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Dear readers of INNOMED-UP Newsletter,
I present you with great pleasure the 2nd Newsletter of the INNOMED-UP Project. In the intervening period there have been several interesting and encouraging for our continuation events.
Let me kindly remind to INNOMED-UP readers that Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) initiative implemented by the EU under the European Neighborhood Instrument (ENI) Programme, seeks to enhance sustainability in urban settings through the adoption of best practices to promote Circular Economy by small and medium-sized enterprises of Cultural and Creative Industry (CCI SMEs).
To this end, during 2nd semester, INNOMED-UP Project Partners from all participating cities (Athens, Prato, Palermo, Medina of Tunis, Hebron, Nablus and Irbid), despite the urgent circumstances due to Covid19- outbreak, all have managed to successfully carry out various SWOT and PEST Workshops (or Webinars), as scheduled. Each partner, respecting the public health protocols of each country, managed to highlight the existing situation (problems and opportunities) of each city with the participation of local CCI SMEs & other stakeholders. As a consequence of Covid19- pandemic, the organization of events differed from country to country. The EUMP countries organized their Workshops online (Webinars), while the MPC countries, respecting the rules of social distancing, organized them with a physical presence.
Briefly, the purpose was to involve the potential stakeholders and future beneficiaries (CCI SMEs) through Workshops and Webinars, to understand the dynamics of each area (SWOT analysis) as well as the various external factors (PEST analysis) and to distill the CCI SMEs special characteristics and the priorities for each city.
In order to conduct the SWOT and PEST analysis for the INNOMED-UP cities, data, official statistics and existing relevant surveys and programs were gathered from INNOMED-UP stakeholders in order to be studied. SWOT and PEST analysis took also input from the respective Workshops and Webinars in order to assess the dynamics of each area and the external factors that affect the local businesses.
All Project Partners have already prepared preliminary assessment reports for the participating cities according to the Workshops’ (or Webinars’) results. Focusing on special characteristics of each city and specific strategy components will be used in the next step, that of the clustering roadmaps and eventually the pilot clusters, which will be implemented during the project.
Henceforth, the INNOMED-UP Project, in spite of an on-going health crisis, enters new activities:

• The 2nd Steering Committee (SC) - the highest decision-making body of the Project including representatives of all Project Partners -will be held online by the beginning of November 2020, in order to put in place all technical, financial, scientific and time scheduling issues, as well as ‘contingency measures’, to mitigate all risks generated by Covid19- during Project’s lifetime. Among other issues, the INNOMED-UP partnership will decide for all the appropriate measures, which, in current conditions of the pandemic, are deemed necessary to enable remote communication across digital channels by using effectively online tools.
• Reaching the end of the 1st year, in order for the first results of Project’s research to be presented (Methodological Framework and Strategy design for Specialization of the INNOMED-UP Holistic Approach at a local level), the 1st INNOMED-UP Conference will be soon held via online communication channels and in accordance with all the instructions imposed by the current health crisis.
• Alongside all horizontal activities are in progress such as communication and management of the Project. We move together with collegiality and we are confident of the excellent cooperation on new challenges lied ahead.

We deeply believe that each partner has an important role in our Project and is anintegral link in the chain. Everyone alone but rather together make every effort to support the Project and the successful completion of which we are confident, even in these conditions of the current health crisis generated by COVID19.

Stay abreast of the progress of INNOMED-UP Project through our official website (http://www.enicbcmed.eu/projects/innomed-up) and social media (INNOMED-UP Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube).

Kind Regards,
Sofia Avgerinou Kolonias
INNOMED-UP Project Coordinator
Emeritus Professor, Department of Urban and RegionalPlanning
School of Architectural Engineering
National Technical University of Athens (N.T.U.A.)