Youth4Sea 2026: Shaping the Future together
16/06/2026
At the end of May, the beautiful city of Ancona hosted Youth4Sea, a key event dedicated to the role of young people in shaping the future of cross-border cooperation between Italy and Croatia. Held as part of the Interreg Italy-Croatia Annual Event 2026, the initiative brought together more than 200 participants, including young people, project representatives, institutions and Programme stakeholders.
Among the participating projects was BIOPRESSADRIA, represented by partners SELC, Sunce and CORILA, who had the opportunity to showcase the project's activities, achievements and impact. The event provided a valuable platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange and networking among organisations working towards a more sustainable Adriatic region.
Throughout the day, participants engaged in working tables, discussions and project presentations focused on strengthening youth involvement in territorial cooperation. The exchanges highlighted the importance of creating meaningful opportunities for young people to contribute to decision-making processes and future Interreg initiatives.
A central message emerged from the event: youth engagement cannot remain a one-off initiative. Building a lasting impact requires continuity, trust and concrete opportunities for participation. Participants emphasized the need to move beyond symbolic approaches and foster long-term mechanisms that enable young people to play an active role in shaping the future of their communities. The experiences shared by Interreg projects demonstrated how cross-border cooperation can help address environmental, social and economic challenges while empowering younger generations to become active contributors to sustainable development.
By bringing together diverse perspectives and encouraging collaboration, Youth4Sea reaffirmed the importance of investing in young people's ideas, skills and aspirations.
