12 October 2023
From the 26th to the 28th of September, Interreg Europe organised a series of workshops for first call projects called the Interreg Europe Project training days. During this event, the lead partners from all 72 projects approved in the first call came together in Lille, France, to learn more about how to make the most of their research projects. As one of these lead partners, we participated in this inspiring and insightful event. We had the opportunity to exchange knowledge with project leaders, policy officers, finance experts, and communication managers about common challenges in our respective projects.
This event came at a crucial moment for UNLOCK, as the project has reached its next stage. The kick-off event was a success, and all partners have been informed of the expected project results and how we will reach these results. The Project Training Days gave us useful tips, insights, and valuable experiences so we can take the next step forward in unlocking the hydrogen economy for SMEs.
Interreg Europe set up three training days on various topics. These sessions covered finance, project reporting, and communication.
During the financial training day, participants gained valuable insights into legal frameworks, expenditure verification, and financial reporting. As lead partners, we had the opportunity to benchmark different scenarios, and we received helpful tips for both financial and progress reporting.
The second day gave supporting insights into project reporting and how to keep results specific and target-focused. The workshops also included what we should do in the case of unforeseen results or difficulties in policy development.
The last day was divided into a world café, a presentation on communication requirements, website and visuals, and a workshop on video storytelling. On this final day, it was the communication officers and managers’ turn to share and learn. What are their experiences in Interreg Europe projects, which communication challenges do they run into, and what are their tips for getting the most out of sharing project results?
We gained valuable insights beyond mere enhancements in finance, progress reporting, and communication. It became evident that there was a lot of knowledge to be exchanged between us. We had the privilege and pleasure of sharing valuable experiences with other first call projects.
The training days provided an ideal opportunity to network and foster connections that could spark future collaborations between projects and pave the way for future joint ventures within the Interreg Europe program.
Would you like to have a look at the presentations as well? Click the link here.
Curious about this training event? Click the link below for an impression video.
Many regions across Europe are developing or preparing to establish local green hydrogen economies, the so-called hydrogen valleys, which include initiatives for smart and green mobility, circular economy, and climate adaptation. Most of these hydrogen valleys are led by industry, whereas participation of SMEs is rather limited. Moreover, it seems that local SMEs are not aware of opportunities or possible challenges that open up with development of local hydrogen economies.
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