A trans-national virtual launch event was successfully organized on 24 April 2025 via the Zoom platform to initiate the networking activities of the acceleration program. Orchestrated by Eupolis Group and the City of Porec-Parenzo, the kick-off meeting gathered 143 participants, including small and medium enterprise representatives and consortium members from six European countries. The virtual networking was conducted to foster cross-border partnerships, establish collaboration guidelines, and align business strategies with digital and green transformation goals. This milestone marks the formal commencement of coordinated support actions designed to drive sustainable tourism practices across the regional ecosystems.  

The execution of trans-national innovation programs within the European hospitality sector requires structured frameworks to facilitate cross-border commercial alignment and knowledge transfer. Within the scope of the FU-TOURISM project, a virtual kickoff assembly was strategically deployed to assemble sixty selected small and medium enterprises. These entities represent six distinct national jurisdictions, creating a diversified multi-country ecosystem dedicated to the enhancement of tourism sustainability. A total of 143 attendees actively participated in the introductory sessions, ensuring comprehensive institutional and entrepreneurial representation across all active project regions.

Implementation of speed dating format and cross-border distribution

Following the initial plenary briefing, the primary digital meeting infrastructure was split into specialized breakout environments to execute a sequence of five consecutive networking rounds. The architectural layout of these sessions relied on an optimized speed dating format, alternating between localized alignment and randomized international mixing matrices. The first interaction round was executed over a duration of 30 minutes, grouping winners within country-specific breakout chambers where conversations were conducted in their respective native languages. This initial phase allowed the entrepreneurs to form localized bonds, discuss immediate regional challenges, and establish rapport under the direct supervision of assigned regional mentors. The structural transition into the subsequent four sessions required the implementation of automated random distribution algorithms to dissolve national boundaries and foster cross-border cooperation. Each of these subsequent international chambers assembled six randomly selected participants, providing a strict 15-minute window for personal introductions, project overviews, and strategic ideas. This continuous rotation mechanism guaranteed that every present small and medium enterprise established active communication loops with commercial entities outside their home markets. .

Cross-border integration of digital and environmental priorities

The thematic focus of the international mixing matrices was strictly divided between digital and environmental transformation priorities, ensuring deep alignment with the overarching goals of the project. Rounds two and three were dedicated entirely to digital acceleration parameters, where participants exchanged methodologies regarding information system integration, smart data utilization, and digital customer relationship frameworks. Following the completion of the digital rounds, sessions four and five shifted the operational focus toward green innovation criteria. Within these chambers, small and medium enterprise delegates analyzed circular economy deployment, energy efficiency optimizations, and eco-certified hospitality management practices. To capture the strategic intent and geographic expansion preferences of the cohort, interactive polling mechanisms were deployed during the sessions. The statistical readouts indicated that 31 small and medium enterprises expressed a specific intent to execute sustainable pilot sub-projects within the municipality of Valencia, while 21 entities selected the city of Poreč for localized market implementation. These analytical metrics provide the consortium with factual verification regarding the localized commercial deployment trends of the accelerated entities.

The final block of the trans-national assembly was led by FINNOVA to synthesize the interactive findings and clarify the upcoming operational milestones. Frequently asked questions regarding intellectual property rights, cross-border funding mechanisms, and matching eligibility criteria were systematically answered during the final 15 minutes.

Keywords

Acceleration Programme, Digital Innovation, Responsible tourism, Sustainability, Business support services