“Interreg” refers to European Territorial Cooperation (ETC), one of the two main objectives of the European Union’s Cohesion Policy, which aims to reduce disparities between regions and countries. Interreg seeks to implement joint actions and policy exchanges between EU Member States through different programmes like ours.

The main goal of the HIBA+ project is to drive the digital transformation of the agri-food sector in the Spain-Portugal cross-border region. It focuses on creating an open, collaborative and multisectoral digital innovation ecosystem that fosters entrepreneurship and the internationalisation of SMEs.

As an IVY volunteer, I work closely with the communication and marketing departments, contributing to the development of the project’s communication strategy: from creating content for social media to designing graphic materials for training sessions and events, producing and recording videos for the YouTube channel, and helping organise events. All materials and actions aim to maximise the project’s outreach and reach as many beneficiaries as possible.

Thanks to this experience, I have been able to strengthen key skills such as intercultural communication, digital event management, audiovisual editing, multilingual institutional writing, and teamwork in multicultural and high-pressure environments. Every day is an opportunity to learn, both on a technical and a personal level.

In addition, being part of Finnova has allowed me to contribute to other European projects led by the foundation from its offices in Brussels and Spain, broadening my perspective and understanding of the European innovation and cooperation ecosystem.

This experience has been key in confirming my interest in continuing to develop my career in European communication, territorial innovation, and international cooperation projects. I want to keep following this path while remaining open to exploring new sectors where I can apply what I’ve learned, continue growing, and acquire new skills.

My time at HIBA+ has been enriching in every sense, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to learn, contribute, and be part of a project with such transformative potential.