Last night, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira, together with President of the Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, hosted the 2024 REGIOSTARS awards ceremony in Brussels as part of the 22nd European Week of Regions and Cities.
The REGIOSTARS awards recognise Cohesion Policy-funded projects across Europe that encapsulate the impact and inclusiveness of regional development and have found solutions to common challenges that European regions and cities are facing. These projects show how the EU, through Cohesion Policy, delivers change on the ground and strengthens economic and social progress in the EU.
The 2024 edition received a record-breaking number of submissions, with 262 applications to compete for the top prize in five different categories. These categories reflect the objectives of the Policy including the political priorities of the 2021–2027 Cohesion Policy programming period. There is also a public choice award, where 25 finalists were shortlisted.
The 2024 REGIOSTARS Award Winners are:
Category 1 - A Competitive and Smart Europe: An Interreg Italy-Malta project referred to as 'Bythos' took the prize in this category. The project recycles and reuses by-products or waste materials from the fish processing industry to create new ingredients for animal and human consumption. These ingredients are also used in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics.
Category 2 - A Green Europe: The 'Biogreenfinery' project from Spain was recognised for being an innovative platform detailing the technical and economic feasibility of producing alternative fuels such as green hydrogen and other synthetic fuels. The fuels produced will overall contribute to the energy transition in the Canary Islands.
Category 3 - A Connected Europe: The Interreg North Sea Region project, 'BITS: Bicycles and Intelligent Transport Systems', makes use of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) with over thirty innovative pilot schemes aimed at improving the safety and comfort of cyclists in the North Sea Region.
Category 4 - A Social and Inclusive Europe: A project in Hungary, 'Health Development Programme - Telemedicine for the Most Deprived Settlements', won the award for its technological and software solutions to ensure the roll-out of telemedicine in emerging settlements. The service utilises mobile clinics to provide access to adequate modern medical care and preventive care in the vicinity of patients' homes.
Category 5 - A Europe Closer to Citizens: The 'Gdynia OdNowa' revitalisation project in Poland took the prize for this category. The project covers three degraded districts, and actively involves residents in decision-making processes and overall encompasses civic participation.
Like every year, the public are invited to vote for their favourite project amongst the shortlisted finalists. The public's clear favourite this year which garnered the highest number of online votes (3,274 out of over 20,000 total votes), earning the Public Choice Award, was the Interreg Italy-Malta project 'Bythos'.
Background
The REGIOSTARS Awards is a yearly competition organised by the European Commission since 2008. These awards have become Europe's label of excellence for EU-funded projects under Cohesion Policy that demonstrate innovative and inclusive approaches to regional development.
By putting forward solutions to common challenges and tapping into the biggest opportunities, REGIOSTARS has inspired regions to deliver an ever more impactful EU Cohesion Policy, which is meeting the needs of citizens at a local level.
Those shortlisted were invited to present their final pitch before a jury during the 2024 European Week of Regions and Cities, taking place in Brussels from 7 – 10 October.
