This online launch event marked the official start of the project “Regional Development Policy for Industrial Transition: A Transatlantic Perspective”, bringing together participating regions, partners, and stakeholders for the first time. The event introduced the project’s objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes, and provided an opportunity for the participating regions and institutions from Europe, the United States, and Canada. Participants engaged in policy discussions on the opportunities and challenges of managing industrial transition at the regional level. The event also outlined the next steps in the project and how participants will contribute to and benefit from this unique transatlantic collaboration.
Regional Development Policy for Industrial Transition: A Transatlantic Perspective
- Date
- 5 September 2025
- Time
- 15:00 – 16:45 CEST (UTC+2)
- Location
- Zoom
About
Background
Regions on both sides of the Atlantic are facing profound industrial transitions – driven by the shift to a green and digital economy, changing demographics, global trade dynamics, and increasing demands for resilience. These transitions bring opportunities for innovation and growth but also pose significant challenges for workers, businesses, and communities.
The “Regional Development Policy for Industrial Transition: A Transatlantic Perspective” project creates a unique platform for European Union and North American regions to learn from each other, share practical solutions, and develop more effective and inclusive strategies for managing industrial change. By connecting regions facing similar challenges in different contexts, the project aims to strengthen policy capacity, enhance peer learning, and inspire new approaches to industrial transition that work for people and places. This project takes a forward-looking approach, focusing on successful pathways for driving industrial transition, highlighting what works and how regions can build on their strengths to achieve sustainable and inclusive transformation.
Participating regions
- Limburg (Belgium)
- Ontario (Canada)
- Québec (Canada)
- Lapland (Finland)
- North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany)
- Stuttgart Region (Germany)
- Emilia-Romagna (Italy)
- Zasavje (Slovenia)
- Basque Country (Spain)
- Houston, Texas (United States)
- Minnesota (United States)
- Northern Virginia, Virginia (United States)
Agenda
Watch the replay
Contact
For more information, please contact:
- OECD: Jeroen Michels Jeroen.Michels@oecd.org
- OECD: Yingyin (Wing) Wu Yingyin.Wu@oecd.org
- European Commission: REGIO-TRANSATLANTIC@ec.europa.eu
Partners
The “Regional Development Policy for Industrial Transition: A Transatlantic Perspective” project was initiated by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and is implemented by the OECD. Building on earlier OECD work on regions in industrial transition, the project responds to growing demands from regions to better navigate the economic, social, and environmental challenges posed by industrial change. It aims to foster collaboration between European and North American regions, enabling them to exchange experiences, learn from one another, and identify effective, inclusive strategies for managing industrial transition that can then be shared with other regions on both sides of the Atlantic.
