A Warm Bulgarian Welcome and a Powerful Start: CARE-GET Transfer Partners Gather in Haskovo

Hosted by the Municipality of Haskovo, the meeting unfolded in an atmosphere that was both thoroughly professional and delightfully warm, showcasing the very best of Bulgarian hospitality.

This milestone gathering was enriched by the presence and active mentorship of Mr Romain Turminel, Project Officer at the European Urban Initiative headquarters in Lille, together with distinguished experts Ms Sandra Rainero and Mr Donal O’Herlihy. Their guidance set the tone for a highly constructive day, during which transfer partners from Komotini (Greece), Siena (Italy) and Druskininkai (Lithuania) explored the CARE-GET project in depth, while clarifying their roles and expectations within the Transfer and Replication framework.

The session itself was a dynamic mix of expert explanations and hands-on group exercises. Partners enthusiastically worked through the Innovation Matrix, exchanged their key insights and concerns, and reflected on the practicalities of transferring innovative activities to their local contexts. The energy in the room was palpable—equal parts focus, cooperation, and excitement for what lies ahead.

A particularly memorable moment came at the end of the day, when participants were invited to imagine themselves in the year 2035 and craft a headline capturing how their cities had been transformed thanks to CARE-GET. These imagined futures—visionary, bold, and refreshingly hopeful—were a testament to the shared ambition of the partnership.

After two intensive days filled with curiosity, hard work, laughter, and the unmistakable warmth of their Bulgarian hosts, the partners left Haskovo with strengthened bonds and a renewed sense of purpose.

The next opportunity to reconnect awaits in the spring of 2026, when the magnetic city of Siena, Italy, will welcome the consortium for its upcoming Transfer Partners Meeting.

Or, as our Italian colleagues would say—arrivederci in Italia!