Rural Development Delegation from North Macedonia visits Area Science Park
Getting to know and sharing best practices to foster innovation in rural and cross-border areas: these were the main objectives of the visit to Friuli Venezia Giulia (7–10 April) by a delegation from North Macedonia, organized by the CEI (Central European Initiative) Executive Secretariat and Area Science Park, with financial support from the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
The delegation, made up of representatives from five Local Action Groups (LAGs), the State Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment of North Macedonia, four mayors, two members of the Balkan Rural Development Network, and several wine producers, had the opportunity to exchange views on various topics of interest and to visit innovative agrifood organizations.
A significant part of the visit took place at Area Science Park, where the delegation was welcomed by Salvatore La Rosa, Director of the Research and Innovation Division. After a brief presentation of the organization and its science and technology park, a discussion was held on the role of international cooperation in local development, with contributions from Luca Mercatelli of the Institutional Relations Office and Mark Barrett from GIZ Skopje.
The morning continued with presentations of best practices for innovation in rural contexts: from technology transfer at ICGEB to IoT solutions for agriculture by Primo Principio, through automation and sensors with Elimos, water management with Idrostudi, and aquaponics research with Shoreline.
In the afternoon, attention shifted to local development in peri-urban and cross-border areas, with contributions from CEI, BRDN, and the experiences of the Local Action Groups of the Karst and Brkini areas. The day concluded with an open discussion and transfer to Trieste.
The initiative reaffirmed the importance of collaboration between Friuli Venezia Giulia and North Macedonia in promoting innovation, sustainability, and economic growth in rural communities.