This is a flagship annual event and community platform dedicated to accelerating the green transition, climate neutrality and environmental resilience across the Mediterranean region.

The 9th Forum will bring together policymakers, innovators, researchers, public authorities, civil society and private sector actors from across the Mediterranean to advance a New Pact for a Sustainable Mediterranean Future, rooted in innovation, circular economy, resilience and cooperative governance. 

It will showcase how collaborative efforts under the Innovative Sustainable Economy (ISE) Mission of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme are driving transformative solutions that strengthen innovation capacities, promote green and blue circular economies, and support systemic territorial transition across the region. 

The Forum will host two of the main annual gatherings of the ISE Mission: the MED Innovation Summit and the ISE Community of Practice.

• MED Innovation Summit 2026 

This will bring together the Mediterranean community to share knowledge, foster collaboration and turn innovation into lasting impact. 

The four thematic panels will focus on the sustainable use of natural resources, climate-smart resilience, regenerative economic models, and Green Living Areas as laboratories for community-led governance. By combining policy dialogue, scientific knowledge and project experience from across the Euro-MED area, the Summit highlights how innovation can be tested, transferred and scaled in diverse Mediterranean contexts.

• 5th ISE Community of Practice in-person gathering 

This year’s gathering comes as the Community reaches peak momentum, marked by tangible project results, emerging innovations and strengthened partnerships. 

Participants will engage in four thematic working groups (marine resources, agri-food systems, industrial transition, and resources valorisation) to reflect on progress, align priorities and exchange practical insights from the Mentoring & Twinning programme action plans. 

A Marketplace Village will foster peer learning and cross-fertilisation among recently launched initiatives. It will be organised around three territorial challenge clusters: islands and coastal areas; agriculture and rural regions; and villages and urban spaces.

In the afternoon, a training session on regional policies for circular innovation will draw on experiences from the European Circular Economy Innovation Valley, complemented by regional strategy examples, public administration case studies and an overview of decentralised funding mechanisms anticipated under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034). 

The gathering will conclude with a panel discussion on lessons learned and pathways to shift from fragmented initiatives toward collective impact.

This conference will take place in person (some sessions may be livestreamed) and in English on 19-21 May. It will be held at the Piraeus Sailing Club in Athens. Registration (there is no charge for attending).