From 23 to 25 September 2026, the EGTC GO participated in the first edition of the annual seminar Matrix/La Matrice. The seminar was organised and hosted in Bourges, France, a city that will hold the title of European Capital of Culture in 2028. The event brought together around 90 delegates representing 16 delegations from as many past and future European Capitals of Culture (2024–2030). The participating cities were medium-sized urban centres (with a population of up to 100,000 inhabitants) that place coherent and sustainable cultural policies at the heart of their development strategies and urban planning programmes. Among the participants was also the EGTC GO, accompanying the delegation of the municipalities of Gorizia and Nova Gorica, the only cross-border reality represented at the seminar.

The first session, held on Thursday, 24 September, was almost entirely devoted to the Matrix/La Matrice concept, which is included in the official programme of Bourges 2028 European Capital of Culture. The sixteen invited cities, including the EGTC GO as representative of the cross-border area of Gorizia and Nova Gorica, were invited to join an informal network of past and future European Capitals of Culture. The network will be established at the pan-European level with the aim of offering an alternative to existing European urban networks. The Matrix/La Matrice programme of Bourges 2028 is distinguished not only by its sustainable urban policies that place culture at the centre of development, but also by a methodology that highlights the role of smaller cities as drivers of balanced socio-economic growth. Within this vision, cultural policies become the foundation for creating more welcoming cities capable of addressing future challenges such as climate change, migration, the energy transition and artificial intelligence.

The second session was entirely dedicated to the issue of legacy for the European Capitals of Culture in attendance.

On Thursday afternoon, senior officials from the European Commission introduced the participating delegations to the upcoming legislative framework that will govern the European Capitals of Culture programme for the 2033–2045 period. Participants were invited to contribute to a participatory process by identifying the key legacy elements that should receive particular attention within the new framework. The EGTC GO actively contributed to the discussion, highlighting the crucial role played by the SPF mechanism, financed through the Interreg Italy-Slovenia Programme, in supporting the cross-border territory during the GO! 2025 year. It was also stressed that stronger synergies between the European Capital of Culture programme and other European cooperation programmes could create significant added value, ensuring lasting legacy outcomes in the fields of cultural and creative industries as well as cultural good practices. Considerable attention was likewise devoted to the unique role played by the EGTC GO as contracting authority for the infrastructure projects that characterised much of GO! 2025 and benefited both Gorizia and Nova Gorica, foremost among them the redevelopment of Transalpina / Europe Square. In this context, European Commission officials underlined the undeniable success of the first cross-border European Capital of Culture, describing it as “a true model for the rest of Europe”.

Finally, the participating Capitals of Culture, including GO! 2025, presented themselves to the audience. The delegation composed of representatives of the two municipalities, the EGTC GO and Zavod GO! 2025 showcased the achievements of the official programme, the infrastructure projects completed (Transalpina / Europe Square, Gorizia Castle, DAG, the Great War Museum, Nova Gorica railway station and others), the role of SPF projects in engaging local communities, the impact of the title on tourism and the major events organised throughout the year.

The seminar also provided a unique opportunity for the EGTC GO to expand its network of partners with a view to developing future projects linked to the legacy of GO! 2025.