outside of Latvia. I had the honour to be a part of such an event by accepting and processing the participant questionnaires. I also apply my knowledge to improving the descriptions of home cafes. If I ever had another opportunity to participate in this type of project, I would apply. As I mentioned earlier, this type of project allows you to expand your horizons and knowledge. These are new meetings and unforgettable experiences. Many thanks to the project partners and the team of the “Lauku Celotajs” for allowing me to apply my existing knowledge in a completely new industry. Also, thank you for being able to make my contribution to the development of tourism. I recommend everyone to get involved and use the opportunities of such projects! – Edīte M., IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project “BASCIL”, at the Latvian country tourism association Lauku Celotajs @photo canva stock Discover more about the BASCIL project Click Here
3…2…1…IVY Experience in SMAPE…Let’s Go!
Hello everyone, My name is Christina, I´m 23 years old, Ι am from Greece and I am an IVY Volunteer for the Interreg Europe project “Shared Mobility Action Programmes Exchange – SMAPE”. I have finished my studies at the University of West Attica, in the Department of Topography and Geoinformatics Engineering and I am really happy that I can now maintain my relationship with the university through a different perspective via this IVY Interreg Europe Program, while further broadening my horizons. Almost three months ago, I was warmly welcomed into the SMAPE UniWA team and so far, everything is going well. The truth is that being a volunteer in such a program is a unique experience for several reasons. The most interesting fact is that the IVY program offers the opportunity to gain important knowledge on issues such as local development, creation and improvement of benefits and services in the society. I have been familiarized with principles that matter which, until now are unknown to many people of my age, as they were to me. It is a worth trying opportunity, it opens up new dreams for the future so I suggest you to be a part of it and experience it! Now let’s move on to SMAPE! The SMAPE consortium, consisting of partners from Belgium, Germany, Norway, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, and Romania, aims to facilitate the growth of new forms of shared mobility by introducing policies and concrete actions that accelerate the uptake of shared mobility services. The overall goal is to reduce CO2 emissions and traffic congestion. The project focuses on aspects such as the integration of shared mobility with public transport and mobility as a service, the use of data (dashboards) for monitoring and policy adjustments and data sharing, the influence of attitude and behaviour, towards the optimization of the mix of mobility modes, regulations, frameworks for public-private partnerships and policy improvements. During these months of my work in SMAPE, through research I try to support the implementation of certain activities in the best possible way while doing tasks like report writing, support for preparation of interregional meeting, translations, data study. It is very important for me, as a young person, to communicate with these organizations and be able to share with them my views, my questions and my passion for work. – Christina G., IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Europe project SMAPE, at the University of West Attica Discover more about the SMAPE Interreg project Click Here Discover more about the host organization Click Here
