AII at the 13th REDETE Conference – Ancona, 9–10 September 2026
The 13th REDETE Conference - Researching Economic Development and Entrepreneurship took place in Ancona on 9-10 September 2026, bringing together academics, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners to discuss the main economic and geopolitical challenges affecting the Adriatic-Ionian Region.
The Conference, organised by the University of Banja Luka and the Marche Polytechnic University, with the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative as a partner, focused this year on “Geopolitical Shifts, Supply Chains, and Regional Resilience in the Adriatic-Ionian Region”. As in previous editions, particular attention was devoted to the Adriatic-Ionian area and the Western Balkans, with European integration and enlargement featuring prominently throughout the programme.
The event took place in the framework of the 2026–2027 Italian AII/EUSAIR Chairmanship, which has placed the European integration of the Western Balkans among its main priorities.
On 9 September, Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta, Secretary General of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative, participated in the opening Plenary Session “Setting the Stage: Adriatic-Ionian Region and the Enlargement Scenario”, together with Prof. Laura Resmini of the University of Milano-Bicocca.
The session provided an important opportunity to discuss the political and economic implications of European integration and enlargement for the Adriatic-Ionian Region and, in particular, for the Western Balkans.
Addressing enlargement from a political perspective, Ambassador Castellaneta underlined that EU enlargement is today a strategic choice for the future of Europe, particularly in the current geopolitical context. He stressed the need for a common commitment to make the accession process more credible, concrete and effective, while ensuring that the Western Balkans remain fully at the centre of the European integration agenda.
He also highlighted the importance of gradual integration, allowing candidate countries to benefit from closer integration with the European Union even before accession through access to the Single Market, European programmes and other practical opportunities. Such measures, he stressed, must remain a bridge towards full EU membership and not an alternative to it.
Ambassador Castellaneta also recalled the strong commitment of the Italian Government to the European perspective of the Western Balkans, which continues to represent a key priority of Italy’s foreign policy and of the current Italian AII/EUSAIR Chairmanship.
Complementing the political perspective, Prof. Laura Resmini addressed enlargement and European integration from an economic point of view, focusing in particular on foreign direct investment, trade and the growing integration of the Western Balkan economies into European and global economic networks. Her contribution highlighted how stronger trade and investment links have contributed to increasing the resilience of the Western Balkans and their capacity to respond to external economic shocks.
The discussion confirmed the importance of combining the political and economic dimensions of enlargement. European integration is not only an institutional process, but also a means to strengthen economic ties, resilience and opportunities across the region.
In the broader framework of REDETE26, the REDETE Summer School “Regional Resilience, Innovation and Economic Transformation in the Adriatic–Ionian Region” was also launched in Ancona on 7 September. The Summer School, organised as an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme, brought together around 60 students from five countries of the Adriatic-Ionian area for a week of lectures, seminars, workshops and direct participation in the REDETE Conference.
Filippo Alabardi, Executive Officer of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative Permanent Secretariat, took part in the opening session with a contribution on “The Adriatic and Ionian Macro-Region as a Cooperation Platform”. He presented the origins and role of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative and EUSAIR, highlighting their complementarity and the contribution of regional and macro-regional cooperation to the European integration process of the Western Balkans. Particular attention was devoted to the role of AII in promoting the establishment of EUSAIR and to the way in which the Strategy today enables EU Member States and candidate countries to work together on shared priorities and gradually strengthen their integration into the European framework.
For further information on the Conference and its programme, visit the official REDETE website: https://redete.org/