The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia programme has entered a new and ambitious phase of cooperation with the launch of its introductory thematic clustering sessions. The process brings together 30 EU cities, 16 EU regions, and a similar number of partners from Asia and Australasia (AA), creating a diverse and balanced platform for multilateral collaboration.
The geographic spread among EU cities is notably even, with representation from Scandinavia and the Baltics, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, 和 Southern Europe. Participating regions will focus cooperation with Japan, Korea, Australia, 和 新西兰 新西兰, including many national and regional capitals. This balanced structure ensures a strong foundation for cross-continental knowledge exchange and mutual learning.
The following is a preliminary selection of cities and regions. Please note that the list is not final and might still be subject to change.
EU cities selected (to be confirmed):
| 鲁汶 · 鲁汶 | 比利时 比利 |
| 索菲亚 索非亚 | 保加利亚 保加利亚 |
| Tallinn | Estonia |
| Espoo | 芬兰 芬兰 |
| Tampere | 芬兰 芬兰 |
| Grenoble Alpes Métropole | 法国 法兰西 |
| Berlin | 德国 德国 |
| 汉堡 汉堡 | 德国 德国 |
| Trier | 德国 德国 |
| 德布勒森 | 匈牙利 匈牙利 |
| 科克 科克 | 爱尔兰 爱尔兰 |
| 巴里 · 巴里 | 意大利 意大利 |
| Bologna Metropolitan City / NCI | 意大利 意大利 |
| Messina | 意大利 意大利 |
| 米兰 米兰 | 意大利 意大利 |
| Prato | 意大利 意大利 |
| Roma Capitale | 意大利 意大利 |
| Turin | 意大利 意大利 |
| Vicenza | 意大利 意大利 |
| Riga | Latvia |
| 鹿特丹 鹿特丹 | 荷兰 荷兰 |
| Bielsko-Biala | 波兰 波兰 |
| Rzeszów | 波兰 波兰 |
| Warsaw | 波兰 波兰 |
| 科英布拉 · 科英布拉 | 葡萄牙 葡萄牙 |
| Cluj Metro | 罗马尼亚 罗马尼亚 |
| Kosice | Slovak Republic |
| 巴塞罗那大都会区 | 西班牙 西班牙 |
| Granada ProvincialCouncil / Granada City | 西班牙 西班牙 |
| 马德里 马德里 | 西班牙 西班牙 |
EU regions selected (to be confirmed):
| Sisak Moslavina County | 克羅地亞 |
| Midtjylland/Central Denmark | 丹麦 丹麦 |
| Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 法国 法兰西 |
| Ile-de-France | 法国 法兰西 |
| Val d’Oise | 法国 法兰西 |
| Bremen | 德国 德国 |
| 马其顿 中部 | 希腊 希腊 |
| Western Greece | 希腊 希腊 |
| Emilia Romagna | 意大利 意大利 |
| Lodzkie/Lodz | 波兰 波兰 |
| Mazovia | 波兰 波兰 |
| Pomerania | 波兰 波兰 |
| Alentejo | 葡萄牙 葡萄牙 |
| Bac?u County | 罗马尼亚 罗马尼亚 |
| Bucharest Ilfov Region | 罗马尼亚 罗马尼亚 |
| Ljubljana urban region | 斯洛維尼亞 |
| Basque Country | 西班牙 西班牙 |
| Catalonia | 西班牙 西班牙 |
| Valencia Region | 西班牙 西班牙 |
With the thematic clustering phase now underway, participating cities and regions are shifting from bilateral pairings to thematic, cross-country collaboration. Starting 10 September and continuing through early November, weekly online meetings will focus on specific urban and regional challenges, culminating in a global thematic networking event in Barcelona on the occasion of the Smart City Expo World Congress 2025. The IURC programme extends its thanks to Fira de Barcelona 以及 Catalonian and Barcelona authorities for their valued partnership in this flagship event.
The thematic cooperation is structured into six city clusters?Urban Innovation, Climate Adaptation, Urban Regeneration & Social Cohesion, Circular Economy, Strategic Sectors, 和 交通和交通?and four regional clusters: Industrial Modernisation, Energy Transition, Agri-Food, 和 蓝色 经济. Each cluster will address subtopics and offer multiple presentation opportunities for cities and regions throughout the process.
This phase introduces Thematic Communities of Practice, enabling pilot cities and regions to exchange knowledge and launch joint flagship projects that respond to shared priorities. These pilot projects are designed to demonstrate, adapt, and test real-world solutions for urban and regional development, addressing topics such as sustainable mobility, energy transition, and circular economy. Projects are action-oriented and will serve as scalable models for future cooperation, supported by both local resources and the IURC competitive fund.
Key to this process will be the appointment of thematic leaders (?lighthouse? or ?sherpa? cities and regions), selected based on expertise and previous track record. They will help steer the clusters toward international visibility and measurable impact, ensuring the programme delivers concrete results beyond simple exchanges.
With this structure in place, IURC Asia & Australasia reinforces its role as a catalyst for global cooperation, advancing the EU?s external action objectives and supporting practical, place-based innovation between Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.
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