The EUSAIR MEDDIET Working Group brought together institutions, researchers, businesses and regional stakeholders to explore a Mediterranean Diet Innovation Network and Ecosystem. The discussions will feed into the forthcoming Ancona Recommendations.
Ancona, Italy | 16 October 2026
How can the Mediterranean Diet become a driver of innovation, sustainable economic development and cooperation across the Adriatic-Ionian Region?
This was the central question of the EUSAIR MEDDIET Working Group Meeting, “Towards an EUSAIR Mediterranean Diet Innovation Network and Ecosystem”, held on 16 October 2026 at Marche Polytechnic University (UNIVPM) in Ancona, Italy, with participants joining both in person and online.
Organised by the Marche Region and the Forum of the Adriatic and Ionian Chambers of Commerce (Forum AIC), in collaboration with Marche Polytechnic University (UNIVPM) and the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII), the workshop took place within the framework of the Italian Presidency of EUSAIR 2026–2027.
The meeting marked a further step in the development of the MEDDIET Flagship, promoted through cooperation between EUSAIR Pillar 1 (Blue Sustainable Economy), Pillar 4 (Sustainable Tourism) and Pillar 5 (Improved Social Cohesion).
Its ambition is to move beyond the recognition of the Mediterranean Diet as a shared cultural and nutritional heritage and explore how it can connect local food systems, biodiversity, health, tourism, research, businesses and territorial development through practical macro-regional cooperation.
Connecting regional strengths and innovation opportunities
The workshop brought together representatives of European and national institutions, regional authorities, universities, research organisations, Chambers of Commerce, businesses and other stakeholders from across the Adriatic-Ionian Region.
Institutional contributions highlighted the importance of MEDDIET within the renewed EUSAIR Action Plan and the Italian Presidency’s priorities, as well as the potential of the Mediterranean Diet to generate economic opportunities and strengthen cooperation between coastal and rural communities.
Gilles Kittel, representing the European Commission’s DG REGIO, outlined the development of the MEDDIET Flagship and the opportunity to build a macro-regional innovation network connecting existing regional capacities, organisations and initiatives.
The discussions also drew on the work developed through the EUSAIR Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) cooperation process.
Jurij Kobal, EUSAIR Facility Point S3 expert, presented an approach to linking EUSAIR priorities with regional smart specialisation strategies, helping identify complementary expertise, innovation capacities and potential cross-border pilot activities.
Contributions from CIHEAM Bari and Marche Polytechnic University further highlighted the Mediterranean Diet as an integrated model for sustainable food systems, biodiversity conservation, research, education and territorial innovation.
Practical experiences presented during the workshop illustrated how these connections can already be developed on the ground. Initiatives from Italy and Croatia showcased approaches involving organic food production, bio-districts, sustainable tourism routes, local communities and skills development.
The exchange demonstrated that the Adriatic-Ionian Region already possesses valuable expertise, partnerships and successful initiatives. The challenge is to connect them more systematically, identify shared priorities and make successful approaches transferable across territories.
From dialogue to cooperation: the World Café outcomes
At the heart of the meeting was an interactive World Café, where participants explored three complementary dimensions of the proposed Mediterranean Diet Innovation Network and Ecosystem.
1. A common vision and territorial strengths
Discussions highlighted the Mediterranean Diet’s potential to support local producers, short food supply chains, sustainable tourism, education, health and rural development.
Participants stressed the importance of building on the region’s shared food heritage, agrobiodiversity and cultural identities, while recognising the diversity of local traditions.
Among the ideas discussed were a common platform or Good Practice Hub for sharing projects and experiences, stronger cooperation between existing initiatives and new opportunities to promote regional food heritage.
2. Smart specialisation ecosystems and potential network nodes
The second discussion focused on identifying regional innovation capacities and organisations that could become part of the MEDDIET ecosystem.
Universities, research centres, Chambers of Commerce, living labs, bio-districts, businesses and territorial partnerships were recognised as potential contributors.
A key message was the need to connect existing structures rather than create parallel ones, encouraging continuous knowledge exchange and cooperation between actors that often work separately.
This approach could help translate regional S3 priorities and local expertise into collaborative initiatives and replicable pilot actions.
3. Governance, knowledge and skills
The third discussion explored how to support MEDDIET cooperation over time through an effective and flexible governance approach.
Participants underlined the importance of multi-level cooperation, involving policymakers, institutions, researchers, businesses and local communities.
They also highlighted the need to distinguish strategic coordination from project implementation, strengthen SME participation, support education and skills development, and identify realistic opportunities for funding and joint action.
The discussions confirmed that a future MEDDIET network should remain closely connected to the EUSAIR governance framework while being sufficiently practical and inclusive to respond to territorial needs.
Turning ideas into action: the Ancona Recommendations
The workshop was not intended as a stand-alone event, but as part of an ongoing process to translate the MEDDIET Flagship into operational cooperation.
The contributions collected during the World Café, together with the expert presentations and exchanges throughout the day, are now being reviewed to prepare the Ancona Recommendations.
These recommendations will aim to consolidate the main messages from the workshop, identify promising areas for cooperation and help define possible next steps for the MEDDIET Working Group.
Once finalised, shared and validated through the relevant MEDDIET Working Group process, the Ancona Recommendations will be made publicly available and circulated among participants and interested stakeholders.
The meeting also explored potential funding opportunities for future cooperation initiatives, including European programmes and financial instruments supporting sustainable food systems, tourism, innovation and territorial development.
Have your say: contribute to the next steps of MEDDIET
The dialogue continues beyond Ancona, and further contributions are welcome.
A short follow-up questionnaire has been launched to collect additional observations, examples of good practices and suggestions for future cooperation.
The questionnaire builds on the six guiding questions discussed during the three World Café themes and provides an opportunity to contribute to the ongoing preparation of the Ancona Recommendations.
Participants who attended the workshop, as well as those who registered but were unable to join, are warmly invited to share their perspectives.
It is not necessary to answer every question. Concrete examples, practical suggestions or ideas for cooperation are particularly welcome.
Deadline: Friday, 30 October 2026.
Contribute to the MEDDIET follow-up questionnaire
The questionnaire also offers stakeholders the opportunity to express their interest in future MEDDIET activities.
Explore the workshop materials
Presentations, photographs, detailed information on the speakers’ contributions and the outcomes of the three World Café discussions are available in the comprehensive post-event report published by Forum AIC.
Read the full workshop report and explore the photo gallery
Further event materials, including presentations and video recordings, are or will be accessible through the official EUSAIR event page.
The next phase will focus on consolidating the workshop contributions, finalising the Ancona Recommendations and exploring how the proposed Mediterranean Diet Innovation Network and Ecosystem can develop into a practical platform for collaboration across the Adriatic-Ionian Region.