On 22 September, Galicia will become a meeting point for European territorial cooperation with the Interreg Cooperation Day 2026. The event, held in Santiago de Compostela, will bring together institutional representatives and projects from the main European territorial cooperation programmes — Interreg SUDOE, POCTEP, Atlantic Area and Interreg Europe — to share experiences and showcase how cooperation between territories can help address common challenges and create new opportunities.

Under the motto “Stronger Together: Projects Transforming Territories”, the event will take place at the FEUGA Auditorium and will bring together representatives from the Xunta de Galicia, the Directorate-General for European Funds of Spain’s Ministry of Finance, Portugal’s Agency for Development and Cohesion, and the European Commission, represented by DG REGIO.

The event will provide an opportunity to discover first-hand experiences from different cooperation areas and programmes, highlighting how collaboration between regions, public administrations, universities and other stakeholders can help address challenges that go beyond borders.

FOUR ROUNDTABLES TO ADDRESS SHARED CHALLENGES

The programme is structured around four roundtable discussions focusing on different dimensions of territorial cooperation.

The first, “Cooperation for Territorial Management”, will address challenges related to forest management, fire prevention and response, and territorial resilience. Projects including USE4FOREST, CILUMES INTEROPERA, RAT_EOS PC, ALERT-PFAS, FIREPOCTEP+, FIREPOCTEP AVANZA and ATEMPO will take part, together with representatives from the Xunta de Galicia, the University of Vigo and the Galician Emergency Agency.

The second roundtable, “Innovation and Technology for Cooperation”, will focus on the role of innovation and technology as tools for connecting territories, transferring knowledge and developing solutions to emerging regional challenges.

The marine environment will take centre stage in the third session, “A Shared Sea, Shared Challenges”, which will bring together initiatives focused on the protection and sustainability of marine ecosystems and resources. The MAREST, REVALGAE, DiadSea and MARINNONET projects will address the challenges facing a shared Atlantic space from different perspectives.

Finally, the fourth roundtable, “Tourism and Heritage: Cooperating to Grow”, will focus on tourism, culture and heritage as drivers of connection and territorial development. Ultreia SUDOE, POST, EnoGastroDEST and Visit Rio Minho will share their experiences and demonstrate how cooperation can contribute to more sustainable tourism models and enhance cultural and territorial resources.

AN EVENT TO SHARE EXPERIENCES AND BUILD NEW CONNECTIONS

Interreg Cooperation Day 2026 will feature a dynamic and participatory format, with dialogue sessions where participants will share experiences, results and lessons learned in response to questions from the moderators.

The aim is not only to highlight the added value of cooperation, but also to create a space where participating projects and organisations can build new connections and explore future opportunities for collaboration.

The event will conclude with a closing session and a networking reception, providing an opportunity to continue the exchange among participants and foster new relationships between stakeholders from different territories.

Through this event, Galicia further strengthens its role as a meeting point for European territorial cooperation, bringing together project experiences that demonstrate how many of today’s major challenges — from wildfires and territorial management to marine sustainability, innovation and tourism — require shared responses and collaboration across borders.

• Registration: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/qfDcpn3rnQ

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AECT Rio Minho is joining Interreg Cooperation Day 2026, an initiative that highlights European cooperation and the results it generates in border territories.

Under the slogan “Stronger Together”, this year’s edition also marks the 15th anniversary of Cooperation Day and provides an opportunity to showcase how cooperation transcends administrative borders and takes shape through the people, institutions and stakeholders working together.

• SEE THE 2026 EVENTS MAP

In the Rio Minho territory, this participation takes the form of three initiatives developed within the framework of the REDE_GOV MINHO and VISIT RIO MINHO_PLUS projects, co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A Spain–Portugal Programme (POCTEP) 2021–2027. Citizen participation, tourism development and knowledge exchange on cross-border tourism are the three areas chosen to showcase different ways of building a common territory.

The future we choose together: citizens and municipalities shaping Urban Agendas

As part of REDE_GOV_MINHO, the Urban Agendas Citizen Participation Days in the Rio Minho area will open a new stage of participation in the process of developing the Cross-Border Urban Agendas of Eurocidade do Minho and Eurocidade da Foz do Minho.

The initiative involves two Eurocities, eight municipalities and two countries: Arbo, A Cañiza, Crecente, As Neves and Melgaço, in Eurocidade do Minho; and Caminha, A Guarda and O Rosal, in Eurocidade da Foz do Minho. Citizens, associations, economic and social stakeholders, the education community, local authorities and institutional representatives will take part in the discussion of the proposals identified and help define the priorities of the two Urban Agendas.

Following the diagnostic phase, the process is now entering a stage in which learning, discussing, proposing and prioritising will make it possible to turn community participation into contributions to the future Action Plans. Here, the Stronger Together motto translates into a very concrete idea: institutions, local stakeholders and citizens on both sides of the border jointly shaping the future of territories that share challenges and opportunities.

Experience the Rio Minho to the fullest: 14 operators and one shared river

The second initiative is being developed through VISIT_RIO_MINHO_PLUS and its programme of water-based experiences, which, between June and September, offers the opportunity to discover the Rio Minho from the river itself.

The programme brings together 14 Portuguese and Galician water-sports operators, with a total of 26 outings and 300 places — 100 reserved for tourism professionals and 200 for the general public. The experiences cover different areas of the Rio Minho, from its estuary to inland sections, and include activities in both Portuguese and Galician territory, as well as routes that directly connect the two banks.

Boat trips, rafting, kayaking experiences and activities adapted for people with reduced mobility are part of a programme aimed at consolidating the “Rio Minho navegável” tourism product and strengthening the Rio Minho as a cross-border destination.

Cooperation takes shape through local operators, tourism professionals and participants, but also through a natural resource that does not end at the border.

ITC’26: knowledge and cross-border tourism in dialogue

The third initiative will be the 18th International Tourism Congress – ITC’26, which will take place on 1 and 2 October at the Faculty of Economics and Business Studies of the University of Vigo and which, this year, will focus on cross-border tourism. AECT Rio Minho is participating in the co-organisation of the congress.

As the annual scientific meeting of the Centro de Investigação, Desenvolvimento e Inovação em Turismo (CiTUR), ITC’26 brings together researchers, students, public administration representatives, companies and professionals connected to the tourism sector. The Rio Minho will be one of the reference territories for reflecting on the role of tourism in the sustainable development and cooperation of border territories.

The integration of the congress into Cooperation Day thus adds a third dimension to AECT Rio Minho’s participation: cooperation through knowledge. Universities, public institutions, companies and professionals will have the opportunity to share research, experiences and different perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of cross-border tourism.

Different protagonists, one common territory

The three initiatives start from different areas, but share one common element: cooperation becomes a reality through the people who take part in it.

Municipalities and citizens jointly defining priorities; Portuguese and Galician operators developing a tourism offer around the same river; universities, institutions, companies, researchers and professionals sharing knowledge about border territories.

It is this diversity of stakeholders that AECT Rio Minho wants to highlight through its participation in Interreg Cooperation Day 2026. The “Stronger Together” motto finds a concrete expression in the Rio Minho: two countries, two banks and different stakeholders brought together by shared projects, resources and objectives.

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Fonte: Fundación 3 Culturas

The European project INTREPIDA PRO is organising three activities in Seville and Cádiz during September and October, combining literature, well-being and entrepreneurship while promoting encounters and exchange between Spain and Portugal.

The project, approved under the Interreg Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) programme and funded by European funds, is celebrating Interreg Cooperation Day with a programme featuring three activities aimed at citizens, professionals and businesswomen from Spain and Portugal.

Book Club

The first activity will take place on 22 September in Seville and will focus on literature and translation. The meeting with translator Rosa Martínez Alfaro will bring together book clubs at the headquarters of the Tres Culturas del Mediterráneo Foundation, at 2 Max Planck Street, at 6:30 p.m.

Following the previous meeting with Portuguese writer Luísa Sobral, three book clubs and other participants have taken part in reading her first novel, Nem todas as árvores morrem em pé (Dom Quixote – LeYa), published in Spanish as No todos los árboles mueren de pie (Lunwerg – Planeta).

The session will provide an opportunity to share impressions about the book and learn about the process of translating it from Portuguese into Spanish with Rosa Martínez Alfaro. The activity is part of the INTREPIDA pro project, which forms part of the Interreg Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) programme and receives European funding.

Yoga by the Sea

The second activity will take place on 26 September in El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz). It will be a Vinyasa Yoga session with Macarena García-Conde, organised in a setting by the sea at Puerto Sherry.

The activity will offer an outdoor Vinyasa Yoga practice and a space to explore the symptoms of burnout and how to protect against them, with the aim of promoting a healthier and more balanced lifestyle. After the session, participants will be able to enjoy a brunch together.

The activity is organised as part of the INTREPIDA pro project, led by the Tres Culturas Foundation, with the CEEI Bahía de Cádiz Foundation participating as an official partner. The Tres Culturas Foundation’s agenda places the activity on 26 September and presents it as an initiative focused on healthy living.

Businesswomen’s Forum

The programme will continue on 27 and 28 October 2026 in Seville with the International Businesswomen Forum INTREPIDA. Spain-Portugal.

The professional meeting is aimed at businesswomen from Andalusia, the Algarve and Alentejo and is designed as a space for sharing experiences, establishing professional connections and exploring topics related to communication, trade and artificial intelligence.

The forum will take place over two days, with morning and afternoon sessions, at the headquarters of the Tres Culturas del Mediterráneo Foundation in Seville. The Tres Culturas Foundation, coordinator of the INTREPIDA pro project, confirms that this meeting is one of the four professional forums planned as part of this European initiative.

Through these three activities, INTREPIDA pro brings together different areas of cooperation between Spain and Portugal, from culture and literary exchange to well-being and entrepreneurship.

Through these three initiatives, INTREPIDA pro continues to develop activities focused on encounters, exchange and cooperation between Spain and Portugal, within the framework of the Interreg Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) 2021-2027 programme, co-funded by the European Union.

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agenex@agenex.org

The Extremadura Energy Agency (AGENEX) is organizing an educational outreach day on October 3, 2025, at Plaza de San Francisco in Badajoz, featuring interactive and educational activities aimed mainly at children.

The goal of this event is to bring energy, sustainability, and the mobility of the future closer to young people through games, hands-on workshops, and participatory activities. This way, we aim to spark curiosity and environmental awareness in students while promoting teamwork and cooperation.

In the morning, the event will be focused on students from 3rd to 6th grade (ages 8–12). Around 250 students from Badajoz schools who have already registered are expected to attend. In the afternoon, the event will be open to the general public, with activities suitable for all ages.

This day takes place as part of the Interreg Cooperation Day, an initiative designed to showcase cooperation between regions and highlight the results of European projects funded under the various Interreg collaboration frameworks.

In 2025, AGENEX has decided to focus especially on the Spain–Portugal Interreg Program (POCTEP), one of the agency’s most important cross-border initiatives, and specifically on the TRANSCOM_EUROACE project, coordinated by AGENEX, which aims to promote energy communities in the Euroace region.

To further symbolize and strengthen this cooperation, the event will also involve the Regional Energy and Environment Agency of Northern Alentejo and Tejo (AREANATejo), a regular partner of AGENEX in several European initiatives and participant in the Transcom project.

Event Activities

The activities will be divided into four main themes:

ENERGY COMMUNITIES

Energy communities are an innovative model that aims for a more democratic, resilient, and fair system. In this area, students will explore an interactive 3D model showing how these communities work, what renewable installations they can include (solar, wind, storage, etc.), and how cooperation allows energy resources to be shared efficiently. This activity will be organized with the Extremadura Community Transformation Office (OTC) and located in the main welcome tent.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Here, students will discover how small everyday actions can make a big difference in energy use. Through cooperative games and challenges, they will test their creativity and teamwork. They will also learn how to identify responsible habits to reduce consumption and prevent energy waste, connecting theory with practice in a simple and fun way.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

This section is designed for playful experimentation with clean energy sources. Classic games adapted to the energy theme, such as “Word Quiz” or “Snakes and Ladders,” will test students’ knowledge. They will also see firsthand how sunlight can be turned into electricity using solar panels and small solar devices.

SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

Students will also have the chance to participate in activities focused on sustainable mobility. In the “Build Your Solar Car” workshop, each participant will create a small solar-powered vehicle. They will also learn about the role of green hydrogen in transportation through demonstrations, including a hydrogen-powered bicycle presented by AREANATejo, bringing the transition to cleaner transport to life.

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On 25 September, Vila Real Hospital in Portugal will host a public expert meeting under the title “Improvements in Hospital Sustainability for a Healthier Tomorrow”.

The event, organised within the framework of the GREEN HOSPITALS project, approved under the Interreg Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) programme, takes place as part of the campaign celebrating Interreg Cooperation Day, marking 35 years of Interreg and its contribution to building a better Europe.

As hospitals are major energy consumers, with special characteristics such as continuous consumption and the need for security and quality in energy supply, the Green Hospitals project seeks to improve the energy efficiency of the Iberian healthcare sector and is closely linked to Specific Objective 2.1: “Promote energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.

The overall objective of Green Hospitals is to improve energy efficiency in the Iberian healthcare sector, following the guidelines of a SMART objective (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound), implementing innovative measures and technologies in Iberian hospitals.

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