Smart Regions tours Europe to show how Cohesion Policy projects are helping people live better lives across the EU

Smart Regions

How young people are hacking the border between Estonia and Latvia

In partnership with the European Commission

In the twin towns of Valga and Valka, an invisible line still divides two communities — even since the border between Estonia and Latvia disappeared. A new EU-funded project is inviting young people to fix that.

27/04/2026

Smart Regions

The pioneering project integrating drones into air traffic control

In partnership with the European Commission

Piloted aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, drones... How do we make sure that all of these aircraft can fly in the same airspace without colliding? At Odense airport, Denmark, full-scale tests are being carried out.

13/04/2026

Smart Regions

Atlantic Europe: Rapid alert against coastal risks, reinforced

In partnership with the European Commission

Observation, alert and assistance systems for geological risks are being reinforced on Europe’s Atlantic coast, thanks to the AGEO project. In the Canary Islands, citizens can help by reporting a landslide on an app, which notifies others of road closures.

30/03/2026

Smart Regions

A new form of rural transport: driverlesss monorail cabins

In partnership with the European Commission

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the old, abandoned railway tracks have found a new lease of life – transporting people in futuristic monorail cabins around the region. The cabins are compact, driverless and can carry up to six passengers at once and operate on a single rail line.

16/03/2026

Smart Regions

Driverless trains and ancient treasures: inside Thessaloniki's ultra-modern metro

In partnership with the European Commission

After nearly 20 years of construction, Thessaloniki’s first metro is finally running. Driverless trains ease traffic and pollution, while stations display ancient artefacts uncovered during works. The €3bn project was completed thanks to strong EU and European Investment Bank support.

02/03/2026

Smart Regions

Radar imagery helps farmers in cloudy Poland

In partnership with the European Commission

In northern Europe, frequent cloud cover limits the use of traditional satellite images for agriculture. Polish company Wasat uses radar-based satellite data to overcome this challenge, helping farmers use less fertiliser and improve profitability.

16/02/2026

Smart Regions

Czech Republic: Pioneering postnatal support project for families at psychosocial risk wins award

In partnership with the European Commission

Breastfeeding difficulties, depression, violence... A pioneering project in the Czech Republic offers psychosocial support for mothers. The first step is a simple questionnaire, which nurses give them a day or two after giving birth.

02/02/2026

Smart Regions

In Sweden, organic steel production is already in progress

In partnership with the European Commission

The CO₂-free production revolution is coming to heavy industry. In Sweden, SSAB, the country's leading steel mill, has kicked off this radical shift. By the end of 2029 it will produce green steel, in a compact plant with an electric arc furnace.

19/01/2026

Smart Regions

Making peatlands a green economy in Ireland's Midlands

In partnership with the European Commission

Emissions from dried peat are a major issue in the Irish Midlands. The Peatlands for Prosperity project is pioneering paludiculture, transforming carbon-producing land into a sustainable source of economic opportunity.

05/01/2026

Smart Regions

Serbia and Hungary monitor Tisza river to predict droughts and floods

In partnership with the European Commission

Serbia and Hungary study the pulse of the Tisza River. The ADAPtisa project brings together researchers, universities and water management organisations from both countries. They share data to create a platform for integrated river basin management in the border region.

24/11/2025

Smart Regions

Diagnosing tuberculosis in four hours instead of three weeks

In partnership with the European Commission

In Lithuania, the number of people suffering from tuberculosis is among the highest in the European Union. Kaunas’ hospital has been modernised thanks to European funding and is aiming to curb the disease thanks in part to a new genetic test that can diagnose the disease in just four hours.

10/11/2025

Smart Regions

Climate change is making oat cultivation viable in Northern Europe

In partnership with the European Commission

Climate change is making oat cultivation viable in the Northern Periphery and Arctic. Researchers from Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden are testing 400 oat varieties to see which ones are best suited to the current Arctic climate and to promote their production in Northern Europe.

27/10/2025

Smart Regions

EU castles become strongholds of sustainable cultural tourism

In partnership with the European Commission

Two ancient castles in the Croatian region of Istria have been renovated and refurbished to give them a second lease of life. This is how old stones are providing a glimpse into to the past — while creating jobs and boosting local economies.

13/10/2025

Smart Regions

Is it possible to prevent a flood?

In partnership with the European Commission

Can floods be prevented? In this episode of Smart Regions, we visit a village in the Elbe river basin, where flooding is becoming more extreme due to climate change, to learn first-hand about flood control measures co-funded by the European Union.

29/09/2025

Smart Regions

In Estonia, a new rare-earth magnet plant powers Europe’s green transition

In partnership with the European Commission

Europe has taken a key step toward reducing its reliance on China for rare-earth magnets, critical for clean technologies. Europe’s first production facility has opened in Narva, Estonia, planning to supply magnets for over a million electric vehicles and a thousand offshore wind turbines each year.

15/09/2025

Smart Regions

Hydrogen sets sail for zero-emission shipping in the Netherlands

In partnership with the European Commission

In a major milestone for sustainable shipping, hydrogen-powered vessels have begun operations in the North Sea region, offering a glimpse into a future of truly zero-emission maritime transport.

01/09/2025

Smart Regions

How waste heat from Hamburg’s copper smelter is warming the city but not the planet

In partnership with the European Commission

Hamburg, in northern Germany, is home to a one-of-a-kind district heating system. The hot water that supplies it is largely obtained from waste heat from the city’s copper smelter, meaning no CO2 is released.

21/07/2025

Smart Regions

Marais d'Orx: how ospreys live

In partnership with the European Commission

Did you know that ospreys have stable mates? After migration they return to their nests to breed. In this episode of Smart Regions, we visit the Marais d'Orx in the south of France, to discover how this bird of prey has been reintroduced into the wetland that was drained by Napoleon.

07/07/2025

Smart Regions

Is tourism possible without overcrowding popular destinations?

In partnership with the European Commission

How can we continue to travel without overcrowding the most attractive destinations? In this episode of Smart Regions, we travel to Transylvania to discover innovative tourism solutions, such as home dining with locals in rural areas.

23/06/2025

Smart Regions

Roma children, fighting discrimination with chess, here's what they do in Romania

In partnership with the European Commission

In this episode of Smart Regions, we went to Satu Mare, a Romanian town on the border with Hungary, where the Stea association uses chess to facilitate the integration of the most vulnerable children.

09/06/2025