Western Greece explores AI ecosystems through visits to Italy and France

The Western Greece Region participated in a series of technical working visits to Italy and France from September 14 to 18, 2026, focusing on human-centric Artificial Intelligence for industrial transformation. These visits were part of the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia–Australasia 2025–2027 framework and the ‘Industrial Transformation & AI’ Action Plan.

In Italy, the delegation visited the Emilia-Romagna region to study its AI innovation ecosystem, startup environment, and thematic clusters in engineering and health. Key sites included the DAMA Technopole in Bologna, where they observed data infrastructures such as the ECMWF, the Leonardo supercomputer at CINECA, and the IT4LIA AI Factory, as well as the BI-REX center for industrial digital transition.

In France, the mission visited the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. In Clermont-Ferrand, the delegation explored the ITICIA public-private partnership for AI training, Michelin’s ‘Hall 32’ innovation center, and the CIMES competitiveness cluster. The visit concluded in Lyon with an inspection of the SIDO international AI exhibition and the Campus Région du Numérique to study regional innovation policies.