The Accelerate GDT, project, co-financed by the Interreg Europe program of the European Union with funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and spanning 4 years, aims to enhance the policies of national and regional clusters to drive green and digital transition. The ultimate goal is to encourage participating companies to digitalize their processes and adopt more sustainable practices.
The consortium includes: Munster Technological University (Ireland) as the coordinator, Metropolitan City of Turin (Italy), Austria Wirtschaftsservice (Austria), Prime Minister’s Office (Hungary), Business and Investment Development Agency CzechInvest (Czech Republic), Duisburg Business and Innovation GmbH (Germany), and ACCIÓ (Catalonia). Among other activities, the initiative includes workshops, success case studies, stakeholder meetings, and seminars to foster shared learning and encourage the transfer of best practices among participants.
The recent event, held on June 19 and 20 in Turi under the direction of the Metropolitan City of Turin, allowed the Packaging Cluster to showcase its exemplary practices related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mireia Andreu, Innovation Manager, highlighted several key initiatives of the cluster:

SDG 4 (Quality Education): Implementation of specific training programs to enhance business competencies and strengthen knowledge of workers within the packaging ecosystem.
SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Promotion of communication and knowledge among youth, increasing sector visibility and creating new job opportunities through various channels such as podcasts and social media.
SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Support for business competitiveness through the adoption of innovative technologies and digitalization of production processes.
SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): Development of the Packimpact tool to assist companies in improving packaging design and reducing environmental impact through product lifecycle assessment.
SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): Collaboration with the Value4Pack project to implement European packaging legislations and promote initiatives aligned with ecological transition.
Participation in these initiatives not only strengthens the Packaging Cluster’s presence in the industry but also facilitates knowledge dissemination and the establishment of new strategic collaborations. These meetings serve not only as a platform for learning best practices from other European regions but also as a foundation for future joint initiatives, solidifying the cluster’s role as a leader in sustainable innovation within the packaging sector.
For more information, visit: www.interregeurope.eu/accelerategdt