Under the theme "Regional Development in Challenging Times", this year’s edition brought together an engaged community to discuss innovative strategies, share best practices, and strengthen collaborative efforts in response to today’s complex economic and geopolitical landscape.

Despite the difficult context facing many regions, from the green and digital transitions to budgetary constraints and shifting policy frameworks, AGORADA 2025 proved that regional development actors remain resilient, forward-thinking, and results-driven.

For your convenience, you can find the photo album of the event here, and below you will find the detailed minutes of each session.

14.30 – 14.40: Welcome speech and opening remarks

Speaker: Theo Föllings – EURADA President

In his welcoming speech, EURADA Director Theo Föllings stressed the need for more innovation, competitiveness, and sustainability at EU level, directly referencing the Draghy report. He also advocated for greater cooperation at EU level, highlighting that it is crucial to enhance innovation, competitiveness and sustainability. Lastly, he called for an increased support to Europe’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, especially when it comes to accessing finance, with special focus on SMEs, startups and scale-ups.

14.40 to 15.30 – Session 1: Simplifying regional development policy to advance the EU competitiveness agenda

Speakers: Nicola De Michelis – Deputy Director General DG REGIO • Thomas Wobben – Director, European Committee of the Regions • Theo Föllings – EURADA president • Júlio Teixeira – Policy Officer, Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions

Key findings of the Panel of Speakers:

Simplification is key to enhance EU competitiveness. As such, simplification efforts should be tackled as a priority. However, this task is inherently complex, as excessive simplification risks eroding the core principles (Multi-governance, place-based approach) of Cohesion Policy (CP). With CP amounting to a third of the EU Budget, Simplification efforts should be carried out under an appropriate amount of control, to avoid jeopardising the afore-mentioned core principles of the Policy.

Likewise, we are gradually witnessing a change towards a performance-based approach to CP, as opposed to its traditional place-based approach. This new approach, although more effective for the purpose of enhancing EU competitiveness, is also drastically opposed to CP’s core principles. 

Challenges Identified:

• Trade-offs between simplification and core CP principles;
• Tensions between EU-wide regulations and regional diversity;
• Lack of clarity on the future role of regional/local authorities in CP governance.

Key Reform Proposals: coherent and unified rulebook, proportionality, control checks and audits to enhance trust between EU Institutions and CP managing authorities, and increased dialogue between EU Institutions and relevant stakeholders, and regional and local authorities.

16.00 to 17.30 – Session 2: Regional Development Agencies at a crossroads: rethinking their mission and impact

Presentation EURADA-OECD survey on Development Agencies, by Stephan Visser – OECD and Roberta Dall’Olio – External Senior Consultant at EURADA

During their intervention, Ms Dal’Ollio and Mr Visser announced that the analysis of the EURADA – OECD survey carried out in November 2023 will be turned into a joint publication, to be published in Autumn. Stay tuned, as more information will be revealed soon!

Panel Discussion: The role of Development Agencies in shaping the Post-27 Cohesion Policy

Speakers: Vasile Asandei – Director General ADR Nord Est and President of ROREG • Cristina Oyon – FORO ADR • Ingrid Meijer – ROM Netherland • Stephan Visser – OECD and Bryan Daniels – IEDC (Video Testimonial).

Moderator: Francesco Molica – EURADA Director

Key insights of the panel discussion:

Panelists held that simplification must result in impact. For the purpose of effective simplification, increased administrative capacity and communication are crucial. Consequently, there needs to be more emphasis on experimentation, flexibility, and professional capacity. Furthermore, speakers stressed the importance of territorial intelligence and knowledge exchange, underscoring the importance of Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3s), the use of AI tools and data protection.  

9.00 to 10.00 – Session 3: Preserving the Past, Powering the Future: Collaborative Local Action in Smart Heritage Cities

Speakers: Nuno Bilo and Daniel Valente – Municipality of Evora • Martijn de Vries – New Energy Coalition • Ghazal Etminan – Fellow Cities and Scalable Cities Representative, Energy at Work

Moderator: Jade Connoly – Policy and Project Officer, EURADA
 

During the Pannel Discussion, the POCITYF project representatives showcased how Évora and Alkmaar are achieving climate-neutral goals in historic settings through innovative, heritage-sensitive retrofits, inclusive governance, and digital tools. Despite COVID-19 challenges, both cities leveraged drones, local supply chains, and community engagement to maintain momentum and expand impact to surrounding districts. Key to long-term success are flexible approaches, open tech packages, and cross-city knowledge sharing that adapt strategies to each city's unique context.

10.00 to 11.00 – Session 4: Regional development and emerging new technologies

Speakers: Anabela Marques Santos – European Commission, Joint Research Center • Giovanni Zazzerini – INSME • Cristina Oyon – SPRI and Arūnas Želvys – Liaison Officer at the EUIPO Brussels

Moderator: Andreea Leru – ADR Nord Est

In Session 4, the Panel explored how emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), and advanced IP strategies can drive regional innovation. More specifically, Anabela Marques Santos stressed that AI is a powerful disruptor, transforming everything from manufacturing to service delivery. On the other hand, Giovanni Zazzerini provided us with the perspective of innovative SMEs, presenting survey data showing that 40% of European SMEs already use AI to boost creativity and productivity. However, risks such as a general lack of legal protection, data misuse, and insufficient knowledge and skills remain, halting overall digitalisation. Zazerini highlighted the importance of empowering SMEs to innovate, not just consume solutions from global tech giants. Furthermore, Cristina Oyon discussed Digital Hubs as Regional Anchors, showcasing in her presentation the Basque Digital Innovation Hub, a practical example of how regions can build technological capability in SMEs. In doing so, she stressed that financial support is crucial, but so are networks, skills and long-term digital strategies. Finally, Arūnas Želvys from EUIPO highlighted how strategic use of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) improves SME performance by up to 44%. Programmes like the SME Fund 2025 and investment in Geographical Indications combine tradition and innovation to boost regional economies, including tourism and branding.

11.30 to 13.00 – Session 5: Strategic autonomy starts locally: the regional dimension of a resilient Europe

Speakers: Andrea Conte – European Commission, Joint Research Center • Lucia Huertas – INFO MURCIA • Daniel Janeiro – EURADA Vice President • Jonathan Slow – Scottish Enterprise

Moderator: Javier Adrian – ACCIO

This session explored how regional actors contribute to Europe’s open strategic autonomy by enhancing resilience to trade disruptions and advancing efforts in re-industrialisation, logistics, energy, tariffs, and defence. While the EU debate on strategic autonomy often takes a top-down and spatially blind approach, this session introduced a territorial perspective, highlighting how local initiatives and regional ecosystems shape practical responses. Rather than simply implementing EU and national policies, regional actors emerge as proactive agents of resilience, leveraging local assets, industrial strengths, and innovation networks. The discussion underscored the need for strategic autonomy to be rooted in place-based approaches and showcased concrete, on-the-ground solutions that demonstrate regions’ capacity to drive meaningful change. More specifically, Andrea Conte stressed that, while Policy is not always territorial, its effects certainly are. Consequently, regional industrial ecosystems must be integrated into Europe’s industrial strategy, especially as new funding frameworks and competitiveness funds are designed. EU strategic autonomy isn’t abstract, and is tied to regional capabilities, targeted investment, and locally grounded innovation. On the other hand, Lucía Huertas highlighted regions like Murcia, which are supporting SMEs to scaleup and engage in dual-use innovation where civil and defence needs meet. Through training, matchmaking, and public-private partnerships, they help small companies respond to defence challenges, win NATO tenders, and grow sustainably. Thirdly, Daniel Janeiro discussed the Invest in AlentejoInitiative, promoted by ADRAL (Alentejo Regional Development Agency) whose main objectives include strengthening the internationalisation of goods and services in Alentejo region, increasing the international recognition of the strategic sectors of Alentejo, promoting the region's potential internationally through its infrastructures, strengthening internationally the existing economic sectors in Alentejo, enhancing the internationalisation of companies and increasing the international recognition of regional products and services. By discussing this initiative, Janeiro provided a concrete example of how RDAs can attract and channel investment into smart specialisation areas, thus supporting regional autonomy through place-based strategies and internationalisation. Finally, Jonathan Slow argued that resilience is a baseline, not the goal. In post-Brexit Scotland, strategic autonomy means mission-driven development, innovation partnerships, and responding to global uncertainty without turning inward. For this purpose, collaboration, as opposed to isolation, is the path forward.

13.00 to 13.15 – Next steps and closing remarks

Speakers: Valeria Tudisco – Sviluppumbria • Francesco Molica – EURADA Director

Valeria Tudisco kindly reminded attendees that registrations are now open for The Clusters Meet Regions (CmR) event in Foligno (Umbria),organised by our member Sviluppumbria in collaboration with the Umbria Region, and the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) on behalf of the European Commission. The event, taking place on 24 and 25 June 2025,will explore how clusters contribute to regional industrial transformation, looking into how they can support the green and digital transitions, in the aerospace, e-mobility, and nautical sectors.

For more information on CmR Foligno and to check the draft agenda, click here. If you are interested and would like to attend, registerhere.

Moreover, the Master of Ceremony asked the audience to please SAVE THE DATE for The Cluster Meet Regions event in Slovenia, scheduled for 10 and 11September 2025. More information on the event will be disseminated soon, so stay tuned!  

Finally, EURADA Director Francesco Molica closed AGORADA 2025 thanking the more than 90 attendees who joined us for our main annual event, highlighting that their presence and engagement made the event truly special; and invited them to stay tuned for future EURADA events.