BRAVE Project officially launched with a two-day Kick-off meeting in Venice
30/12/2025
The BRAVE project – Building Resilience and Adaptive Vision for the Adriatic Sea Environment was officially launched with a two-day Kick-off Meeting held on 27–28 November 2025 in Venice, Italy, at the Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista. The event was organized by the Lead Partner, Veneto Region, and marked the formal start of this Operation of Strategic Importance (OSI) under the Interreg VI-A Italy–Croatia 2021–2027 Programme. The meeting served to formally launch the project, align all partners on the strategic objectives and operational framework, and involve stakeholders during an open-to-public session on 27th afternoon, in which several experts presented important aspects related to BRAVE Project main objectives and themes.
Funded under Priority 2 – Green and resilient shared environment and Specific Objective 2.2, the BRAVE project aims to enhance the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem functionality in the Adriatic Sea by addressing key challenges such as invasive alien species, biodiversity loss, data fragmentation and governance gaps.
The first day morning session was dedicated to internal project coordination and alignment among all 13 Italian and Croatian project partners, with the participation of the Joint Secretariat. The meeting provided a comprehensive overview of the project’s objectives, structure and work plan, as well as detailed guidance on programme requirements for OSI projects, including communication, financial management, reporting, quality assurance and risk management.
Special attention was given to the strategic role of communication, highlighting the high visibility requirements for OSI projects and the importance of clearly demonstrating the added value of EU funding. The project’s Communication Strategy and governance structure were presented, ensuring compliance with EU visibility rules and a coordinated approach across all partner territories.
In the afternoon of 27 November, the Kick-off Meeting continued with an open-to-public event, aimed at engaging a wide range of stakeholders, researchers, public authorities, sectoral agencies, socio-economic actors and citizens. The public session featured technical and scientific presentations on key environmental challenges in the Adriatic Sea, including invasive species, biodiversity monitoring, maritime spatial planning, climate change impacts, fisheries sustainability and innovative adaptation strategies. This session fostered dialogue between science, policy and practice, reinforcing the project’s transnational and multidisciplinary approach.
The second day was dedicated to the Steering Committee meeting, focusing on operational planning, deliverable timelines, coordination of upcoming activities and the establishment of the Adriatic Advisory Committee (AAC). Partners discussed next steps for the implementation of monitoring protocols, pilot actions, training activities and stakeholder engagement initiatives.
The Kick-off Meeting successfully laid the foundations for effective cross-border cooperation, ensuring a shared understanding of the project’s strategic objectives and implementation framework. By bringing together public authorities, scientific institutions, sector representatives and the wider public, BRAVE sets a strong basis for contributing to a more resilient, biodiverse and sustainably managed Adriatic Sea, fully aligned with the goals of the Interreg Italy–Croatia Programme and the European Union.