CROSSREIS – Research Visit and Participation in EDT Conference

From June 19-21, our team had the privilege of visiting the research facilities of our esteemed project partner, the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Rijeka (EFRI). This visit was strategically scheduled to coincide with the international conference “Artificial Intelligence and Productivity: Challenges and Opportunities,” Economics of Digital Transformation (EDT CONFERENCE).

The conference featured prominent keynote speakers, including Peter Nijkamp (Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam), Carlos Moreno (IAE Paris Business School), and Carlo Ratti (MIT and Politecnico di Milano), among others. The speakers dwelled on ethical considerations, workforce disruption, security risks, and regulation as important challenges, and AI opportunities like the immense potential for increased efficiency, better decision-making, and personalized services.

A noteworthy segment of the conference was the dedicated panel titled “Empowering Long-Term Urban Resilience and Prosperity: Fostering A Regenerative Economy in European Cities – CROSS-REIS EDITION,” presenting our project CROSS-REIS. This panel showcased the expertise of our distinguished researchers: Carlo Sessa (Executive Board Member, EuroMediterranean Economists Association), Jelena Stanković (Professor, University of Niš), Saša Čegar (Assistant Professor, University of Rijeka), and it was moderated by Marko Ćirović (Assistant Professor, Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade). The panel discussed key strategies to strengthen long-term urban resilience and prosperity by creating a regenerative economy in European cities.

During our visit, EFRI presented an impressive array of facilities and initiatives, including the EFRI Career Center, EFRI Center for Local Economic Development, EFRI Center for Health Economics and Pharmacoeconomics, and the EFRI Economic Forum. We also explored EFRI’s projects and research infrastructure, the EFRI Journal, and had the opportunity to visit the Rijeka Development Agency PORIN Ltd. These presentations underscored EFRI’s commitment to fostering economic development and advancing research in various fields.

For more information about the CROSS-REIS project and our ongoing activities, please visit the official website of the project.