South Muntenia Regional Development Agency - Lear Partner of Danube S3 Cluster, organised during the 25th - 26th of September in Sinaia, Romania, the Launch Conference, Cluster Networking session, the Kick-Off Meeting & 1st Steering Committee of the project.

At the Launch Conference participated more than 100 representatives of national and local public administration, business environment, agricultural research and development institutes, cluster representatives, chambers of commerce in the South-Muntenia region, as well as the Danube S3 Cluster project partners.

Liviu Gabriel MUȘAT, the Manager of South Muntenia Regional Development Agency, opened the meeting with an important message regarding the Agency's involvement in the project: "South Muntenia Regional Development Agency will provide the project with all the resources ir order to become a successful project. A project in which the communities in whose service we operate will have only benefits. The project starts in a particularly important period for the entire country, being the period preceding the taking over of the EU Council Presidency by Romania, during which, cluster issues will be of great importance".

On the 25th of September, at the  Launch Conference & Cluster Networking  was present the Project Officer, Joint Secretariat / Danube Transnational Programme, Mr. Marius Valentin Niculae, who presented the Role of the Danube Transnational Programme as Funding Instrument for Cluster Interregional Cooperation.

Mr. Radu GORINCIOI - National Coordinator of EUSDR, Office of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romania, presented the Romanian objectives and priorities for the future EUSDR Presidency and Mrs. Gabriela Pârvu, Coordinator of Cluster Policy, Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Directorate, Romanian Ministry of Economy  exposed to those present - the Romanian Cluster Policies in the New Document of Industrial Policy. At the same time, Mrs. Gilda Niculescu, Head of Development Department within the South Muntenia Regional Development Agency presented the Danube S3 Cluster project. The partners which will ensure the implementation of the five pilot projects in 4 cross-cutting areas in the agri-food sector - Market Intelligence in Clusters, Open Innovation in Clusters, Business Models that Work in Circular Economy and Healthy Food - have presented the current situation in their countries in these areas.

On 26th of September, took place the first meeting of the Steering Committee of the project. During the meeting were presented the project's work packages, as well as the main activities to be carried out in the next period and the responsibilities of each partner.