The Municipality of Ferrara, as lead partner, hosted the launch of the European project “Sole MED – Supporting a smarter & innovative OpenLab network in the Euro-MED area” on 18 and 19 June 2025 at the Laboratorio Aperto di Ferrara
The initiative, co-financed by the Interreg Euro-MED programme and supported by the European Union, involves institutions and partners from six Mediterranean countries with the common goal of promoting social and technological innovation, with a focus on the development of the bioeconomy sector .
“We are proud that Ferrara is leading such a strategic European project,” said Ferrara’s Deputy Mayor, Alessandro Balboni , with responsibility for the Environment and European Projects. “Sole MED represents a concrete opportunity to network experiences, skills, and best practices in the fields of innovation and the bioeconomy, crucial sectors for the sustainable development of our region and the entire Mediterranean region. Ferrara’s Open Laboratory, born as a place of experimentation and participation, today confirms its international vocation and its role as a catalyst for forward-looking projects. With Sole MED, we intend to support young entrepreneurs towards real, equitable, and innovative change, strengthening Ferrara’s position within European innovation networks.”
The event featured two intense days of work and discussion among partners from the Region of Thessaly (Greece), the Municipality of Lleida (Spain), the Municipality of Razlog (Bulgaria), ViLabs Ltd. (Cyprus), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Banja Luka Region (Bosnia and Herzegovina), as well as the University of Ferrara and the Municipality itself as lead partner. The Emilia-Romagna Region and the Lleida Agri-food Science and Technology Park participated in the meeting as associate partners.
On Wednesday, June 18 , following the official opening with greetings from representatives of the Municipality of Ferrara—Deputy Mayor Alessandro Balboni, Chief of Staff Fabio Bergamini, Dr. Stefania Leoni representing the Emilia-Romagna Region, Professor Federico Frattini representing the University of Ferrara, and Isabelle Nobio, Project Officer of the Interreg Euro-MED program (connected online), an introductory session was held to present the best practice to be transferred to the consortium’s participating institutions. The Ferrara Open Laboratory explained its origins, within the framework of the Emilia-Romagna Region’s 2014-2020 PR ERDF program, and its activities for innovation and startup acceleration. This was followed by a detailed presentation of the project’s goals and activities, introducing the individual partners to the core of the planned actions.
In the afternoon, a study tour of the hydroponic greenhouse developed by the University of Ferrara’s Technopole took place , offering a concrete example of innovation in the bioeconomy sector and its future and potential applications for increasing yields and agricultural production space.
On Thursday, June 19 , a technical session led by Professor Chioatto of the University of Ferrara introduced the actions of the first work package, dedicated to mapping the innovation ecosystem in the partner regions. This will define the target audience for the training course for the development of startups and innovative businesses in the bioeconomy. The course will be co-created by the partners and offered to a young audience in 2026.
Furthermore, the possible openings and synergies with governance projects and thematic clusters were described which, within the Euro-MED Programme and thanks to the coordination offered by the Emilia-Romagna Region, could further increase the effect and resonance of the actions envisaged by Sole MED.
The next meeting for the partners is scheduled for autumn 2025, hosted by the Region of Thessaly.
The project in brief
Sole MED is part of the Euro-MED program’s priority actions, helping to test and disseminate urban governance models that integrate innovation, support for the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the bioeconomy sector, and civic participation. Over the course of its development, the project will provide a concrete training opportunity for 30 young (potential) entrepreneurs, accelerating the shift towards a just and widespread ecological transition.
The total funding is €1,434,750, 80% of which—€1,147,800—is funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The budget for the Municipality of Ferrara is €322,000.
The partnership is composed as follows:
- Municipality of Ferrara – lead partner – Emilia-Romagna Region associate partner
- University of Ferrara
- Region of Thessaly (Greece) – associated partner University of Thessaly
- Municipality of Lleida (Spain) – associated partner: Lleida Agri-food Science and Technology Park
- Municipality of Razlog (Bulgaria)
- ViLabs Ltd (Cyprus)
- Banja Luka Chamber of Commerce (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – associated partner: Smart Village Agricultural Cooperative
“With Sole MED, we intend to support young entrepreneurs towards real, equitable, and innovative change, strengthening Ferrara’s position within European innovation networks”
