From 12-14 February, the CROSS-REIS partner Co-PLAN hosted a three-day event in Tirana, dedicated to institutional exchange, research collaboration, and sustainable development. The event was organized in collaboration with Polis University and with the support of DSA. The event brought together researchers and practitioners from all CROSS-REIS partners and from Albania. Over three days, participants engaged in presentations, workshops, field visits, and brainstorming sessions, laying the groundwork for the future research partnerships and joint initiatives within the consortium and beyond.
The visit began with Co-PLAN’s experiences in green transition, ecosystem service assessment through RRI, and support for civil society and quadruple helix actors. Participants engaged in discussions on core outcomes from key projects such as GreenFORCE, WBC-RRI.net, GreenAL, GreenLUNGS, and CCL Tirana. Dr. Elona Karafili, Vice Rector of Polis University guided the tour of the Innovation Factory. The discussion was followed by Claudia Romelli from Poliedra, who provided insights into synergies across innovation actions, particularly in the URDATA project. The day concluded with a guided tour of Tirana, where participants engaged with various regenerative and green investments shaping the vision towards 2030 Green Agenda goals.
The second day of Cross-REIS meeting in Albania took participants beyond Tirana into the heart of Albania’s rural transformation with a study tour in Belsh Municipality, a designated Green Destination. Participants engaged in discussions with Ms. Romina Hysa, Vice Mayor of Belsh, who provided an overview of the municipality’s efforts in fostering economic growth through sustainable investments. A visit to the Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources (APGR) Center provided insights into innovative organic farming. Dr. Fetah Elezi, Director of APGR, led the participants through a tour of the community seed bank and regenerative practices in autochthonous seed production. Additional insights were shared by Prof. Drini Imami (DSA), who discussed agribusiness strategies and sustainable food systems. Following, participants explored The Black Horse Initiative, an innovative farming and olive oil production hub led by Denis Agolli, supporting organic farming activities alongside the rural hinterland.
The third and final day of Cross-REIS exchange visit in Tirana focused on scientific research, innovation ecosystems, and strategic partnerships. Experts from DSA shared research achievements in agribusiness and introduced the concept of a Rural Living Lab dedicated to olive production. A dedicated workshop on intellectual capital measurement in higher education institutions took place, providing insights into methodologies for assessing and enhancing research capabilities in widening countries. OSLOMET’s prof. Claudia van der Laag and Prof. John Östh led the discussions alongside Milica Jovanović Vujatović, who presented the draft framework developed by FEUN. Prof. Carlo Sessa and Tiago Zibecchi (EMEA) facilitated discussions on developing collaborative research proposals and joint actions to drive impact-driven research and policy development.
