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Dear Regiostars friends,

2022 marks a special anniversary for our flagship competition: it is indeed the 15^th edition of the contest, which started in 2008.

A lot of things have changed in the meanwhile, but one thing has been constant throughout the years: your growing enthusiasm and support. In recent years, every edition brought a new record in terms of participation. Thank you!

In 2022, we want to celebrate this success and organize a special “throwback edition”: we will select 15 projects among finalists and winners of the past editions and put them under the spotlight of a Commission’s communication campaign in the second half of the year.

“15 projects for 15 years” could be the title of such initiative.

The celebration will gain momentum between September and November and will have its peak during the INFORM EU meeting in Evora, Portugal, in November 2022. On this occasion, we will showcase mini-documentaries about some projects and organize a celebratory event at the presence of Commissioner Elisa Ferreira.

So, no new competition in 2022 but a new celebration of the achievements of the Regiostars – the thousands of cohesion policy projects across Europe.

The huge success of the competition brings also huge pressure to do better and we think it is now a good time to reflect on how we want to shape the competition in the future. The “new” Regiostars format will be announced also during the ceremony in Evora, after a reflection and consultation period which will start soon. All relevant info will be shared on Inforegio, on the competition platform and on our social media channels.

Stay tuned and help us make our cohesion policy stars shine bright!

Welcome to the REGIOSTARS Awards

Watch the replay of the 2021 ceremony here!

The REGIOSTARS Awards are a yearly competition, organised by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy. It aims at identifying good practices in regional development and highlighting innovative, EU-funded projects, which could be attractive and inspiring to other regions and project managers

SMART Europe: Increasing the competitiveness of local businesses in a digital world

Category Winner

INTEGRATION OF 3D METAL PRINTING

3D printing of metal parts is technologically feasible. However the take-off was still limited at the factory level. Manufacturing companies experienced difficulties in integrating 3D-printing. As a first of its kind the project demonstrated a full production chain, from product development to a finished product, within an SME context. Whereas other projects solely aim at demonstrating, this project also created trainings at engineer and operator level. So people got trained to make it happen.

Public Favourite

BalkanROAD

Through a strong participatory approach, BalkanROAD defined the specific problems of Balkan agribusinesses towards achieving sustainability and delivered a targeted transition Strategy for the next years. The project developed a web-GIS app for the calculation of SMEs’ environmental impact, allowing the creation of local value chains and the strengthening of their market position by producing and marketing low carbon-, water- and waste footprint products, traceable at all production stages.

GREEN Europe: Green and resilient communities in rural and urban settings

Category Winner

ICCARUS (Gent knapt op)

ICCARus provides a unique housing renovation scheme for 100 vulnerable home-owners in Ghent. For each renovation we provide a starting capital of €30.000, which has to be paid back when the house is alienated. By using a recurring fund, the public finance is not only used for a limited group, but can be used over and over again for similar cases. Before, during and after the renovation process, participants are unburdened and supported technically, financially, administrative and socially.

Public Choice Award

BEGIN

BEGIN unites cities, citizens and stakeholders through the co creation of blue and green infrastructure (BGI) pilots in 10 EU cities, reducing flood risk by up to 30% and improving liveability. BEGIN implements state of the art BGI such as green corridors and sustainable urban drainage systems to tackle extreme weather effects whilst enhancing local biodiversity and community cohesion.Its social innovation approach has been included in master plans worth over €1B, national and regional policies.

FAIR Europe: Fostering inclusion and anti-discrimination

Category Winner

TREE

The aim of the project TREE is to facilitate the integration of refugees in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. We worked together with partner organizations, all of them experienced keyplayers in the field of integration. Together we designed a needs-oriented training program for practitioners working with refugees and migrants. We also developed a qualification programme for social interpreters. Our set of transnational and empowering measures will contribute to a successful integration in the region.

Public Favourite

Baltazar

The Baltazar project, through 6 years of its implementation, provided the necessary support for a total of 197 students with disabilities in the primary and secondary schools in Krapina Zagorje County through the employment of teaching assistants. Thus, the project contributes to the realization of the right to appropriate and inclusive education, equal opportunities to improve educational success, successful socialization and emotional functioning, independence and skills development.

URBAN Europe: Promoting green, sustainable, circular food systems in functional urban areas

Category Winner

THE TRAVELLING SOLIDARITY CANNERY

The travelling solidarity Cannery is a social innovation system of training in fruit and vegetable processing, conservation and packaging techniques, intended for people seeking new skills or retraining in the emerging professions related to the development of short circuits and healthy and sustainable food. This project allows, in particular, a disadvantaged public to have access to healthy and fair food at a lower cost throughout the year.

Public Favourite

DIGITAL FARMING SPECIALIST

The project aims to train the profile of ‘Expert in management of systems of environmental sustainability specialized in digital agriculture’ The professional profile will manage and operate the new technological system applied to agriculture and breeding, with the aim of implementing economical and environmental sustainability process.The project aims to enable farmers/agronomists to manage technology systems that could allow them to maintain or improve the production while being sustainable

TOPIC OF THE YEAR: Enhancing green mobility in the regions: European Year of Rail 2021

Category Winner

North-West Multimodal Transport Hub

An iconic Multimodal Transport Hub in Londonderry which provides an increased rail capacity and has a strong balance on services for cycling, public transport and active travel users in the Region, as well as encouraging modal shift from car to public transport. A new greenway link provides connectivity to the existing active travel network and onwards to the cross border greenway network and by hosting an Active Travel Centre, a range of active travel initiatives can be delivered.

Public Favourite

TRANSPORTE A PEDIDO

The Transporte a Pedido in the Médio Tejo subregion, a pioneering project in Portugal, is an innovative and flexible passenger public transport solution for the inner areas of the Centro Region, which has low population density and transports are scarce. The project, which offers 70 routes and is used by 1200 passengers/month, has proved its environmental and economic sustainability, significantly contributing to social inclusion. Such results have led to its replication elsewhere in the country

Welcome to the REGIOSTARS Awards

Watch the replay of the 2021 ceremony here!

The REGIOSTARS 2021 competition culminated in the award ceremony held on Thursday 2 December. Watch the replay of the event on this website.