Mediterranean Coast and EU Macro-regional Strategies Week 2018

Izola, Koper, Portorož | 18-28 September 2018

Message in a Bottle: Communication across MRS: How to communicate macro-regional strategies?

Communication managers in MRS conclude that:

- There is a need for more clarity in communication. This is need might materialise in a tailor-made training for the key implementers of MRS.

- There is a need for a better stakeholder mapping in MRS. The platform keep.eu as well as the EuroAccess tool help in identifying both stakeholders and funding sources.

- Events where MRS can be communicated to an interested audience (annual forums, participation days, stakeholder platforms, etc) bear the capacity to identify motivated multipliers for the macro-regional endeavour.

- The revision of the Action Plans of the EUSBSR and the EUSDR are also exercises to improve both the internal and external communication of these MRS.

- Success stories are of utmost importance when it comes to communicating MRS, both for involving journalists and politicians/policy makers. Starting from this, specific training in story telling emerge for internal and external communication.

- There can be mutual gains between Interreg and MRS. For MRS, Interreg is a – albeit not the only – funding source also for communication purposes. Moreover, strategic Interreg projects reach out to a world of citizens and policy makers and thereby also to other funding sources. They thereby have a specific communication potential for MRS. However, a certain degree of harmonisation between Interreg communication and MRS communication is needed.

- Participants welcomed the initiative to discuss communication activities among the four MRS. A follow-up organised by Interact or other stakeholders would be highly appreciated.

Participatory planning of the future of the Coastal Roads

DRAW THE COAST

On 21st September 2018 PiNA organized the first action of mass participatory planning in the area in the Coastal - Carst region and one of the largest in Slovenia – DRAW THE COAST.

In Slovenia, we often face negative public reactions when introducing innovative approaches for planning the public space and traffic arrangements. Negative responses are most often the result of insufficient public involvement in decision-making processes. Most local communities do not yet recognize the opportunities of the usage of modern public participatory tools. Often, we are also concerned that the involvement of the public will delay or even prevent the implementation of measures, and therefore avoid processes that go beyond statutory requirements. In addition, solutions that are not developed through public involvement can be defective, as planners of public space regulation understand and experience space differently than residents who use it on a daily basis.

On the area of ​​the former coastal road, PiNA spread a 2 km long roll of paper and gather various non-governmental organizations, institutions and other stakeholders. More than 600 people responded to the call and draw, write or otherwise enforce their vision of the future of this area.

In the end, PINA recorded all the ideas. By the end of the year the ideas will be carefully studied and synthesized in a written analysis with the professional support of the Geographical Institute of the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Science and Art, IPoP and Prostorož. At the beginning of next year, the analysis will be presented to the public and forwarded to the local municipalities, the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, all competent state institutions and the European Commission. At the same time, all the drawings will be digitized and published online.
But a picture is worth a thousand words. The DRAW THE COAST in numbers video even more.

European Territorial Cooperation Day 2018 in the frame of cooperation programme Interreg V-A Slovenia – Croatia 2014-2020

ENJOYING CULTURAL HERITAGE

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy (GODC) acting as Managing Authority of the Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Slovenia – Croatia 2014-2020 has organised an event on the 26th of September 2018 on Slovenian coast to mark the European Territorial Cooperation Day (EC-day).

EC-day 2018 has been organised for the seventh consecutive year under the auspices of the European Commission and the Interact programme. This year the event took place under the slogan "Painting our future together" underlining the achievements of territorial cooperation and its impact on shaping a common future within European Union and in cross-border areas. The year 2018 also marks the European Year of Cultural Heritage so highlighting how common cultural heritage unites cross-border regions was the underlying theme of the event which has also been reflected in its name - „Enjoying cultural heritage”.

Over 100 participants that gathered at the Monfort event venue in Portorož were greeted by Dimitrij Pur, Deputy Head of the Managing Authority of the Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Slovenia-Croatia 2014-2020. Mr. Pur stressed out that cross-border programmes play a major role in ensuring a balanced, coherent and sustainable development of participating countries and highlighted their contribution to the European Cohesion Policy goal of advancing economic and social cohesion. ‘’The events of this year’s European Cooperation Day are taking place all over European Union to show that the common cultural heritage unites us’’ added Pur. Alen Malnar welcomed the participants on behalf of the Croatian Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, acting as the National Authority of the programme. Franco Juri, Director of Sergej Mašera Maritime Museum of Piran and Vladimir Torbica, Head of Department for Culture of the Istria County both presented the shared cultural heritage of Slovenian and Croatian Istria and outlined the opportunities for cooperation.

The event featured a presentation of two projects, Riviera4Seasons2 and Mala barka 2 which are co-financed by the Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Slovenia-Croatia 2014-2020. Both projects are focused on heritage protection, Riviera4Seasons2 builds on preservation of regional heritage by including natural and cultural heritage and events in the countryside into newly formed itineraries while promoting sustainable green tourism. Mala barka 2 focuses on preservation, protection, promotion and development of maritime heritage, crafts and arts in the border area, which also presents a large, untapped tourism potential.

The participants set off to explore Slovenian coast aboard a ship which took them to the medieval town of Piran for a stroll through its narrow streets and a visit to the Sergej Mašera Maritime Museum of Piran where they learned about the cultural heritage of Piran.

Be Safe with Science – European Researchers’ Night 2018

Exploration of nature, natural phenomena, our body, behavior and the use of scientific discoveries in everyday life are important to the progress of civilization. Our life cannot be imagined without the current developments in science and technology. We wake up with the alarm set up on our mobile phone, turn on the lights and electrical appliances in the morning to get ready to go to the job, drive a car & do much more things daily, that increasingly depicts our dependence on science & its various researches. Some of the achievements of the last century have become a routine part of our lives. All this would not have been possible without the continuous efforts of the researchers, their dedication in laboratories and their various experiments.

A researcher opens the door to science. Therefore, with the help of the European Commission and the project 'European Researchers' Night 2018', the University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia for a consequetive third year presents & highlights the profession of a researcher and the different aspects of attractive careers in research, offering exciting employment prospects to young people and all other visitors. This event is important not only for the University but also for all the Slovenian coast and its development. Therefore it's a part of the Mediterranean coast and EU macro-regional strategic week.

This year the 'European Researcher's Night 2018' was held under the slogan "SAWE - Safe science" on Friday, September 28th, at four locations: in the Rector yard of the University and the Praetorian Palace and the building 'Seagull UP FAMNIT' in Koper and Izola at the Faculty of Health Sciences and archaeological park in Simon's Bay. At various workshops, researchers and many students of the University of Primorska presented to the visitors, a fair idea about the profession of the researcher as well as a glimpse into some of the research which is conducted at the University of Primorska. Various tours were arranged regarding the  workshops in the field of mathematics, kinesiology, health, biology, pedagogy, history, archeology, geography and tourism.

Visitors could learn more about how to prepare an Istrian breakfast, how to create an Inclusive Park, an Inspirational Computing program, about life in the Roman times, about the life of sea turtles and dolphins in the Adriatic Sea, wood and woodwork, health, nutrition, kinesiology, and many other things.

The workshops also showed how we study the sound in Krast caves. On the coast in Izola, visitors were able to dive and see the Roman port and on the Archaeological Park Simonov zaliv remains of the Roman villa. Researchers and students, dressed in costumes similar to those of Roman times, presented the cultural and natural heritage of the Slovenian coast with an emphasis on archeology. Geographers taught them about the geographical features of our seashore.

All our workshops also provided insight into our scientific potentials and the possibility of developing the local region. Their endeavour was also aptly supported by the Municipality of Izola and Koper.

This year, our workshop was attended by more than 700 pupils from primary and secondary schools from the Coast and Hinterland, foreign students from the University of Primorska, who enrolled in our study programs or will study through the student exchange program of Erasmus. Of course, the event was also attended by other residents of the coast.

Young visitors showed great interest in all the events which  we organized. Researchers and numerous students from the University of Primorska who helped in the implementation of the workshops and lectures have achieved their goal, 'to learn as much as possible in one day to all the students and all other visitors about what the researcher's profession is all about, as well as at least some of the researches carried out in the University of Primorska.

We shall be again organizing, European Night of Researchers 2019 the next year, on the last Friday of September. We shall again put forward some new and exciting results from the laboratories and the results of various researches carried out at the University of Primorska, with the aim of awakening as much interest as possible regarding the profession as a researcher. The knowledge & the results of the research shall be made use for the development of this macro-region.