The Innovative Sustainable Economy Mission that includes the Community4Innovation project aims to foster a fair transition toward a circular economy through the development of novel technical knowledge and its translation into policy actions. Community4Innovation is the network that aims to create a Community of Practice for the projects of the Mediterranean region to enhance their collaboration and exchange valuable information regarding innovative solutions for sustainability issues of the region.

Having participated in this project has turned out to be an interesting experience both in terms of knowledge and personal skill development. Through my voluntary assignment, I was able to learn not only about how international collaborations work, but also get involved in certain actions linked to Community of Practice, Catalogue of Actionable Knowledge and Interreg Euro-MED Academy. On top of that, I had the chance to improve my soft and professional skills in an international environment.

Some of the most interesting activities of my volunteering assignment were the ones regarding WP1 – REUSE and Community of Practice. Some of the responsibilities included helping prepare draft agenda and invitations for meetings, taking notes during meetings and helping organize the meeting’s flow. I found this very helpful in realizing what lies behind planning and implementation of cooperation activities and how important coordination is for achieving successful collaboration.

Another highlight of my volunteer assignment is the participation in Community4Innovation activities in the framework of Circle the Med Forum, which took place on the 20-21 of May. On the first day, I helped prepare the 3rd MED Innovation Summit, while on the second day I attended the 5th ISE Community of Practice event. My role included assisting in preparing documents for the events (e.g. agenda materials, invitations) and following the discussions and gaining interesting insights about the topic from communication among participants. Participating in such forums provided me with a special opportunity of being part of inspiring conversations regarding innovative approaches and achievements in sustainability-related issues of the Mediterranean region.

Another significant aspect of my volunteering assignment was learning from my mentor about filling in the Catalogue of Actionable Knowledge. This Catalogue serves as the most important output deliverable of Community4Innovation. The Catalogue consists of an online document that gathers information about the results that were achieved through projects of the Mission one of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme and highlights the information about transferability, replicability and SDG contributions. My responsibilities involved gathering and organizing this information in addition to giving my suggestions on making the new version of the Catalogue more interesting and easy-to-use for its users.

Coming from an environmental engineering background, I have always been interested in sustainability and innovation. What makes this experience especially meaningful for me is the opportunity to connect my academic studies with real-world European initiatives that aim to create positive impact for local communities and future generations.

My IVY journey so far has been extremely rewarding, and I am grateful to be part of a project that encourages cooperation, innovation and shared learning across Europe. I am excited to continue learning and contributing throughout the rest of this experience.