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An intersectoral workshop at the Polytechnic University of Marche brought together institutions, researchers, businesses and local initiatives to create connections between sustainable food systems, health, biodiversity, culture, tourism and innovation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n On <\/span><\/span><\/span>16 October 2026<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>, the meeting of the <\/span><\/span><\/span>MEDDIET Working Group of the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR)<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong> was held at the Faculty of Economics of the Polytechnic University of Marche (UNIVPM), as part of an interactive policy workshop entitled <\/span><\/span><\/span>“Towards a network and ecosystem for Mediterranean Diet innovation within EUSAIR”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>. The event brought together representatives of European and national institutions, regional authorities, universities, research organizations, Chambers of Commerce, businesses and other stakeholders from all over the Adriatic-Ionian Region.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Jointly organized by the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Marche Region<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> and the Forum of the Adriatic and Ionian Chambers of Commerce (AIC Forum), in collaboration with the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Polytechnic University of Marche<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> and the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (IAI),<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> the meeting took place within the framework of the Italian Presidency of <\/span><\/span><\/span>the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR)<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> for the period 2026\u20132027.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The workshop focused on the potential for developing <\/span><\/span><\/span>a macro-regional network and ecosystem for the innovation of the Mediterranean Diet<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong> within EUSAIR. The MEDDIET flagship project was born from the transversal cooperation between the EUSAIR 1 (Sustainable Blue Economy), 4 (Sustainable Tourism) and 5 (Social Cohesion) pillars, recognizing in the Mediterranean Diet a shared resource capable of connecting local food systems, cultural heritage, coastal and rural communities and sustainable territorial development. After being developed through dedicated meetings of working groups and discussions held within the framework of the annual EUSAIR Forums, the Ancona meeting represented a further step towards the translation of this shared strategic vision into concrete forms of cooperation in the entire Adriatic-Ionian Region.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Starting from the EUSAIR-S3 workshop held in Izola in September 2026, during which the operational logic of cooperation for innovation at the macro-regional level was presented and tested, the workshop explored the possible ways of applying this approach to the Mediterranean Diet. In particular, the opportunities for linking EUSAIR priorities and those of existing innovation skills, competences and ecosystems within the <\/span><\/span><\/span>regional smart specialization strategies (S3)<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong> were examined, with the aim of identifying thematic affinities and potential opportunities for collaborative innovation. The Mediterranean Diet has been considered not only as a nutritional model and food tradition, but also as an area full of opportunities to develop synergies between the agri-food sector, sustainable food systems, health, biodiversity, cultural heritage, tourism, research and innovation and territorial development.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The workshop explored the prospects for the development of a <\/span><\/span><\/span>network for the innovation of the Mediterranean Diet<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>, capable of connecting the relevant actors of the Adriatic-Ionian Region and supported by a broader ecosystem of regional S3 priorities, research institutes, businesses, public authorities and territorial partnerships. Through inspirational speeches, presentations of practical experiences and three participatory sessions based on the <\/span><\/span><\/span>World Caf\u00e9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em> methodology, participants identified opportunities for cooperation, relevant expertise and possible pilot initiatives, while discussing the necessary conditions for implementation, knowledge transfer, governance and long-term macro-regional cooperation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The aim of the workshop was to identify the first signs of cooperation and the most promising areas of opportunity, to map relevant regional resources and expertise, and to define shared priorities and concrete and realistic actions for the next steps. The results of the three <\/span><\/span><\/span>World Caf\u00e9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em> sessions contributed to the elaboration <\/span><\/span><\/span>of the Ancona Recommendations<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>, translating the discussions and proposals that emerged during the workshop into a series of indications aimed at guiding the further operational development of the MEDDIET flagship project and strengthening collaborative innovation through the EUSAIR\u2013S3 cooperation pathway.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Gilles Kittel<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>, representing the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission (DG REGIO), illustrated the development of the MEDDIET flagship project within EUSAIR, highlighting its role in translating a shared vision into concrete forms of cooperation in the entire Adriatic-Ionian Region. It retraced the main stages of the initiative: from the adoption of the updated EUSAIR Action Plan in May 2025, which included the promotion of the Mediterranean Diet and local, organic and origin-related productions, to the creation of the MEDDIET flagship project by Pillars 1, 4 and 5 during the workshop held in Bari in September 2025. Kittel emphasized the transversal value of the Mediterranean Diet, capable of connecting the sustainable blue economy, sustainable tourism and social cohesion. Local food systems and cultural heritage are in fact a link between coastal and rural communities and contribute to sustainable economic development. He then illustrated the prospects for the development of a macro-regional network and ecosystem for the innovation of the Mediterranean Diet, capable of bringing together the relevant actors, the regional priorities of smart specialization (S3), research and higher education institutions, companies, public authorities and existing territorial partnerships. Finally, he explained that the Ancona meeting aimed to identify the first operational elements needed to build this framework of cooperation, including regional skills and resources, potential pilot nodes, transferable good practices and shared priorities on governance, knowledge transfer and skills development.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The opening session outlined a central message for the workshop: <\/span><\/span><\/span>the Mediterranean Diet can become a concrete tool for cooperation when its cultural and food heritage is related to innovation, health, sustainable tourism, biodiversity and new opportunities for regional economies.<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n