Western Greece international cooperation initiatives

The Region of Western Greece has undertaken several international missions to foster technological and economic cooperation.

In mid-September 2026, a delegation conducted technical working visits to Italy and France. These visits focused on human-centric Artificial Intelligence and industrial transformation. In Italy, the delegation studied innovation ecosystems and data infrastructures in the Emilia-Romagna region, while in France, they explored AI training partnerships and regional innovation policies in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Following these European visits, an official delegation led by Regional Governor Nektarios Farmakis traveled to China from September 20 to 29, 2026. This mission, which included representatives from the Regional Association of Municipalities of Western Greece, aimed to expand inter-regional cooperation in areas such as digital transformation, innovation, agri-food, and entrepreneurship. The visit built upon a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding with Zhejiang Province and Hangzhou.

During the mission, a joint delegation from the Western Greece Region and the Regional Development Organization (PED) met with officials in Hangzhou to strengthen strategic cooperation. Xu Wenguang, Executive Vice Governor of Zhejiang, emphasized the importance of continued expertise exchanges and expressed an intention to officially visit Western Greece next year. Governor Farmakis noted that the inclusion of local mayors in the delegation was intended to represent citizens and local communities directly. Discussions covered transformation, innovation, agri-food, culture, tourism, and the potential for certified local products. The delegation also toured a technological hub in Hangzhou, which hosts the robotics company Deep Robotics.