The event took place in Athens on 3–4 June 2026 and focused on strengthening the capacity of cities and public authorities to plan and implement effective green and blue infrastructure interventions.

From climate objectives to practical urban solutions

Green and blue infrastructure can play a decisive role in helping cities respond to rising temperatures, flooding, biodiversity loss and other climate-related pressures. Translating these objectives into viable urban projects, however, requires appropriate planning, governance, financing and stakeholder cooperation.

As Curriculum Designer, I contributed to the development of the event’s learning structure, thematic content and overall flow. The programme was designed to connect European policy priorities with the practical challenges faced by Greek cities.

During the event, I also acted as Moderator and Master of Ceremony, facilitating the exchange between speakers, experts and participants and supporting a coherent progression from strategic discussion to practical application.

The event provided a focused environment for exploring how nature-based solutions and green and blue infrastructure can be integrated into urban planning and investment decisions, while strengthening climate resilience and improving the quality of urban environments.

This assignment built upon my experience in integrated urban development, climate and energy transition, Cohesion Policy, capacity building and the design and facilitation of participatory learning processes for cities and public authorities.

https://www.urban-initiative.eu/events/designing-and-delivering-green-and-blue-infrastructure-climate-resilient-cities

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The new engagements span Cohesion Policy, Just Transition, Smart Specialisation, climate adaptation, energy systems, sustainability and multi-level governance. Together, they reflect a growing contribution to European policy implementation, peer learning and tailored support for cities, regions and public authorities.

Recent European expert selections

In September 2026, Kostas Karamarkos was included in the European Environment Agency’s List of Remunerated Scientific Experts, following the evaluation of the relevant Call for Expressions of Interest.

In August 2026, he was approved as an expert in the MIP4Adapt Roster of Experts under the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. The roster supports European regions and local authorities in strengthening their climate resilience and accelerating the development and implementation of adaptation solutions.

Since April 2026, he has also participated in the DG REGIO S3 Community of Practice as an EU expert on Smart Specialisation governance and performance.

Partnership, innovation and energy transition

In June 2025, Kostas joined the European Community of Practice on Partnership, representing the Just Transition Institute Greece. The Community promotes effective application of the partnership principle in EU-funded policies and programmes.

Since February 2025, he has also participated in Working Group 5 of ETIP-SNET, focusing on innovation implementation in the business environment and the practical deployment of solutions supporting the energy transition.

In July 2024, he was selected for the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative pool of experts. The CCRI expert pool provides on-demand advisory services and mentoring to cities and regions working to accelerate their green and circular transition.

Supporting Just Transition and Cohesion Policy

The expansion of these European activities began in late 2023 with two roles directly connected to territorial transformation and Cohesion Policy.

Since November 2023, Kostas has participated in the European Commission’s Just Transition Peers initiative, contributing expertise to the development of assessment frameworks and methodologies supporting Just Transition Fund regions.

Since October 2023, he has also been involved as an expert in the Cohesion for Transitions Community of Practice under C4T Groundwork, which supports the implementation of sustainability transitions through Cohesion Policy.

These appointments, roster selections and memberships do not represent isolated titles. They form a connected field of European engagement linking policy design with practical implementation at city and regional level.

They also build upon more than three decades of professional experience in strategic planning, integrated urban and regional development, Smart Specialisation, Just Transition, sustainable energy, institutional capacity building and access to European funding.

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Connecting local food strategies with regional innovation

Under Action 3, the work focuses on improving the connection between local and urban food strategies, Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3/RIS3) and regional funding programmes. Although cities play an increasingly active role in developing sustainable food policies, many local strategies remain insufficiently connected to regional innovation priorities and available investment instruments. Addressing this gap can help cities and regions mobilise funding, develop stronger project pipelines and integrate food-related priorities into wider economic and territorial development strategies.

The expert support includes policy analysis, the identification of relevant practices and instruments, stakeholder engagement and the preparation of practical recommendations. It also facilitates dialogue between cities, regions, Managing Authorities and other actors involved in food policy, innovation and Cohesion Policy.

Integrating food systems into land-use planning

Action 5 examines the relationship between sustainable food systems and land use. It explores how spatial planning and land-management approaches can protect productive land, support peri-urban agriculture and strengthen the resilience of urban and regional food systems.

The work includes the identification and assessment of relevant European cases, knowledge exchange between participating cities and stakeholders, and the development of transferable conclusions that can inform future policy and planning decisions.

Through the two Actions, the Partnership seeks to bring food policy closer to the mainstream of urban and regional development — connecting local initiatives with regional strategies, funding opportunities and land-use decisions.

The assignment builds on Kostas Karamarkos’ extensive experience in integrated urban and regional development, Smart Specialisation, Cohesion Policy, sustainable territorial transformation, local food systems and multi-level governance.

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supporting three Greek Managing Authorities — North Aegean, Crete and Peloponnese — in integrating New European Bauhaus principles

into Cohesion Policy programmes, calls, project pipelines and selection criteria.

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to promote urban revitalisation for the City of Duisburg, Germany.

The PR Beneficiaries are:

Duisburg Business and Innovation  https://www.duisburg-business.de/en/

and

the Municipality of Duisburg, Germany

(source: Wikepedia)

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within the framework of the implementation of a Program Contract in collaboration with Enveco SA. https://www.enveco.gr/

As a Just Transition Expert i am holding the position of  the Projects’ Strategy Consultant

in close cooperation with the project Manager, Giannis Katselis, Enveco SA.

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FUTURAL is about Empowering the FUTure through innovative Smart Solutions for rURAL areas.

Innovative
Smart Solutions
for rural areas …

https://futural-project.eu/

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The objective of HERCULES will be the improvement of innovation in healthcare regional policies in the framework of person-centred care and support/personalized medicine through their performance´s enhancement in fostering healthcare innovation from the demand-side (e.g. Public Procurement of Innovation processes thanks to the increased institutional capacities of the partnership members and contribution to a Smarter Europe).

The focus will be on the detection of new innovative solutions based on person-centred care and support/personalized medicine and overcoming the main barriers identified on the ground, mainly in healthcare public procurement of innovation processes, through the intended exchange of experiences and policy learning process among the European regions involved.

https://www.interregeurope.eu/hercules

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JUSTGREEN aims at improving the effectiveness of greening and climate adaptation policies by increasing the capacity of cities and metropolitan areas to take equity more into account and to involve communities most vulnerable to impacts of climate crisis in the development and implementation of these policies.

https://www.interregeurope.eu/justgreen

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