On 21 and 22 October 2025, the city of Gorizia will host an important new event of the BorderLabs CE project, funded by the Interreg Central Europe Programme. The meeting, co-organised by the Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives (CESCI) and EGTC GO, will bring together project partners from across Central Europe and international guests for two days of work focused on cross-border cooperation and participatory governance.

The first day will be dedicated to a working meeting among project partners. It will provide an opportunity to take stock of the results achieved so far through the pilot activities developed in the various regions and to discuss remaining challenges. Participants will exchange on topics such as participatory governance in border areas, joint promotion of local products, sustainable tourism, and the shared management of cross-border obstacles. The meeting will also address the next steps of the project, including upcoming thematic events, communication activities, the development of shared tools, and the organisation of the final event in Brussels in 2026.

The second day will feature a Thematic Expert Workshop on participatory governance in cross-border contexts, open to experts, stakeholders, and institutions. The workshop will provide a space for dialogue and exchange of best practices, tools, and future perspectives aimed at strengthening cooperation across borders. Project partners will share their experiences in participatory governance and present the approaches tested at the local level, with the goal of identifying models that can be replicated in other European contexts.

BorderLabs CE is a project funded by Interreg Central Europe, aimed at reinforcing cross-border cooperation through the development and testing of innovative governance models, with a focus on citizen participation and the joint management of obstacles in border regions.