Interreg Euro-MED INSPIRE: Transnational Partners’ Meeting in Thessaloniki

On 5–6 May 2026, the transnational meeting of the partners of the European project Interreg Euro-MED INSPIRE – INtegrating biodiverSity Preservation and agrobIodiversity valorisation in touRism managEment in the MED area took place in Thessaloniki, Greece. The meeting was hosted at the premises of the American Farm School – Perrotis College, project partner, and brought together representatives of all project partner organisations from five Mediterranean countries. ANATOLIKI S.A. was represented by General Director Ms. Vasso Papadopoulou, Dr. Naya Tselepi, Project Manager, project team members Renia Gkountiou and Giannis Eleftheriadis, as well as Maria Magkrioti, Communication Manager of the project.

During the first day of the meeting, Tuesday, 5 May, welcome remarks were delivered by the President of the American Farm School, Mr. Jeffrey Lansdale. The first session began with a presentation of the project’s implementation progress by the Lead Partner, the Municipality of Messina, followed by the presentation of the project’s methodological approach by the Italian partner Slow Food. Subsequently, discussions focused on the progress of the deliverables of Work Package 1 (WP1), which concerns the development of a common framework for sustainable tourism based on agrobiodiversity, as well as the development of the E-Lab digital platform. The second part of the meeting focused on Work Package 2 (WP2), which concerns the preparation and organisation of Living Labs involving key stakeholders from the agri-food and tourism sectors in the project’s pilot areas. For ANATOLIKI S.A., the pilot area is Edessa and its surrounding region. The partners also presented the objectives, roles and responsibilities, implementation timeline and key milestones of the project. The first day concluded with discussions regarding the next coordination steps.

During the second day of the meeting, Wednesday, 6 May, partners focused on communication and dissemination activities, presenting the project’s communication strategy, key promotional tools and stakeholder engagement actions targeting local communities and relevant actors. In addition, a preliminary discussion was held on Work Package 3 (WP3), which focuses on the capitalization of the project results and their connection with the Interreg Euro-MED Natural Heritage Mission Team. During this discussion, the partners exchanged initial ideas, expectations and potential actions to be developed in the next phase of the project. The meeting concluded with an open discussion among partners regarding implementation and coordination issues, as well as the definition of the next steps for the smooth progress of the project.

As part of the activities showcasing local good practices and productive activities in the region, the participants also visited Giyoroudi Farm in Taxiarchis, Halkidiki, a black wild boar breeding farm. During the visit, participants were introduced to the farm’s operation, breeding practices and the connection between local production, gastronomy and sustainable tourism development in the area.

INSPIRE brings together 8 partners from 5 Mediterranean countries, combining public authorities, tourism boards, NGOs, and sustainability experts. Each partner contributes local knowledge and thematic expertise to co-develop, test, and scale the project’s solutions.