Spotlight on the European Union at Ecomondo 2022

CINEA, together with EISMEA and REA, participated in this year’s edition of Ecomondo with participants from 90 countries and around 1,400 exhibitor brands filling the 130,000 square metres. Ecomondo, which took place from 8 to 11 November in Rimini (Italy) is the benchmark event for the green and ecological transition in the Mediterranean.

The three Executive Agencies participated with a very central Stand, where hundreds of meetings took place highlighting the funding opportunities available to make Europe the first climate neutral continent in the world. Over 50 projects from the LIFE Programme, Horizon Europe, EMFAF, CEF Transport and the European Innovation Council were presenting at the stand. The projects showed different sustainable solutions on renewable energies, circular economy, sustainable mobility, energy efficient buildings and much more, explaining how European funds helped bring their innovative ideas to life.

An overview of CINEA’s projects at the Stand can be found here. However, many other EU-funded projects organised a session or had a booth in Ecomondo.

Meetings and events

The European Commission participated in dozens of events and the three agencies organised five sessions. The recordings will be available in the next days.

On 9 November, CINEA organised a high-level event to launch GREEN ASSIST, the Green Advisory Service for Sustainable Investments Support, with the presence of Director Dirk Beckers and a video-message from DG ENV Director-General Florika Fink-Hooijer. Funded with EUR 30 million from the LIFE Programme, GREEN ASSIST helps beneficiaries to prepare green or greener investment projects, across diversified sectors, for instance by integrating nature-based solutions or circular economy principles. The recording is available here.

Later on the same morning, a session Blue skills and careers for the European Green Deal was held. Luca Marangoni, deputy Head of Unit in CINEA presented the new EMFAF Call for proposals on blue careers, setting the scene. JRC presented the GreenComp framework, while the Italian National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics gave a Mediterranean perspective for new skills and jobs. A panel discussion followed. The recording is available here.

In the afternoon, twelve European beneficiaries had the chance to pitch their project proposals to selected experts and investors coming from the private sector. The purpose was to highlight the added-value of the proposed solutions from a technological and business perspective. The recording is available here.

On 10 November, the three Agencies presented their European funding programmes before hundreds of participants interested in unlocking opportunities for the green transition. The recording is available here.

The fair was a great opportunity for participants, project coordinators and European Commission's officers to create partnerships and meet hundreds of potential beneficiaries from the Mediterranean and beyond.