Today, 9 May 2023, we celebrate Europe Day. Europe Day celebrates Europe’s achievements and unity and commemorates the signing of the Schuman Declaration on 9 May 1950. This ambitious plan to secure long-term in post-war Europe laid the early foundations for what is now the European Union.
In 2023, Europe stands together to tackle the most critical issues of our time and build a better future for all Europeans. On this day, it is our collective duty to revitalize the European dream and re-invigorate European integration. The consequences of the ongoing climate emergency, the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s war against Ukraine and the current record inflation rates triggered by increased food and energy prices make strengthening cohesion and cooperation as fundamental values of the European Union more pressing than ever.
Here, at the Joint Secretariat of the Interreg South Baltic Programme, we want to reaffirm our commitment to reinforce Cohesion Policy and Territorial Cooperation of all our member states to respond to urgent, medium, and long-term challenges by guaranteeing strategic and needed investments in the South Baltic region, in order to leave no one behind.
It is therefore of foremost importance that we create the ground for a sustainable, robust, and integrated ecosystem that supports startups and innovative businesses in Europe. Access to resources (capital and talent), genuine multi-stakeholder involvement, public-private/private-private collaborations, innovation networks that nourish innovators as well as a climate that encourages diversity and inclusiveness are all vital for a robust and sustainable innovation ecosystem.
Together we can usher in a new era that is innovation-driven, entrepreneurial, resilient, and inclusive for all.
