From Tirana to Vlora, the Interreg Strategic GOVERNANCE project is moving forward, one meeting at a time. In June 2025, two key events in Albania brought together public institutions from Italy, Albania, and Montenegro to push a shared ambition: building smarter, more connected, and citizen-focused public services across the South Adriatic.
On 17 June, the project held its second in-person Partnership Meeting at the headquarters of SASPAC in Tirana, Albania’s National Agency for Strategic Programming and Aid Coordination. The event was a strategic opportunity for partners to exchange views, align priorities, and define a common roadmap for administrative transformation in the region. Among the key discussions: the launch of the Multifunctional Hub, a central tool designed to support project actions through knowledge-sharing, institutional dialogue, and expert collaboration.
To bring the Hub to life, the Puglia Region, lead partner of GOVERNANCE, signed an agreement with CINI (National Inter-University Consortium for Informatics) and University of Salento, enabling the creation of a digital platform and the activation of a support group composed of public officials, academics, and international experts. The platform will also host the “Upskilling for GOVERNANCE” training programme, featuring e-learning modules co-developed with CINI and the University of Bari Aldo Moro, aimed at strengthening local staff competencies in digital transition, simplification, and communication.
Just two days later, on 19 June in Vlora, the project was presented during the Joint Monitoring Committee Meeting of the Interreg IPA South Adriatic Programme. Featured among the Programme’s strategic actions, GOVERNANCE was recognised for its innovative, partnership-based approach to tackling shared institutional challenges across borders.
Both events reaffirmed the project’s central role in fostering a new model of local public administration: one that is more efficient, transparent, and responsive to citizens’ needs. Through cross-border cooperation, digital tools, and targeted training, GOVERNANCE continues to turn plans into action; helping build a resilient, future-ready public sector for the South Adriatic.
Learn more on GOVERNANCE project HERE.
About the project
GOVERNANCE is co-financed by the Interreg IPA South Adriatic Programme 2021–2027 and brings together partners from Italy, Albania, and Montenegro to reinforce public sector capacity, promote digital innovation, and support cross-border cooperation at the local level.