Yesterday, the first Info Session was held in Korçë to launch Zero City Lab, a journey of innovation and collaboration built within the Urban Partnership Accelerator (UPA) framework.
Urban Partnership Accelerator (UPA) is an acceleration program designed to support Albanian municipalities in their green and digital transition by fostering collaboration among quadruple helix actors.
Built upon this framework, Zero City Lab aims not only to involve all relevant stakeholders in the decision-making process but also to empower local businesses, entrepreneurs, and innovators in the areas of Korçë, Pogradec, and Prrenjas to design, prototype, test, and pilot viable circular economy solutions with the potential to scale, replicate, and generate a positive environmental and social impact.
The first Info Session of Zero City Lab welcomed key stakeholders, including Mr. Nertil Jole, Prefect of the Korçë Region; Mr. Sotiraq Filo, Mayor of Korçë Municipality; Mr. Aurel Karriqi, Deputy Mayor of Prrenjas Municipality; as well as representatives from local institutions, businesses, universities, and civil society organizations.
Moderated by Mr. Kushtrim Shala, Executive Director of ALBICT, the session opened with welcoming remarks from Mr. Nertil Jole and Mr. Sotiraq Filo, who emphasized the importance of initiatives like Zero City Lab in promoting circular economy practices in the region and reaffirmed their institutional support.
Following this, Mr. Marcel Thomkins, Component Manager at EU4Circular Economy and Livable Cities (EU4CELC), and Ms. Valbona Koci, Advisor at EU4Innovation, gave a detailed presentation of UPA and Zero City Lab.
During the session, Mr. Jon Baboçi, founder of Layer, presented findings from a study conducted on the challenges faced the Korçë, Pogradec, and Prrenjas area, along with the potential for transformative solutions. This session was followed by Mr. Kushtrim Shala, who gave an overview of the program, its timeline and phases, application criteria, and the application form itself.
Participants shared their perspectives on the identified challenges and expressed strong interest in joining the initiative, validating the core challenges that need to be addressed.
Zero City Lab focuses on waste prevention and the acceleration of circular economy solutions, with a particular emphasis on key sectors such as agriculture and food processing, tourism, and textiles.
Interested individuals can apply via the ALBICT website or learn more about Zero City Lab by visiting the platform.
Applications are now open and will close on August 15, 2025.
