The 1^st INNOMED-UP Conference was held on Monday, February 15^th, 2021 (09:00-13:00 CET) via teleconference, jointly organized by the Municipality of Prato (Italy) and the Lead Beneficiary of the INNOMED-UP Project National Technical University of Athens (Greece). This meeting was initially scheduled to be held in Prato at the end of 1^st year. However, due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) reoccurrence, the Conference was re-organized and took place digitally. Within the framework of INNOMED-UP Project implementation, both the structure and content of the Conference was properly adapted, serving a multiple purpose:

·      Shift local urban economies towards a circular production and consumption paradigm;

·      Present the key achievements of the INNOMED-UP Project during the 1^st year of project’s implementation.

Τhe INNOMED-UP Conference was organized in four (4) different sessions and around 100 participants on the six (6) social media channels on which the event was streamed online (Facebook: INNOMED-UP PROJECT, Città di Prato, Recò Festival & YouTube: INNOMED-UP PROJECT, Città di Prato, Recò Festival) were watching.

Integrating the principles of the Circular Economy into the productive schemes of Cultural and Creative Small-Medium Enterprises

At a glance, the 1st INNOMED-UP Conference showcased the experience of the Project Partners in developing new solutions to the problem of urban waste, by leveraging the know-how and creativity of Creative and Cultural Industries that are present in the historical centers of the Mediterranean Cities. Partner cities from both shores of the Mediterranean Sea (Athens/ Greece, Prato & Palermo/Italy, Tunis/Tunisia, Hebron & Nablus/ Palestine, Irbid/ Jordan) shared the practices that - based on their common cultural background and identity - attempt to integrate the principles of the Circular Economy into their productive schemes.

Through clustering, Cultural and Creative Small-Medium Enterprises’ access to innovation is being facilitated and social inclusion is promoted

Ιn the above context, INNOMED-UP holistic approach was specialized at a local level in order to incorporate each INNOMED-UP cities’ characteristics and promote clustering capacity enhancement for Cultural and Creative Small-Medium Enterprises at a local level through specific clustering roadmaps. The clustering roadmaps of each INNOMED-UP city is being produced by the Project Partners, reflecting each city’s and the Cultural and Creative Small-Medium Enterprises ecosystems’ particularities, based on two (2) preliminary surveys: the mapping of existing connections and networks in the Cultural and Creative sector and the mapping of Cultural and Creative Small-Medium Enterprises production chains and their possible combination with Circular Economy models. The purpose of these activities is to understand the Cultural and Creative Small-Medium Enterprises ecosystem in each INNOMED-UP city and to find possible points of intersection with Circular Economy models in specific production cycles. Through clustering, Cultural and Creative Small-Medium Enterprises’ access to innovation is being facilitated and social inclusion is promoted too.

At the end of the 1^st INNOMED-UP Conference a close collaboration with other ENI CBC Med and other EU funded Mediterranean projects (SIRCLES Project, STAND Up! Project, TEX-MED ALLIANCES Project, CRE@CTIVE Project, SwitchMed Programme) and territories working on the field of Circular Economy and Cultural and Creative Industries was promoted, exploring how Small-Medium Enterprises are being supported in their efforts towards the circular transition.

For more please visit: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKMM3Ya6ing