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When I first started my volunteer role with a cross-border cooperation program, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I knew I’d be assisting with communications, as an IVY Reporter, but the full scale and impact of the work didn’t become clear until I was actively involved. Now, looking back, I can see that, so far, this experience has been incredibly rewarding, both professionally and personally. I am part of the ALCOTRA program, which means « Latin Alps Cross-Border Cooperation ». The program is dedicated to addressing the common challenges that border regions face. These challenges can be quite varied—ranging from environmental and economic issues to social concerns. By funding and supporting local projects, the program aims to create a more connected and inclusive future for communities on both sides of the border. It’s an ambitious mission that requires a lot of coordination, commitment and motivation. One of the projects that truly caught my attention was VéloPluf, which I found especially inspiring for its commitment to both sustainability and inclusivity in promoting sustainable tourism. This project offers families the chance to enjoy nature and spend quality time together, while using eco-friendly transportation like bicycles. In my role, I assist the communications officer with spreading the word about our activities. This includes crafting engaging social media posts, updating websites, and assisting with the planning of online events. Each piece of content I create is a small but important part of a larger effort to keep both beneficiaries and the public informed and engaged. One of the most fulfilling aspects of my job is seeing how effective communication can truly impact a program’s reach and perception. For example, our campaign promoting the online consultation for post-27 successfully broadened our reach and boosted public participation in completing the online questionnaires. It’s incredibly rewarding to see that your involvement and efforts are making a real impact and drawing more attention to the program’s purpose. – Tahiana Olivia, IVY Reporter at the Joint Secretariat of the Interreg Programme France-Italy ALCOTRA Discover more about the Interreg Programme ALCOTRA Click Here

Hello everyone! My name is Beatrice, and today I’m happy to share with you some insights from my experience as an IVYReporter for the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE programme in Venice, Italy. Since I embarked on this journey last June, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to dive deep into the world of public administration, thanks to the institution that hosts me, the Veneto Region, which is also the Italian National Contact Point for the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE programme. From day one, the team and especially my mentor have welcomed me with open arms, guiding me through the daily activities and making me feellike an integral part of this impactful programme. So, what is the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme all about? Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE is a remarkable European transnational cooperation initiative designed to tacklecommon challenges and reduce socio-economic disparities in a region once divided by the infamous “Iron Curtain.” This programme covers nine EU Member States (Northern Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, EasternGermany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland) and has its Programme Management Authority inVienna, Austria. In my daily role, I support the National Contact Point of the Programme by organizing national and local events and communicating the objectives and results of projects through various social media channels. But there’s more! I also have the honor of working on activities related to the post-2027 consultation, particularly through participating in interviews with other IVYs and contributing to the implementation of a CEA. What exactly is a CEA? As the name suggests, a Citizen’s Engagement Activities (CEA) is a local event aimed at informing and involving citizens in an interactive way. But about what, exactly? In line with AEBR’s mission, it focuses on showcasing the achievements of European Regional Policy. In other words, it’s about raising awareness of the benefits that Cohesion Policy brings to local communities and engaging citizens in a dialogue about European Cooperation. My CEA, in particular, aims to highlight the role of youth in European cooperation by encouraging their participation in open discussions and interviews about the future of Interreg. It involves various groups of young people, mainly students and members of non-profit organizations from the Triveneto region(Veneto, Friuli, and Trentino), who might not yet be aware of the projects implemented by Interreg in their area What do I love about this opportunity? What excites me most about this opportunity provided by AEBR is the chance to directly contribute to the organization’s visibility by utilizing my communication, public speaking, and networking skills. For me, this is incredibly valuable because I’m always seeking ways to express my creativity and challenge myself, especially when it involves promoting meaningful initiatives. Although it’s only been a little over two months since I started, I already feel like I’ve grown in many ways. On one hand, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of the internal dynamics of both Regione del Veneto and the Interreg programme. On the other hand, I’ve also enhanced my ability to propose ideas and makedecisions, independently and as part of a team, both in the NCP and the IVY Alumni community.   I can’t wait to see the results of my project and participate in future initiatives promoted by InterregVolunteer Youth! – Beatrice, IVY Reporter at the Italian National Contact Point of the Interreg Programme Central Europe Discover more about Interreg Central Europe Click Here

Hello everyone! I am Evanthia, I am from Greece and for the past few months I’ve been an IVY volunteer on the program SMEOrigin (SMEs and European Original Geographical Indications) in the framework of Interreg Europe. Its main goal is to improve regional development policies and funding programs aiming at increasing the competitiveness of SMEs in the food sector. More specifically, the project has been designed to foster products with a geographical indication (PDO/PGI) in the involved regions by improving the quality standards of SMEs, fostering their digital transformation, and promoting the authenticity of the products. Over these months, my role was to help with the organization of the stakeholder and the interregional meetings as well as the reinforcement of the regional thematic reports. Moreover, through my experience, I have grown interest in the nutritional and health benefits of the main PDO/ PGI of my area. Since I am studying Dietetics & Nutrition I’ m planning on doing my own research on these products like the feta cheese, olive oil, mavrodaphne, resin and bottarga. In this way I hope I will contribute even more to the promotion of these products. Unfortunately, in many areas the geographical indication products and the food sector are either underrepresented or not mentioned at all. By emphasizing an openminded mindset and market interest towards GI food products many can benefit from it. The ones who mainly benefit are the SMEs that produce the PDO/PGIs. Then of course, there is the primary producers like the farmers and fishermen whose product we are promoting and finally a boost to the regional economy is expected. The partners meet once every six months for the official stakeholder meetings. In the meantime, many thematic meetings are organized. Wine and mavrodaphne producers gather, a great example is Oinoxeneia <https://oinoxeneia.gr/>, which is a good practice for SME projects as well – please, take a look at this link: https://www.interregeurope.eu/good-practices/place-branding-and-development-of-aigialeia-wine-region-through-the-quality-network-oinoxeneia My experience has been great so far and I’m excited for the rest of my journey in the IVY program! – Evanthia, IVY Project Partner at the University of Patras for the Interreg project “SMEOrigin”, under the Interreg Europe Programme Discover more about the Project SMEOrigin Click Here

Hello everyone ! My name is Sara Smaniotto and I am an IVY at the Mission Opérationnelle Transfrontalière (MOT) in Paris, France. I joined the MOT nearly three months ago, and my experience has been very positive and enriching since the very beginning. Working on the Alcotraité project has given me the great opportunity to dive deeper into cross-border governance and cooperation, and to see bilateral obstacles and barriers becoming corner-stone opportunities for a brighter common future. The Alcotraité project is funded by the Interreg France-Italy ALCOTRA programme and aims at strengthening cross-border cooperation and governance between Italian and French bordering regions and local communities. Focusing on specific objectives included in the bilateral Quirinal Treaty signed by Italy and France in 2021, Alcotraité addresses and aims at finding concrete solutions to overcome existing cross-border barriers in the fields of healthcare, biodiversity and public transport. Thanks to the active participation of all five regions at the terrestrial border (Regione Liguria, Regione Piemonte, Regione Autonoma Valle d’Aosta, Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Région Auvergne Rhône-Alpes) and of the Mission Opérationnelle Transfrontalière (MOT) acting as a facilitator, Alcotraité favours multi-level bilateral cooperation and enables partners and stakeholders to be actively engaged in jointly identifying cross-border barriers, and in developing common solutions. The project, moreover, pays close attention to citizens’ needs and it allows stakeholders’ expression of ideas through a bottom-up approach. During my experience as an IVY at the MOT I’ve been involved in various stimulating activities, that enabled me to grow personally and professionally and allowed me to make valuable contributions to the project. More precisely, I’ve been actively engaged in the analysis of the outcomes to a survey on cross-border obstacles launched in the summer and open to the public and to local actors living and operating in areas along the Italian-French border. The feedbacks received, and the conducted analysis, have been crucially important for us and for the project partners, as they have enabled us to better comprehend the practical cross-border barriers that local stakeholders face in their daily lives, and they have allowed us to support meaningful advancements in the project partners’ cross-border governance and cooperation – notably in the field of public transport and infrastructure. I’ve also been taking part in project-related meetings and working sessions, and I had the opportunity to attend the annual ad-hoc event organized in the framework of Alcotraité to celebrate the signing of the Quirinal Treaty – this year, the conference was hosted by Regione Piemonte in Turin. Finally, I am now involved in the organization of three territorial workshops, which will encourage discussions and exchanges to identify concrete solutions to the still-existing cross-border obstacles and to further proceed in joint cross-border cooperation. I am really happy about my IVY experience, and I am very grateful for this opportunity! – Sara, IVY Project Partner at MOT for Alcotraité Interreg project Discover more about ALCOTRAITÉ Click Here

“The beauty of Interreg lies in its ability to bring European integration to life—it is the most tangible exercise of cooperation, uniting public and private entities, academic institutions, and NGOs across regions to deliver real, impactful results.” There are no better words to describe my experience as an Interreg Volunteer Youth at the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme, than the one shared by one of the stakeholders who benefited from the programme during a focus group I had the pleasure to organise for the Consultations on the Future of Cohesion Policy Post-2027. My name is Gregorio Vichi and in these past five months I have been directly involved in supporting the programme’s efforts to strengthen and improve transnational cooperation. Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE is all about connecting regions and organisations across borders to tackle shared challenges, from climate change to innovation, fostering regional development. Through EU-funded projects, it brings together partners from nine countries—Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia—to find common solutions that benefit citizens, businesses, and local governments alike. As an IVY Volunteer, I have had the opportunity to delve into the policy debate on the future of Cohesion Policy by contributing to the stakeholder consultation process. Analysing feedback from programme beneficiaries spread across Europe has allowed me to understand the priorities and challenges that must be addressed in the coming years. Beyond this consultative process, I have also been involved in communicating the value of transnational cooperation, transforming policy discussions and project results into engaging content that highlights the tangible impact of EU-funded initiatives. At the same time, I have contributed to the organisation’s strategic activities, fostering dialogue and engagement among key actors in European cooperation. This has led me to take an active role in supporting and organising workshops, events, and the launch of new calls for applications. In conclusion, my time as an IVY Volunteer at Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE has been an enriching experience. It has allowed me to witness first-hand how different actors from different European regions and sectors work together to overcome shared challenges, turning cooperation from an abstract concept into a concrete tool for change. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone passionate about European affairs eager to make a change into society. But especially to the sceptics—those who often perceive the EU as merely a legislative and regulatory body, detached from reality. From helping farmers developing practices that can store carbon dioxide, to creating more competitive rural villages, you will witness how Interreg shape a stronger, more connected Europe—one project at a time. – Gregorio Vichi, Interreg Reporter at Joint Secretariat of Interreg Central Europe Discover more about Interreg Central Europe Click Here

Hello everyone! I am Hanife, an architect from Turkey. I arrived in Narvik the last of August to volunteer at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, motivated by a passion for sustainable construction and the opportunity to contribute to an innovative project tackling the unique challenges of the Arctic climate. Ar2CorD project, supported by Interreg and involving expert partners from Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, and Greenland, aims to develop sustainable construction practices tailored to the region’s harsh conditions, specifically focusing on improving the frost resistance of concrete and reducing its carbon footprint. In my role, I started to design a long-term concrete test facility, drawing inspiration from a range of innovative designs. My first step was analyzing water levels to determine the ideal height for concrete sample structures, which allows for a stable and effective layout. I’m also exploring sustainable energy solutions, like implementing solar panels, which could provide green energy even in the challenging Arctic environment—an exciting possibility! Additionally, I hope to increase the visibility and public engagement around our monitoring station. By enhancing the site’s aesthetic and accessibility, I aim to make it a more appealing destination for tourists, all while showcasing our commitment to sustainability. Volunteering here is a unique and rewarding experience. Narvik has a peaceful, close-knit community that warmly welcomes newcomers, and the city’s commitment to sustainability is truly inspiring. UiT’s Narvik campus is a beautiful place to work, with wide-open windows offering breathtaking views of Ofotfjorden and Narvik Harbour. This project provides a valuable opportunity to support Arctic communities by advancing durable, eco-friendly construction practices, and it’s exciting to be part of this meaningful work.  I look forward to the coming months as we make strides in developing solutions that can benefit the entire region. – Hanife Ekinci, Interreg Project Partner at UiT The Arctic University of Norway for the Interreg Project “Ar2CorD”, under the programme Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic Discover more about the AR2CorD project Click Here