FIREPOCTEP+, a strategic operation of the POCTEP 2021–2027 programme, is bringing its results to the European Parliament. Juan Picos Martín, Professor of Forest Engineering at the University of Vigo, the project’s lead beneficiary, will take part as a speaker in the workshop “Nature-Based Solutions against Wildfires” on 12 May 2026.

The event, whose agenda can be downloaded here, aims to highlight the role of these solutions in the prevention and management of forest fires, showcase successful projects developed across Europe, identify policy frameworks and funding mechanisms for their implementation at local level, and generate concrete recommendations to strengthen community resilience and safety.

The project’s participation will help raise the visibility of the work carried out under FIREPOCTEP+ along the Spain–Portugal border, co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 programme, and share relevant experiences in the field of wildfire prevention.

“Productive firebreaks”

FIREPOCTEP+ combines land management with wildfire prevention through interventions in strategic areas, such as productive firebreaks and the promotion of agroforestry systems like chestnut groves. These measures integrate the economic use of the land with the reduction of fuel loads, strengthening landscape resilience against wildfires.

As a practical example, the project has recently promoted landscape management initiatives in Piornal, such as chestnut groves for both production and fire prevention, as well as the development of a productive firebreak. These actions combine wildfire prevention with local economic activity.

These interventions transform forest areas into managed landscapes through uses such as grazing or cropping, while also restoring traditional land uses and generating rural economic activity. All of this helps reduce fuel loads and strengthens wildfire prevention through a sustainable approach.

NEWS:

• Chestnut groves for production and fire prevention
• FIREPOCTEP+ promotes a productive firebreak in Piornal to strengthen wildfire prevention

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On 14 April 2026, the presentation event for the POCTEP project NEW HEALTH will take place at the Cidade da Cultura de Galicia. This POCTEP strategic importance operation aims to transform healthcare through innovation, technology, and institutional collaboration, and is led by the Santiago Health Research Institute Foundation – FIDIS.

The event, which will be held in Auditorium 2 of the CINC Building, will bring together public officials, clinical leaders, researchers, and stakeholders from the health ecosystem to present the project’s objectives, workstreams, and main activities.

“Person-centred” care

NEW HEALTH was created with the aim of promoting a more efficient, innovative, and person-centred healthcare model, strengthening cooperation between Galicia and Northern Portugal in key areas such as personalised medicine, digital health, and clinical data integration.

Within this context, the project promotes the creation of a cross-border health innovation platform connecting hospitals, research centres, and universities, enabling the development of advanced solutions that improve care quality and access to healthcare services.

Its main areas of activity include the application of emerging technologies — such as artificial intelligence —, research in oncology and cardiovascular diseases, as well as the promotion of collaborative governance models.

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A cross-border alliance for health innovation

The project is led by the Galician Public Foundation for Health Research of Santiago de Compostela (FIDIS) and involves a consortium of organisations recognised in the healthcare, academic, and research fields across Spain and Portugal.

This collaboration reinforces the role of the Galicia–Northern Portugal Euroregion as a strategic space for healthcare innovation, fostering knowledge transfer, technological development, and the improvement of health services.

Presentation event: innovation, technology and cooperation

The NEW HEALTH launch event will serve as an institutional, scientific, and strategic meeting point addressing the main challenges of today’s healthcare system, with a particular focus on innovation, artificial intelligence, and cross-border cooperation.

The project will then be presented under the title “Innovation and transformation of the healthcare system through New Health”, outlining its objectives, scope, and relevance in the European context.

This will be followed by a session focused on technology, data, and personalised medicine, addressing the role of artificial intelligence, medical imaging, and advanced data use in the transition towards more personalised healthcare, as well as advances in translational oncology.

The event will conclude with institutional interventions, featuring representatives from the Xunta de Galicia, the European Commission, and the Ministry of Finance, highlighting the European cooperation framework underpinning the project.

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The Diputación de Cáceres has launched new activities as part of the Euroace UNESCO Territories project, a POCTEP cross-border cooperation initiative co-financed 75% by the European Union, aimed at boosting the tourism and environmental profile of the province’s UNESCO-recognized sites.

The program, approved under Interreg VI-A Spain-Portugal, is led by the provincial institution and partnered with the Directorate General for Youth and Sports of the Junta of Extremadura. Its main goal is to promote a sustainable tourism development model around Monfragüe, Tajo Internacional, and the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark, together with the Portuguese Naturtejo territory.

9 Routes from March to September

The Cicl@teUNESCO program includes nine MTB cycling routes and three hiking trails across the three main UNESCO territories in the province of Cáceres.

Monfragüe Biosphere Reserve

• Casas de Millán – Villa del Arco: April 26
• Casas de Miravete Circular: May 10
• Serradilla – Interpretation Center “The Human Footprint”: September 26

Tajo Internacional Biosphere Reserve

• Carbajo – Herrera de Alcántara: April 11
• Garrovillas de Alconétar – Alcántara: May 3
• Dehesas de Membrío – Salorino – Herreruela: May 31

Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark

• Bohonal – Castañar de Ibor: March 28
• Navezuelas Circular: May 23
• Cañamero Circular: September 12

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The session explored how Interreg programmes and projects used ISO1 to tackle cross-border obstacles and build lasting solutions. New ISO1 opportunities were also presented.

During the session, Belén Muñoz, from the POCTEP Managing Authority highlighted that overcoming cross-border obstacles and strengthening administrative cooperation are key elements of the programme’s strategy, drawing on more than three decades of experience working along the border. It also stressed that these issues had already been addressed in previous programming periods under different terminology, such as Thematic Objective 4 “Public Administration” in POCTEP 2014–2020. It also presented examples of projects such as RED MAY and NUMA, both focused on institutional cooperation in the field of health, as well as projects that have supported the activities of Eurocities such as EuroGuadiana, Tui–Valença, Chaves–Verín, and Cerveira–Tomiño.

Meanwhile, Javier Figueiredo, in representation of the Directorate-General for External Action of the Regional Government of Extremadura, lead beneficiary entity of the GIT EUROACE CON VIDA project, summarised some of the project’s main achievements. Figueiredo explained how issues such as cross-border taxation, the permeability of relations, the promotion of cultural cooperation, while also emphasising the need to identify new challenges related to cross-border obstacles. In this regard, he highlighted the importance of cross-border social dialogue, which led to the creation of the series of events “Diálogos de Frontera” within the framework of the project. (WATCH vídeos here)

Other event`s key highlights included:

• An introduction to the InterregGov project, a new initiative from DG REGIO, covering an upcoming call for applications to develop ISO1 activities, and the programmes that should apply.
• Practical examples from two Interreg programmes that successfully used ISO1 to address legal and administrative border barriers.
• Updates from DG REGIO on the future of ISO1 in the post-2027 programming period.

The session was aimed at Interreg programme representatives and anyone interested in ISO1 practices currently implemented to tackle cross-border obstacles.

Webinar Recording – ISO1 in Practice: Tackling Cross-Border Obstacles

Webinar Final Presentation 

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The Portuguese city of Sines will host on **March 10, 2026** the I Hispano-Luso Green Hydrogen Forum, a gathering of experts, companies, institutions, and energy sector stakeholders to analyze the opportunities offered by this energy vector in the ecological transition of the Iberian Peninsula.

The forum is part of the activities of the Futuretech_H2 project, a European initiative aimed at promoting technological development and the green hydrogen industry in Spain and Portugal. This project is co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 program, which fosters territorial cooperation between the two countries.

The event can be followed live here: https://www.youtube.com/live/fglTKcw-Xho

A meeting to strengthen the green hydrogen ecosystem

The forum aims to create a space for cross-border dialogue and cooperation among companies, technology centers, universities, and public administrations, with the goal of boosting the development of the green hydrogen economy in the Iberian region.

During the day, key topics will be addressed, such as: the role of green hydrogen in industrial decarbonization, opportunities for technological innovation and knowledge transfer, development of energy and logistics infrastructure, and opportunities for training and employment linked to this emerging industry.

Green hydrogen is positioned as one of the pillars of the energy transition, especially in industrial and transport sectors that are difficult to electrify. Therefore, initiatives like this forum aim to bring the real applications of this technology closer to businesses and society, while promoting new economic and professional opportunities.

Iberian cooperation for clean energy

The forum is part of the Futuretech_H2 cross-border roadshow, a series of events traveling through different cities in Spain and Portugal to showcase the industrial and technological potential of green hydrogen and promote collaboration between the two countries.

The choice of Sines, one of Portugal’s main energy and industrial hubs, reinforces the strategic role of southwestern Europe in developing new value chains linked to clean energy.

With this first forum, the organizers aim to consolidate a stable space for Hispano-Luso cooperation that contributes to positioning the Iberian Peninsula as one of Europe’s future hubs for green hydrogen production and development.

The post Live: I Hispano-Luso Green Hydrogen Forum – Sines (Portugal), March 10, 2026 first appeared on POCTEP.

SER65+ is a POCTEP strategic cross-border cooperation operation between Spain and Portugal that promotes active and healthy ageing with the aim of improving the quality of life of older people. Through prevention, health education and follow-up, this project encourages self-care and personal autonomy, focusing on the real needs of this group from a physical, emotional and social wellbeing perspective.

The project will be present at the Badajoz Seniors Fair, which takes place on the first weekend of March to fulfill Activity 4 of the project related to its dissemination.

About SER65+

Portugal and Spain are among the oldest countries in the European Union, and their cross-border areas face even greater challenges due to an especially ageing population with more limited access to healthcare and social support services. Therefore, specific measures are needed to prevent and manage functional decline in older people, with the aim of prolonging their autonomy, reducing the need for care and avoiding institutionalization. In this context, the SER65+ project emerges, seeking to promote healthy ageing in low-density population areas of Central Portugal and Extremadura through integrated care, professional training, public awareness and the development of a digital ecosystem to detect and monitor loss of autonomy.

The project is structured around four main activities: diagnosis of the elderly population and the service response capacity, creation of specific action plans for these territories, development of digital tools for healthcare and social service professionals, and the implementation of awareness campaigns and creation of community support networks.

In addition, the project consortium brings together institutions from academic, healthcare, public, social and private sectors, ensuring scientific research, clinical evaluation, training and dissemination of results. SER65+ will also apply, for the first time in these regions, the ICOPE methodologies of the World Health Organization, combining the use of a mobile app and an online platform to monitor the loss of functional autonomy of older people and coordinate care among different caregiving agents.

About the Seniors Fair

The Extremadura Seniors Fair is a social event held over four days, bringing together older adults from the region and from Portugal, as well as companies and public organizations. This event offers a wide variety of activities such as musical performances, theatre, workshops and sports championships, among others, all focused on the interests of participants. The event not only seeks to entertain, but also to promote an active lifestyle and social interaction among older adults. In addition, it aims to raise awareness about the challenges of ageing and encourage actions that support this group in society.

Photo by Vlad Sargu on Unsplash

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This recognition underlines the technical quality, innovative nature and training value of a simulator based on digital twin technology, designed to bridge the gap between traditional training methods and the new skills required by the green hydrogen industry.

A key tool for training and the energy transition

The digital twin developed enables professionals to explore all aspects of green hydrogen production, storage and distribution. Through a simulation platform that replicates the operation of a hydrogen plant, users can experience real-life scenarios, from handling complex systems to making decisions in testing environments.

According to Interreg Europe, the tool represents a pioneering solution that supports training for both technical and non-technical profiles, while also serving as an awareness-raising resource and as support for industrial SMEs with the potential to transition towards green hydrogen. The development of the pilot was made possible thanks to the coordinated work of all consortium partners, who jointly defined the requirements, milestones and outcomes that guided its implementation.

Tangible results in Spain and Portugal

Interreg Europe highlights the simulator’s initial results:

• More than 60 professionals trained in Spain and Portugal through two specialised courses.
• Use of the simulator during the Roadshow currently taking place in cities across Andalusia and Alentejo (Portugal) to share experiences and raise awareness among citizens and businesses about the role of green hydrogen as a key energy vector in the cross-border area.
• Planned integration of the simulator into future training programmes delivered by several partners.

These achievements reinforce the simulator’s role as a strategic tool for consolidating the green hydrogen value chain in the cross-border region.

Interreg Europe also emphasises the simulator’s strong transfer potential, noting that its replicable design makes it an ideal tool for training centres, public administrations and companies interested in green hydrogen.

A recognition driven by the collaboration of the Seville Chamber of Commerce

The Federation of Metal Entrepreneurs, FEDEME, as project lead, and on behalf of the entire FUTURETECH_H2 consortium, would like to express its special thanks to the Seville Chamber of Commerce, whose support through the European project Green Hydra was instrumental in achieving this recognition.

Their support has helped amplify the impact of this good practice and position it within the European ecosystem of innovative initiatives related to the energy transition.

ABOUT FUTURETECH_H2

The FUTURETECH_H2 Project is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 Programme and will run until 31 March 2026.

Futuretech_H2 has a total budget of €1,366,564.9 and is being implemented by a consortium of six partners from the Alentejo (Portugal) and Andalusia regions (CATEC – Advanced Centre for Aerospace Technologies, ADRAL, Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre, University of Évora, Nao Victoria Foundation and the Federation of Metal Entrepreneurs, FEDEME, as lead partner), with the objective of developing the green hydrogen value chain in this cross-border area by promoting and disseminating, through various planned actions, the strengths and capabilities of this energy vector as an industry of the future.

Source:

Communication Department
Federation of Metal Entrepreneurs – FEDEME
comunicacion@fedeme.com

Tel.: +34 954 526 988 – +34 625 503 996

Seville, 19 February 2026

The post Futuretech H2 Digital Simulator Recognised by Interreg Europe as a Success Story first appeared on POCTEP.

In this context, the ROADSHOW FUTURETECH_H2 will showcase the technologies that will decarbonize industry, ports, and mobility in the Spain–Portugal cross-border area.

Among these technologies, which will travel through cities along the Spain–Portugal border such as Seville, Algeciras, Huelva, Sines, and Évora, the Toyota Mirai stands out, for example. It is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that only emits water vapor, positioning itself as a real example of how H₂ is transforming transport toward a zero-emission future. In addition to its clean propulsion, the model incorporates active technology that purifies the air as it moves, contributing to the protection of the planet while in operation.

DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE

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Source: Iberian Association of Douro Riverside Municipalities (AIMRD)

On January 21 and 22, the knowledge and experience exchange event of the Tourism4SDG project will take place. This project was approved in the second call of the Interreg Europe programme, with AIMRD as the Spanish beneficiary.

The event, held on the Spain-Portugal border Valladolid-Miranda do Douro, aims primarily to showcase the sustainable tourism experiences and practices (including cross-border tourism) of this border region, as well as the methods applied to promote monitoring of such sustainability.

On the morning of the first day (January 21), the Knowledge Transfer Seminar will take place, during which we would like to count on your participation. The seminar will provide project partners and local stakeholders with an overview of the logical framework established by POCTEP for developing sustainable cross-border tourism and, where applicable, present participants with the initiatives (good practices) supported by POCTEP within this framework.

AIMRD’s participation in this project aims to highlight how cross-border cooperation in the Douro-Duero area is essential to ensure the tourism sustainability of this border territory.

The Interreg Spain-Portugal programme (POCTEP) has promoted cross-border cooperation between Spain and Portugal as a tool to strengthen regional development and combat depopulation. In the field of sustainable tourism, it has supported projects that attract visitors to rural areas and boost the local economy while protecting natural and cultural heritage. Through the exchange of experiences and good practices, opportunities have been created that help revitalize communities, energize less populated areas, and consolidate a responsible and sustainable tourism model.

The post 21/01/2026: POCTEP Shares Its Experience in Sustainable Tourism at the ‘Tourism4SDG’ Event first appeared on POCTEP.

• RURALPYME is a project co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) programme

Digitalisation is today a key element for economic recovery, emissions reduction and improved energy efficiency. An increasing number of companies are incorporating digital tools into their daily activities. In this context, it is essential that SMEs, which are a fundamental pillar of the economy and especially important in rural areas, also move forward in their digitalisation process. However, it is precisely rural SMEs that are progressing more slowly, as they face greater difficulties and limitations than companies in urban environments.

In this context, the RURALPYME project is organising a practical workshop to help small and medium-sized enterprises implement AI in their businesses: AI in SMEs in 2026: from theory to action.

• Location: Faro | UALG TEC Campus – Business Accelerator of the University of Algarve
• Date and time: 20 January, 9:30 a.m. (Portuguese time)
• Online registration: https://forms.gle/x8N1UgkePQFGbjks6

RURALPYME is a POCTEP project whose objective is to promote the digitalisation of rural SMEs in the Alentejo–Algarve–Andalusia Euroregion. To this end, a support service will be launched with specialised consultants who will advise and accompany them in a planned digital transformation process aimed at improving their sustainability and competitiveness.

RURALPYME will involve companies, non-profit organisations, public administrations, research bodies and citizens, with the aim of sharing knowledge and promoting solutions adapted to the rural environment.

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