On Friday, October 17, 2025, the 23rd meeting of the Thematic Steering Group (TSG2) of Pillar 2 – Transport of the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR) was held in Trieste, at the headquarters of the Presidency of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

The meeting, coordinated by the Pillar Coordinators from Italy, Serbia, and North Macedonia, saw broad in-person participation, fostering constructive dialogue among representatives of EUSAIR countries, European institutions, regional authorities, and transport sector stakeholders.

As part of the activities aimed at implementing the new EUSAIR Action Plan and the newly identified priorities for Pillar 2, the group members discussed progress in two key areas:

• The update of the Transport Master Plan, a strategic document guiding the development of connectivity and sustainability in mobility systems across the macroregion, developed with the support of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, partner of the EUSAIR Facility Point project;
• The preparation of two Issue Papers, respectively focused on the development of the Mobility as a Service concept and the use of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence to improve transport planning in the Adriatic-Ionian region.

Special attention was given to youth involvement in macroregional cooperation processes, highlighted by the presence of Francesco Moroni, member of the EUSAIR Youth Council of San Marino, who emphasized the importance of strengthening youth participation and promoting initiatives to raise awareness of the opportunities offered by EUSAIR.

In this context, the proposal to organize a capacity-building event for young people was welcomed. The event, in collaboration with associations and research groups from the macroregion, could take the form of a hackathon aimed at developing innovative ideas for sustainable mobility in the Adriatic-Ionian area. The initiative may benefit from support through the EUSAIR Facility Point project’s capacity-building resources.

Finally, the main events planned in the 2026 Work Programme of Pillar 2 – Transport were shared, including:

• A conference on transport network connectivity in the Adriatic-Ionian region (Skopje, April 2026);
• EUSAIR Annual Forum (North Macedonia, May 2026);
• Interministerial conference on the WB/EM Corridor (Italy, between June and October 2026);
• Event on European Corridors with the participation of Corridor Coordinators (Italy, November 2026).

The next TSG2 meeting will be held in Skopje in spring 2026, alongside the Conference on Transport Network Connectivity in the macroregion, organized under the North Macedonian Presidency of EUSAIR.