I’m volunteering for the IDEA project!
Hello friends, my name is Gabriela and I got the opportunity of volunteering for Interreg North West Europe project “IDEA”, in Belgium. This is a very important project that seeks for new sustainable resources for food/feed & chemicals in North West Europe region, in order to supply our growing population with the least possible environmental impact. In this scenario the microalgae come as protagonists, first because of their high nutritional content and others valuable components, and second because of the environmental advantages of their production, especially if included in a circular production system. Because of the great prosperity of this renewable resource, and because of the climate similarities, partners from Belgium, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Ireland and UK are working together with Interreg for the IDEA project, in which much effort is being made to optimize the entire process chain based on microalgae. Therefore, different companies and universities are necessary in this project whether is to research and give information or to do the testings and the practical work of the different sectors of production, from cultivation to processing and formulating products. As a volunteer, I’m working in the communication area of a dairy farm in Temse, Belgium, called Heirbaut ALgriculture, that is focused on shifting from animal-based to plant-based production. There they have a big microalgae cultivation system and they use this resource in their dairy products to make it more tasteful and healthier. Moreover, this microalgae cultivation is included in the milk production chain of the farm, serving as a pathway for leftover carbon dioxide from cow production. You can follow us on Instagram for more details! https://www.instagram.com/heirbaut.algriculture/ I am enjoying this experience because, as a recent graduate biologist, I feel like I can participate in a very important cause and make a difference by talking about a subject that I really like! – Gabriela, IVY Project Partner for the Interreg project IDEA, under the programme Interreg North-West Europe, at Heirbaut aLgriculture CV Discover more about the Interreg project IDEA Click Here Discover more about the Host Organization Heirbaut aLgriculture CV Click Here
My experience as IVY Reporter for the Interreg Upper-Rhine programme
My name is Aroa, and I’ve been an IVY Volunteer for almost 2 months. I am doing this experience in the Interreg Program of the Upper Rhine Region in the Swiss city of Basel. I think my experience is a bit different from other volunteers who are hosted by partners involved in an Interreg project, as I am not only in a project, but I am working at the program level. Volunteering in an Interreg program is interesting, as I am getting to know many different projects and people. This experience is also helping me to better understand how Interreg works and how the EU funds different projects. For me, the best thing is to see how a project materializes and to be involved in all stages of the process, such as attending Interreg meetings where projects are accepted or rejected, talking to prospective partners, and much more. As I said, I am volunteering in Switzerland, a country that is not part of the EU. Many of you may wonder how this is possible. And the answer is that, as you know, Switzerland is a country located in the center of Europe that has several EU countries as border partners. Therefore, especially the Swiss border regions, such as Basel and Ticino, are constantly influenced and affected by the movements of bordering countries such as France and Italy. That is why the inclusion of Switzerland as a partner in Interreg projects is part of the main objective of Interreg to promote cooperation in border regions and thus contribute to improving the lives of their inhabitants. However, Switzerland is not supported by the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF). Interreg projects with Swiss participation are partly financed by the Swiss Confederation and the cantons involved. – Aroa, IVY Reporter at the Regio Basilensis – RCP Interreg Upper-Rhine Discover more about the Interreg Upper-Rhine programme Click Here
My first month as an IVY volunteer in Greece
My name is Silvia, I come from Italy, and I joined the IVY Program as a Project Partner in Greece. In collaboration with the University of Patras, I am participating in the FRESH WAYS Project, which is aimed at promoting exchanges of fresh products and economic growth in Italy and Greece through sustainable transportation. The activities of this project are based on empowering citizens and improve their everyday life in both villages and cities, pursuing sustainability, while promoting good practices and fostering cooperation among the participating regions in the countries. At the moment I am involved in activities such as research, analysis and transfer of replicable results, community needs assessments, and communication on social media. I have learned a lot during my first month here, and I find the environment very stimulating and innovative. I’m looking forward to the months to come, and I definitely recommend taking part in the IVY Program to other young people who are willing to discover more about international cooperation and earn new experience on the field. – Silvia, IVY Project Partner at the Joint Secretariat Interreg South BalticUniversity of Patras, for the Interreg project Fresh Ways, under the Interreg programme Greece – Italy Discover more about the FRESH WAYS project Click Here
Being an IVY Project Partner for the Marless project, under the programme Interreg Italy-Croatia
My name is Chiara, and I am currently an IVY Project Partner at the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia-Giulia in Trieste, Italy, within the framework of the project MARLESS. MARLESS, acronymous of “MARine Litter cross-border awarenESS and innovation actions”, is part of the Interreg Italy-Croatia Programme and it aims at implementing a concrete and joint action to address the issue of marine litter in the Adriatic Sea. The Interreg Italy-Croatia Programme indeed supports cross-border cooperation among the territories overlooking the Adriatic Sea; particularly, the current Interreg Italy-Croatia CBC Programme 2021-2027 is focused on the blue economy, and it capitalise on previous cooperation experiences for creating stronger synergies with EUSAIR. /*! elementor – v3.6.5 – 27-04-2022 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=”.svg”]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} Being an IVY Volunteer within the project MARLESS has been exciting and gratifying since the first day. Indeed, I am learning a lot about the EU Cohesion Policies and the extent to which they play a vital role in our daily life as European citizens. Moreover, this experience is raising my awareness about the relevance of interregional cooperation for effectively facing current and future challenges. However, being an IVY Volunteer is not just about being immersed in a daily learning process confined to the EU interregional cooperation and European Cohesion Policies, it is even networking, acquiring essential skills, and feeling part of a vibrating IVY community. Personally, I have found not just colleagues but friends, and every day I have the opportunity to exchange interesting ideas with the project partners and know more about their amazing works and experiences. In addition, I am acquiring knowledge and skills that might boost my future career as well as contribute to my personal growth. Indeed, I am currently working on several different tasks, such as communication tasks, data revisions, drafting reports, and social media content creation. Accordingly, I am becoming confident with communication, the project management cycle, the functioning of the European Regional Development Fund, and the overall intricacies of the EU Cohesion policies. After just one month of being involved in this exciting journey, I can say that I am glad to be part of this programme, which allows youth to concretely experience the EU cooperation system within a stimulating environment, empowering our chances to actively take part in the future of Europe along with increase our consciousness about European citizenship which does not know any borders! – Chiara, IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Project MARLESS, under the programme Interreg Italy-Croatia, at the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region Discover more about the MARLESS project Click Here
My IVY experience in Greece
My name is Ioannis and I am from Greece, where I live my experience as an IVY volunteer. The project I volunteer for is called ”HERMES” and we are working with virtual reality – augmented reality, cultural heritage, theater and music. More specifically this period, we work with virtual reality and augmented reality applications.Archaeological sites and museums are places that collect, document, display and preserve creations of art and science where members of a society can learn, research, and make connections between the present, the past, and the future. The Interreg ‘’HERMES’’ project aims to interact with collaborating partners and to approach the curiosity of visitors-tourists to archaeological sites and museums with the use of innovative IT tools. AR and VR are reality technologies that either enhance or replace a real-life environment with a simulated one. The Mobile app was designed and developed for Android devices and provides the following: The history of the castle of Arta city through an interactive book (text, photos, sound, and 3D models); 3D reconstruction of the castle (rotate, zooming, panning); Points of interest of the castle; AR functionalities. If you are interested in checking out the “Hermes” app, you can download it at this link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Hermes.AR The virtual reality application was designed and developed for VR Headsets (testing with Oculus Quest 2) and provides the following: Virtual Tour inside the Castle of Arta; Interactive Virtual Learning with Game (quiz, puzzles, etc.); Multilanguage (Greek, English). Some of my duties are to collect panoramic footage of the castle of Arta with the help of a drone; also, I help with technical features, supporting the programming part, and, finally, I help with the promotion of the project: I’m often in contact with European tourists and I show them the VR application so that they can use it themselves. I am very happy for my participation in this project as a volunteer, because I managed to combine IT technology with the cultural aspects of the local community. I hope that I will continue to volunteer and to contribute as much as I can to the promotion of cultural heritage throughout Europe, with the help of technology. – Ioannis, IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Project Hermes, under the programme Interreg Greece – Italy, at the University of Ioannina Discover more about the HERMES project Click Here
Volunteering for the Organic Ecosystem project
I am volunteering in the framework of the project “ORGANIC ECOSYSTEM” which is funded by INTERREG ENI-CBC Programme. The project “Organic Ecosystem – Boosting cross border Organic Ecosystem through enhancing agro-food alliances” aims at enhancing organic MSMEs through the creation of a Cross-Border Organic Ecosystem in collaboration with Public Authorities and private actors. This is pursued by the scaling up organic value chain through the establishment of new Med business alliances. The Project involves partners from 6 Mediterranean Countries where Competent Authorities, in charge of sector’s policy and surveillance, are involved and ensure project results sustainability. Objectives are reached by: A Cross-Border Organic Ecosystem and a common strategy; Consultancy services for business development to facilitate SMEs in innovative value chain creation; Local Labs to share knowledge and support new business alliances and international business events to facilitate MSMEs market access and the link with research. 150 MSMEs (production, processing, supply, trade etc.) are involved and at least 24 organic MSMEs are directly supported. Project final beneficiaries are agro-food MSMEs at large and consumers that benefit at all levels from a trustful organic sector. The most interesting activity I was involved in recently was the participation in the BIOFACH 2023 event, which was attended by key organic producers from Greece. It was an important business, emotional event for the organic sector, and both a get-together and an opportunity for positioning. I personally benefitted from the experience of co-organizing with INNOPOLIS the participation of the Greek SMEs to this event. The participating SMEs had the chance to benefit from their participation in various ways like: Networking Opportunities: BIOFACH Expo is the world’s leading trade fair for organic food, offering an excellent platform to network with industry experts, potential business partners, and customers. Business Expansion: The Expo provided to them an opportunity to showcase their products, services, and innovative ideas to a global audience, opening up new markets and increasing sales. Brand Awareness: They had an excellent opportunity to build brand awareness and increase visibility in the global market. – Vasileios, IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Project ORGANIC ECOSYSTEM, under the programme ENI CBC MED, at INNOPOLIS – Centre for Innovation and Culture Discover more about the ORGANIC ECOSYSTEM project Click Here
