"Chambers of Commerce at the heart of European projects" was more than the title of Cantiere Europa, the initiative organised by Unioncamere and Unioncamere Europa, with the support of the Toscana Nord Ovest Chamber of Commerce, in Pisa on 22–23 June. It reflected the ambition that shaped two days of discussion, training and collaborative project development for the Italian Chamber system
Bringing together 94 participants from Chambers of Commerce, Regional Unioncamere, Assocamerestero and other organisations across the Chamber network, the initiative represented a first experiment in capacity building centred not only on European funding programmes, but above all on the people, skills and partnerships needed to transform European opportunities into concrete projects.
The structure of the event reflected this approach. The first day focused on the European policy landscape, the main EU funding programmes and successful project experiences from across the Chamber system. Participants then took part in a brainstorming session organised around six thematic working groups covering Erasmus+, LIFE, Creative Europe, Interreg, Horizon Europe and Internationalisation. The second day was entirely devoted to hands-on project development, with participants drafting concept notes, refining project ideas and exchanging practical guidance on how to prepare competitive proposals.
The first results of the post-event survey confirm the success of the initiative. With a response rate of over 50% (50 responses out of 94 participants), Cantiere Europa achieved an overall satisfaction rating of 95.6%. Organisation and the relevance of the programme both scored 96.8%, while the quality of the speakers received 94.4% and the usefulness of the event for participants' day-to-day work 92.4% - a particularly encouraging result for an initiative designed primarily as a capacity-building exercise. Moreover, 98% of respondents expressed their interest in taking part in future editions.
However, the numbers tell only part of the story.
The open-ended responses clearly highlight what participants valued most. The words that appeared most frequently were networking, sharing experiences, interactive workshops, peer exchange and joint project development. Many participants identified the opportunity to work directly with colleagues from different Chambers, jointly develop project ideas and establish new professional relationships as the most valuable aspect of the event.
At the same time, the most common suggestion for future editions was to devote even more time to workshop activities and networking opportunities. This is an important indication that the real demand is not simply for more information about European programmes, but for structured opportunities to design projects together.
This is perhaps the most significant lesson emerging from the first edition of Cantiere Europa.
The competitiveness of the European Chamber system depends not only on a sound knowledge of EU funding programmes, but also on its ability to build networks, share expertise, develop partnerships and strengthen the project management capacity of Chambers of Commerce. In an increasingly collaborative European landscape, building a genuine community of practice around European project development represents a strategic investment for the entire Chamber system.
Cantiere Europa was created with precisely this ambition in mind. The results of its first edition suggest that this journey has begun in the right direction.
Relive the key moments of the first edition of Cantiere Europa through the video highlights available here.
Ana Sarateanu
Director of Unioncamere Europa