Representatives from the Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH) and CTA, partners of the VERDEinMED project, took part in the 4th Innovation Camp of the Innovative Sustainable Economy (ISE) Mission, held in Marseille, France, on 16–17 September 2026.
Organised within the framework of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme, the two-day event brought together experts, practitioners, policymakers and project partners from across the Mediterranean to exchange experiences, explore practical tools and discuss how transformative innovation can contribute to more sustainable and resilient territories.
This fourth edition focused on sufficiency as a complementary pathway towards sustainability, examining how economic activities and consumption and production models can evolve to meet societal needs while respecting planetary boundaries. Rather than approaching sufficiency solely from the perspective of individual consumption, the Innovation Camp explored its wider implications for production systems, business models and governance.
The first day combined expert insights, real-world experiences and collaborative workshops addressing the application of sufficiency across different areas, including energy, living and production. Participants were also introduced to Mediterranean initiatives and practical approaches ranging from sufficiency-oriented business models to circular economy diagnostic tools for companies.
On the second day, the programme connected sufficiency with systems thinking and transformative innovation. Through interactive working sessions, participants explored the role of Transformative Innovation Policy Labs (TIP Labs) and discussed how projects and initiatives can contribute to systemic change in Mediterranean territories. Particular attention was paid to challenges such as water scarcity, resource extraction and biocapacity, and the protection of marine ecosystems in coastal areas.
Connecting VERDEinMED with the wider Mediterranean innovation ecosystem
The participation of CERTH and CTA provided VERDEinMED with an opportunity to exchange experiences with other actors from the Interreg Euro-MED community and explore how the project’s work on textile circularity can connect with broader approaches to sufficiency and transformative innovation.
For VERDEinMED, these discussions are particularly relevant to its work towards a more circular textile and clothing sector in the Mediterranean. Reducing textile waste requires action throughout the value chain, involving not only technological and circular solutions but also businesses, consumers, public authorities, researchers and other stakeholders in rethinking how resources are used and valued.
The Innovation Camp also offered a space to reflect on the transfer and mainstreaming of innovative solutions, exploring how experiences generated by European cooperation projects can reach new stakeholders and territories and contribute to longer-term change. This exchange of knowledge and practices reinforces VERDEinMED’s commitment to cooperation across the Mediterranean and to increasing the uptake and impact of solutions developed within the project.
By taking part in the ISE Mission community, VERDEinMED continues to connect its work on textile waste prevention, circular economy and stakeholder engagement with the wider transition towards a more sustainable Mediterranean economy.
