On 16 June 2026, Galați, Romania, hosted “Dialogue Day – Strengthening Innovation Governance through Cross-Border Dialogue in the Black Sea Basin,” organized within the DIALOGUE project (BSB01104), funded by the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme 2021–2027.
The event brought together 63 participants from across the Black Sea Basin, representing the “quadruple helix framework”.
Held at Hotel Mercure, Dialogue Day opened with welcome remarks from Asociația Tehnopol Galați and local authorities, followed by an overview of the DIALOGUE project and the Black Sea Innovation Platform (BSIP) presented by Çorlu CCI. The morning continued with a session on innovation governance in the Black Sea region — current challenges and opportunities — and the presentation of preliminary policy recommendations developed within the project by the Trakya Development Agency (TDA).
The programme also featured examples of regional initiatives supporting innovation governance and institutional capacity, presented by IMI, followed by an open discussion among all partners on innovation needs and governance challenges in the region. In the afternoon, NGO and civil society representatives addressed the role of civil society in supporting innovation and better governance, before the floor was opened to all participants to share feedback on the policy recommendations. The day concluded with remarks on next steps from ATG and the project partners.
Immediately following Dialogue Day, Galați International Danubius University hosted the second meeting of the Black Sea Innovation Platform members — “Building Sustainable Cooperation within the Black Sea Innovation Platform” — attended by 43 platform members.
The meeting opened with a session on the operational development of the BSIP, focused on stakeholder engagement and network expansion, followed by an introductions and exchange session among platform members. Participants then took part in discussion sessions on the capacity-building needs of platform members and on translating the project’s recommendations into action, before turning to future cooperation planning. The meeting closed with the adoption of joint conclusions and future cooperation directions.
Interested in future events and platform activities? Join the DIALOGUE Innovation Platform at 👉 www.dialogueinnohub.com to stay informed about upcoming opportunities.
These events were implemented within the DIALOGUE project (BSB01104), funded by the INTERREG NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme and co-funded by the European Union.
