The Atlantic-WestMED Stakeholder Conference 2026 (taking place on September 15 -16 at Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) gathers policymakers, experts, and coastal stakeholders from the Atlantic and Western Mediterranean basins to drive regional cooperation, maritime resilience, and sustainable blue growth.
Adding vital momentum to this major conference, the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme will host two dedicated back-to-back events on September 15, 2026, focusing on cross-basin synergies and youth leadership.
Event 1: Building Synergies Amongst Interreg Programs [9:30 AM - 1:00 PM]
This dedicated session brings together the four Managing Authorities of Interreg Atlantic, Interreg MAC, Interreg Euro-Med, and Interreg NEXT-MED to strengthen cross-programmatic synergies and jointly address future EU maritime challenges and opportunities.
The high-level roundtable opens a strategic dialogue between Atlantic and Mediterranean programmes, followed by concise showcases highlighting four successful projects, one from each participating Interreg, with the Atlantic Area being represented by the Marinnonet project.
The session features the participation of our Managing Authority representative João Marrana.
The agenda for this session is available here.
Event 2: Blue Synergies: Youth Shaping the Future of Atlantic Cooperation [3:30 PM - 6:10 PM]
The Interreg Atlantic Area Programme, alongside its partners, hosts the fourth edition of the Blue Synergies event, with the parallel sessions moderated by the Joint Secretariat.
Building on the Youth Voices in the Atlantic consultation and momentum from the November 2025 Atlantic Days in Galway, this year's session aims to move beyond ad-hoc engagement toward establishing a long-term youth exchange platform. This platform seeks to ensure continuous advisory input, active participation in Atlantic cooperation, and representation of young voices across broader societal processes.
The agenda for this session is available here.
Through these high-impact back-to-back sessions, the Interreg Atlantic Area reaffirms its ongoing commitment to collaborative innovation, territorial cohesion, and equipping the next generation to drive the sustainable development of the Atlantic basin.