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Hello friends, my name is Gabriela and I got the opportunity of volunteering for Interreg North West Europe project “IDEA”, in Belgium.    This is a very important project that seeks for new sustainable resources for food/feed & chemicals in North West Europe region, in order to supply our growing population with the least possible environmental impact. In this scenario the microalgae come as protagonists, first because of their high nutritional content and others valuable components, and second because of the environmental advantages of their production, especially if included in a circular production system. Because of the great prosperity of this renewable resource, and because of the climate similarities, partners from Belgium, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Ireland and UK are working together with Interreg for the IDEA project, in which much effort is being made to optimize the entire process chain based on microalgae. Therefore, different companies and universities are necessary in this project whether is to research and give information or to do the testings and the practical work of the different sectors of production, from cultivation to processing and formulating products. As a volunteer, I’m working in the communication area of a dairy farm in Temse, Belgium, called Heirbaut ALgriculture, that is focused on shifting from animal-based to plant-based production. There they have a big microalgae cultivation system and they use this resource in their dairy products to make it more tasteful and healthier. Moreover, this microalgae cultivation is included in the milk production chain of the farm, serving as a pathway for leftover carbon dioxide from cow production. You can follow us on Instagram for more details! https://www.instagram.com/heirbaut.algriculture/ I am enjoying this experience because, as a recent graduate biologist, I feel like I can participate in a very important cause and make a difference by talking about a subject that I really like! – Gabriela, IVY Project Partner for the Interreg project  IDEA, under the programme Interreg North-West Europe,  at Heirbaut aLgriculture CV Discover more about the Interreg project IDEA Click Here Discover more about the Host Organization Heirbaut aLgriculture CV Click Here

My name is Despina, I am 23 years old and I’ve been volunteering as an IVY Project Partner for the ENI CBC Black Sea project BSB CIRCECON at European Regional Framework for Cooperation (ERFC) in Athens Greece for 3 months already. This experience is so unique and interesting. I get to participate first hand in the promotion and management of BSB CIRCLECON project.  The BSB CIRCLECON project is crucial, as it aims to promote entrepreneurship, innovation, and business growth in the Black Sea Basin region through cross-border collaboration and knowledge-sharing. By supporting the development of SMEs and enhancing the competitiveness of the region, the project can contribute to economic growth and job creation, as well as strengthening the overall social and economic development of the area. All this with the main focus being on circular economy. BSB Circlecon is important outside of the EU as it fosters regional development, cooperation, and economic growth, which can have a positive impact on neighboring countries and beyond. Its focus on entrepreneurship and innovation can inspire and benefit businesses worldwide.   Hopefully all this information makes you take the next step and apply to become an IVY Volunteer yourself, to get the chance to experience the European cooperation projects offered and promoted by all the partners collaborating within Interreg. It’s definitely a once in a lifetime experience ! – Despoina, IVY Project Partner for the ENI CBC Black Sea project BSB CIRCECON at European Regional Framework for Cooperation (ERFC). Discover more about the Interreg project BSB CIRCLECON Click Here Discover more about our host organisation European Regional Framework for Cooperation Click Here

Hello everyone, My name is Marianne and it has been almost two months since I started my experience as an Interreg Volunteer. So far, everything is going well, being a volunteer is a very rich experience at both personal and professional level. Within the CPMR Intermediterranean Commission, I’m currently supporting the planification of activities for “Community4Tourism”.  This project is a governance project of Thematic Community of the Interreg Euro MED programme. It belongs to Mission 4 of the programme “Enhancing Sustainable Tourism”. “Community4Tourism” aims at:   facilitating the exchanges and the development of synergies between thematic projects at Med level; developing technical knowledge embedding the results of the projects and strategies; supporting the effective transfer of their results to other territories or stakeholders; The project will coordinate and work very closely with Dialogue4Tourism, the Institutional Dialogue project of Mission 4. In the framework of my mission as a volunteer I have already being involved in the current activities of the project. We are at this stage, launching the first activities of the project and planning the work for the next years. Previous Next I hope that this small overview made you want to follow our project and the mission. If so, note that soon our website will be available. There, we will be sharing on the progress of activities, main results, and events regarding the mission. -Marianne, IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Euro-Med project “Community4Tourism” at CPMR Intermediterranean Commission. Discover more about the Interreg project Community4Tourism Click Here Discover more about our host organisation CPMR Intermediterranean Commission Click Here

Hey! My name is Julie, I from France and I started an interreg volunteer in Lyon 1 month ago. My host organization is a regional agency of energy and environment which is working a lot on European projects. They are part of two new projects that started in November last year: ADAPTNOW and X-RISK. The first one, ADAPTNOW, works on strengthening the adaptive capacity of Highly Affected and Exposed Territories to be able to cope with unpredictable climate events for the future. The second one, X-RISK, is similar but is focusing on extreme events. The goal of these two projects is to be better prepared for the natural risks that are changing with the climate change. Two topics that interest me a lot! My mission is to help with the first stage of each of the two projects. For that, I am doing the inventory of the risk management tools that already exist (with the aim then to see what can be improved), I will also interview some natural hazard actors about a storm in France that happened 4 years ago, and I already participated to some meetings. One of these meetings was a few days ago. I had the chance to go with some colleagues at the Eurac Research Center in Bolzano for a X-RISK meeting and to exchange with all the partners from the project. It was super interesting to see how people from the alpine space (Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Slovenia…) gather and work together to find solutions for the future! I am super happy to have joined the IVY community, it is a super experience, and I am glad to contribute at my level in environmental European territorial cooperation projects! – Julie, IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Alpine Space ADAPTNOW & X-Risk CC at the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Energy Environment Agency – AURA EE Discover more about the Interreg project ADAPTNOW Click Here Discover more about the Interreg project X-Risk CC Click Here Discover more about our host organisation Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Energy Environment Agency Click Here

My name is Aroa, and I’ve been an IVY Volunteer for almost 2 months. I am doing this experience in the Interreg Program of the Upper Rhine Region in the Swiss city of Basel.  I think my experience is a bit different from other volunteers who are hosted by partners involved in an Interreg project, as I am not only in a project, but I am working at the program level. Volunteering in an Interreg program is interesting, as I am getting to know many different projects and people. This experience is also helping me to better understand how Interreg works and how the EU funds different projects. For me, the best thing is to see how a project materializes and to be involved in all stages of the process, such as attending Interreg meetings where projects are accepted or rejected, talking to prospective partners, and much more. As I said, I am volunteering in Switzerland, a country that is not part of the EU. Many of you may wonder how this is possible. And the answer is that, as you know, Switzerland is a country located in the center of Europe that has several EU countries as border partners. Therefore, especially the Swiss border regions, such as Basel and Ticino, are constantly influenced and affected by the movements of bordering countries such as France and Italy. That is why the inclusion of Switzerland as a partner in Interreg projects is part of the main objective of Interreg to promote cooperation in border regions and thus contribute to improving the lives of their inhabitants. However, Switzerland is not supported by the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF). Interreg projects with Swiss participation are partly financed by the Swiss Confederation and the cantons involved. – Aroa, IVY Reporter at the Regio Basilensis – RCP Interreg Upper-Rhine Discover more about the Interreg Upper-Rhine programme Click Here

My name is Silvia, I come from Italy, and I joined the IVY Program as a Project Partner in Greece. In collaboration with the University of Patras, I am participating in the FRESH WAYS Project, which is aimed at promoting exchanges of fresh products and economic growth in Italy and Greece through sustainable transportation. The activities of this project are based on empowering citizens and improve their everyday life in both villages and cities, pursuing sustainability, while promoting good practices and fostering cooperation among the participating regions in the countries. At the moment I am involved in activities such as research, analysis and transfer of replicable results, community needs assessments, and communication on social media. I have learned a lot during my first month here, and I find the environment very stimulating and innovative. I’m looking forward to the months to come, and I definitely recommend taking part in the IVY Program to other young people who are willing to discover more about international cooperation and earn new experience on the field. – Silvia, IVY Project Partner at the Joint Secretariat Interreg South BalticUniversity of Patras, for the Interreg project Fresh Ways, under the Interreg programme Greece – Italy Discover more about the FRESH WAYS project Click Here