TalkNET Kick-Off Meeting in Venice, Italy
6th July 2017
The TalkNET project started its activities with the internal kick-off meeting and 1st Steering Committee held at Lead Partner’s premises in Venice.
Mr. James Orlandi, Head of Project Research and Development Unit of LP North Adriatic Sea Port Authority, opened the meeting welcoming all the project partners (hereinafter PPs) and presenting LP management team. After a tour de table of PPs’ presentations, Mr. Orlandi introduced TalkNET project, focusing on the negotiation phase and the main changes occurred to the project structure. The following important remarks were underlined:
- Transnational cooperation: importance of clustering activities
- Territorial changes: identify concrete and realistic territorial changes to be achieved
- Innovativeness: involvement of freight transport stakeholders in all the phases of project (analysis, clustering, thematic tools, planning and testing)
- Lessons learnt: improve synergies with previous and on-going projects on freight transport
Finally, LP summarised the link of the project activities and results to main transport policies at EU, national and local level: TEN-T Policy / Core Network Corridors, EU macro-regional strategies, Clean & sustainable transport and Intelligent transport systems.
Mr. Pino Musolino, President of LP North Adriatic Sea Port Authority, participated in the meeting and welcomed all PPs also from his side. He congratulated with the participants for the approvals of TalkNET and expressed the strong commitment of the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority in its role of lead partner of the project, underlining the significant actors of TalkNET partnership: ports, freight villages, policy makers and transport operators.
After the institutional welcome, each PP presented their institution/company profile. All PPs were present at the kick-off meeting, except for PP13 UHH Haldensleben.
Friday 7th July 2017
The second day of the kick-off meeting was opened by Ms. Zane Bondare, Finance Manager of the Joint Secretariat of the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme.
For the start-up phase of the project, the following tasks have to be carried out:
- Develop a sound management structure (e.g. steering committee) and establish internal information flows
- Set up the project management team (project manager, finance manager, communication manager)
- Each partner should contact its national control body
- Start the necessary procurement procedures
- In case of investment(s), clarify on required permits etc.
- A separate accounting system or an adequate accounting code set in place specifically for the project;
- A physical and/or electronic archive which allows storing data, records and documents concerning the physical and financial progress of the project.
- Supplementary information to be inserted into eMS within 3 months after the subsidy contract entered into force
