AI NURECC
The Adriatic Ionian Network of Universities, Regions, Chambers of Commerce and Cities (AI-NURECC Initiative) is an initiative involving the key stakeholders of the Adriatic Ionian Region.
They have joined their efforts to support the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) implementation, ensuring deep and broad territorial coverage, at regional and local level.
The EUSAIR was officially launched by the European Commission on 18 June 2014 and approved by the EU Council on 24 October 2014. It comprises 8 macro-region countries, including 4 EU Member States: Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Albania.
The AI-NURECC initiative is coordinated by the CPMR with support of four partners of the area: Adriatic Ionian Euroregion (AIE), Forum of Adriatic and Ionian Cities (FAIC), Forum of the Adriatic and Ionian Chambers of Commerce, and UniAdrion.
The Initiative lasted 18 months and finished in January 2020 with the aim of contributing to the achievement of the EUSAIR political objectives and to foster the sound implementation of its Action Plan.
The final goal was to promote a structured dialogue and a stronger, more effective cooperation among Regional & Local Authorities, Universities, Chambers of Commerce, youth associations and networks, entrepreneurs and civil society.
AI-NURECC actions integrated and followed the relevant work prepared by the Presidency of the EUSAIR/AII (programme of the Presidency).
Four preparatory actions were set up:
- the AI-NURECC Youth Action;
- the AI-NURECC Creative and Cultural Industries Action;
- the AI-NURECC Task Force on Tourism and Cultural Heritage; and
- the AI-NURECC Skills Development & Training Action.
These actions were accompanied by two specific actions, developed in cooperation and synergy with the AI stakeholder platform, aimed at fixing the conditions to operate across the whole macro-region:
- the AI-NURECC-focused Communication Campaign; and
- the AI-NURECC Observatory on Multilevel Governance.
Project objectives
- set up a joint political and technical agenda to boost synergies and horizontal and vertical cooperation among the involved AI public and private stakeholders;
- support and stimulate the exchange of inputs and data, with particular attention to non EU Member States, in order to set up strategic macro-regional initiatives and projects;
- capitalise on existing EU knowledge and best practices that could be relevant to EUSAIR thematic pillars;
- enhance a sound coordination with EUSAIR official governing bodies, ensuring effective multi-factor and multi-level governance of EUSAIR, involving Regional and Local Authorities of Member States and non EU countries;
- act as a reliable and influential stakeholder allowing an effective and responsive connection to AI civil society;
- be a facilitator in bridging the gap between the EUSAIR TSGs members and the local level/community (with a bottom-up approach), also in pro-active cooperation with the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative;
- establish a âbridge connectionâ with the Western Balkans Initiative (the Berlin Process);
- contribute to providing contents and added value for a dynamic interaction within the EUSAIR Stakeholder IT Platform (offline activities);
- bringing the Regions closer to the AI Fora and the EUSAIR key implementers.
