ITER participates in the networking sessions of the INTERREG MAC 2021-2027 Program held in Madeira - ITER - Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables, S.A.

The event, organized by the strategic project HEXAGONE, brought together entities from Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Gambia, and Sao Tome and Principe in Funchal (Madeira) from March 28th to 29th. The objective was to promote cooperation between European regions and the new African countries participating in the INTERREG MAC program.

The Networking Sessions consisted of three working groups focusing on different priority topics for the program, as well as networking sessions among the participating entities.

Mónica Alonso López, representing ITER, took part in the “Green, Blue Economy, and Climate Change” working group on March 28th, presenting the main areas of work of the Technological Institute of Renewable Energies, the Institute’s experience in managing and implementing INTERREG MAC projects, and its areas of interest for cooperation within the cooperation space. Some of the executed projects and their excellent results were highlighted, such as the MACLAB-PV, SOSTURMAC, EELABS, PLANCLIMAC, VOLRISKMAC I, VOLRISKMAC II, and VOLTURMAC projects.

Furthermore, within the framework of the Awareness Campaign of the MACLAB-PV project, ITER emphasized the importance of promoting the role of women in science and technology and encouraged a joint photo of the women participating in the sessions.

Following the presentation, contacts were established with numerous participating entities during the sessions to identify projects of shared interest for the upcoming call of the new INTERREG-MAC 2021-2027 program.

During the event, Julian Zafra Díaz, the Director General of European Affairs of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Managing Authority of the INTERREG MAC Program, presented the main features of the new EU Cooperation Program INTERREG-MAC 2021-2027.

The HEXAGONE initiative, funded 85% by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and led by the Directorate General of Economic Affairs with Africa of the Government of the Canary Islands, is a strategic project that supports the Territorial Cooperation Program of the European Union Interreg Madeira-Azores-Canary Islands (MAC) 2014-2020. Its aim is to promote cooperation with several African countries and facilitate the convergence of MAC projects with funds from the European Development Fund (EDF).