My name is Ester Sclauzero, I’m 25 years old and I recently graduated in Public Relations at the University of Udine. Since December, I have been part of the IVY (Interreg Volunteer Youth) programme, and I am currently volunteering at EGTC GO within the Interreg project CycleProMotion.
Funded by the Interreg Italy-Slovenia Programme, CycleProMotion aims to bridge existing gaps in cross-border cycling infrastructure by transforming the frontier into a unified, sustainable tourist destination. The project strengthens slow mobility through a joint tourism product supported by a network of five smart stations. These solar-powered, self-sufficient stations provide essential services, including e-bike charging, Wi-Fi, and localized travel data, encouraging cyclists to transcend national borders and experience the ITA-SLO area as a single, interconnected region.
The project involves a lead partner and five project partners, including EGTC GO (European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation: “Territory of Municipalities: Comune di Gorizia (IT), Mestna občina Nova Gorica (SI) and Občina Šempeter-Vrtojba (SI)”). Partners cooperate closely through regular online and in-person meetings, ensuring coordination across work packages and aligning strategies, activities and deliverables. This continuous dialogue is essential to create a truly integrated cross-border product and a common promotion strategy.
The main beneficiaries of the project are local and regional public authorities, SMEs and tourism service providers, development agencies, as well as the general public – both residents and tourists. By improving service integration and promoting sustainable mobility, CycleProMotion contributes not only to economic development but also to social inclusion in the programme area.
As the project is still in its initial phase, my role mainly focuses on communication and coordination support. I assist the EGTC GO team with communication-related tasks and, during partner meetings, I am responsible for drafting the minutes, which are then shared with all partners to ensure transparency and keep track of progress. This has allowed me to better understand how cross-border cooperation works in practice and how important clear communication is in EU-funded projects.
Being part of CycleProMotion is giving me the opportunity to see how sustainable tourism, innovation and territorial cooperation can come together to create tangible impact. It is inspiring to contribute, even in a small way, to a project that aims to make the border not a barrier, but a meeting point – and a destination in itself.
– Ester, IVY Project Partner at European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation EGTC GO, for the Interreg Italy-Slovenia project CycleProMotion – Promotion of sustainable cycle tourism in the Italy-Slovenia cross-border area
