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Dear readers of INNOMED-UP Newsletter,

I am proud to present the first Newsletter by the INNOMED-UP Project team. After the first nine months of research and work on the project, I am sincerely pleased for this publication. I would like to express my thanks to the INNOMED-UP Project Partners that embraced with such fervor the issue of Cultural and Creative Industries’(CCIs) involvement in Circular Economy (CE) schemes and for their daily efforts in order to create a cross-border cooperation and dialogue.

INNOMED-UP is one of the 41 projects funded by the European Union under the ENI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme 2020-2014 by the European Union through the European Neighborhood Instrument (http://www.enicbcmed.eu/)

By means of our Newsletter, I am sure you will find interesting and important information about the revitalization of city centers through the adoption of CE principles by CCIs, the utilization and promotion of local know-how, the production of new collaboration networks and clusters and the production of new innovative products from recycled/upcycled materials.

Among the many important Project Outputs, hereby, worth mentioning the most extroverted: a Model for the Mediterranean cities to foster a circular economy in urban planning, 6 SWOT & PEST Workshops, 4 Socio-Urban circularity workshops, 6 Clustering roadmaps of existing CCI networks and production chains, 6 Pilot clusters of CCI SMEs, an Open Source Repository for circular designs and eco-design toolkits, Pilot Innovative products and services, Reuse Open Markets to foster the upcycling and creative use of waste or unwanted materials, innovation and mentorship vouchers.

At present, all Project Partners are finalizing the first researching activity of the «INNOMED-UP Strategic Context Report» under the “INNOMED-UP MODEL”, acting as the methodological core of the Project. A CE Model for the Mediterranean area will be established and present a CE strategy for the Mediterranean, whereby ideas, design and knowledge will be exchanged between countries and materials will be recycled and up-cycled at a local level in local clusters. The basis of the entire “INNOMED-UP MODEL” is provided by a survey of resources of the partner cities - be it in the form of CCIs SMEs, policies and practices - through the compilation of state of the art reviews in the CCIs and the CE at different scales (Mediterranean, European, International). The survey includes existing trends and policies in the CE and CCIs to identify synergies with former and ongoing programs and initiatives.

On the occasion of the first INNOMED-UP Newsletter, let me kindly note that the current health crisis generated by COVID-19 has brought a paradigm shift that has significantly affected society. While the first concern is related to guarantee public health, it is clear that the impact this emergency will have on cities, local and global economies and on SMEs is huge. CCI SMEs are affected on both the demand and the supply side and those financial markets will register further reduced confidence and a reduction of credit.

However we remain optimist expecting that through the adoption and implementation of CE procedures within CCIs, as INNOMED-UP aims, it is expected that SMEs will benefit mostly by technological absorption, high-end knowledge transfer and training on the use of new technologies & smart tools to accelerate innovation on the CE concept, boosting in this way job opportunities and their competitiveness.

I welcome you to our first Newsletter, I hope you find it interesting and stay abreast of the progress of INNOMED-UP Project through our official website and social media (INNOMED-UP Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Youtube).

Kind Regards,
Sofia Avgerinou Kolonias
INNOMED-UP Project Coordinator
Emeritus Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning
School of Architectural Engineering
National Technical University of Athens (N.T.U.A.)