The 5th Meeting of the Regional Stakeholders Group (RSG) of the European project DESICE – Enhancing Circular Economy through Innovative Design, co-funded by the Interreg Europe Programme, was successfully held on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, at the Seminar Room of YMCA Thessaloniki.
The meeting provided another opportunity to update and actively engage local stakeholders in the progress of the project, as well as to exchange views on promoting circular design and the circular economy at local level.
During the first part of the meeting, Ms Eleni Iordanidou, Project Manager of DESICE from ANATOLIKI S.A. – Organisation for Local Development (A.O.T.A.), presented the progress of the DESICE project to date. The presentation focused on the development of the project activities and the key outcomes of the interregional cooperation among the project partners.
This was followed by a presentation by Ms Stavroula Balmadaki, from ANATOLIKI S.A. – A.O.T.A., who presented the main highlights from the recent project partnership meeting held in Bologna and Imola, Italy, on 9 and 10 September 2026. Selected good practices highlighted during the meeting were presented, together with the main conclusions from the study visits to organisations and institutions in the region, with a focus on innovative applications of circular and sustainable design.
Next, Mr Dionysis Paliouras, representative of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, presented “From Design to Change: The Evolution of the Policy Instrument”. The presentation focused on the development of the policy instrument “Operational Programme of the Municipality of Thessaloniki 2024–2028” and on the process of using the knowledge and results generated through the DESICE project to strengthen relevant policies at local level.
Particular interest was generated by the presentation of the pilot action “Circular Hackathon Thessaloniki – Co-creating Circular Design Solutions for SMEs”, delivered by Ms Chrysanthi Koutsanta, representative of the Municipality of Thessaloniki. The action follows a collaborative approach to co-creating circular design solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and represents the next step in connecting the knowledge and good practices generated through DESICE with practical local action. It is worth noting that the pilot action was recently approved by the Interreg Europe Programme, following the submission of a proposal developed in cooperation with the Belgian partner.
The meeting concluded with an open discussion and exchange of views among the participants. Particular emphasis was placed on the next steps for implementing the Circular Hackathon Thessaloniki pilot action, as well as on how the stakeholders involved will organise their cooperation in preparation for and throughout its implementation.
The active participation of the Regional Stakeholders Group members is an important element in fostering the exchange of knowledge and experience, while also strengthening the connection between the results of the European project and the needs and priorities of the local community.
Project Partners
- ANATOLIKI SA – ORGANISATION FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT (LP)
- Economic Council of East Flanders (Belgium)
- BSC, Business Support Centre Kranj, L.t.d., Kranj (Slovenia)
- Thessaloniki Municipality (Greece)
- Public Institution Lithuanian Innovation Centre (Lithuania)
- Nuovo Circondario Imolese (Italy)
- South Muntenia Regional Development Agency (Romania)
- Association of Municipalities of Tartu County (Estonia)Association of Municipalities of Tartu County (Estonia)
Total project budget: €1,585,500
Start date: 01/04/2024
End date: 31/03/2028
