Greek Natural Gas Terminal Wins Top European Award

The project received more than €178 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), according to the announcement. The European Commission presented the award in Brussels on Tuesday evening, 14 October, during the 24th European Week of Regions and Cities, honouring six projects that deliver measurable benefits to local communities.

The Alexandroupolis project involves a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal off the coast of northeastern Greece. The facility enables the import, storage and regasification of LNG, expanding natural gas supply options for markets across the wider region.

The terminal also diversifies energy supply sources, reduces dependence on individual suppliers and strengthens connections with regional natural gas networks.

According to the European Commission, the project supports a more resilient and integrated European energy market, highlighting the importance of infrastructure that strengthens cooperation between EU member states.

Gastrade S.A. developed and operates the Alexandroupolis Independent Natural Gas System, which serves as an LNG terminal offshore from Alexandroupolis.

Six projects recognised at the REGIOSTARS 2026 awards

This year’s REGIOSTARS awards recognised projects from Slovakia, Germany, Greece, the Czech Republic and Portugal. The winning initiatives cover technological innovation, the green transition, social inclusion, local development and medical research.

Slovakia: Artificial intelligence transforms communication

The AI Holopresence project won the “A Competitive and Smart Europe” category. Technology company MATSUKO developed the initiative in eastern Slovakia in collaboration with Pavol Jozef Šafárik University.

The technology uses generative artificial intelligence to create photorealistic, three-dimensional representations of people, enabling communication through extended-reality environments that more closely resemble face-to-face interaction.

The project received €61,245 from the ERDF, generated three patent applications and produced a market-ready product. Its applications include professional training, education, remote collaboration and research.

Germany: Greener battery recycling

Germany’s eLiRec – Greener Battery Recycling project won the “A Green Europe” category.

The initiative addresses a major challenge in the energy transition: recovering valuable raw materials from batteries more efficiently as demand for battery technologies continues to grow.

With approximately €329,000 in ERDF funding, the project develops innovative recycling solutions that reduce environmental impacts and support the circular economy.

Recovering critical materials also helps Europe reduce strategic dependencies and strengthen its industrial competitiveness.

Germany: Preventing violence against women

The BROTHERS programme won the “A Social and Inclusive Europe” category for its work to prevent violence against women, with a particular focus on young men, school classrooms and professionals who work with young people.

The programme received more than €193,000 from the European Social Fund and creates opportunities for dialogue on women’s rights, respect and gender equality.

Young people play an active role in designing and delivering workshops, helping foster attitudes that prevent violence and discrimination.

Czech Republic: A public library at the heart of community life

The Czech Republic’s Together in Žďár project won the “A Europe Closer to Citizens” category.

The town of Žďár nad Sázavou, which has approximately 20,000 residents, used almost €813,000 in European funding to renovate its public library and transform it into a centre for culture, learning and community activities.

The library now hosts more than 900 events each year, ranging from reading activities for young children to artificial intelligence classes for older people.

It also provides a collaborative space for non-governmental organisations, volunteers and local groups. In 2025, the library received the Czech Municipal Library of the Year award and supported 106 smaller libraries across the country.

Portugal: Public vote honours cancer research

Portugal’s Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center won the public vote through its Porto.CCC – TeamUp4Cancer (TU4C) project. Citizens selected the winner from among the award finalists.

With nearly €15 million in ERDF funding, the initiative helped establish a major personalised oncology centre in northern Portugal.

The project brought together two of the country’s leading oncology and health research institutions, IPO Porto and i3S, to create Portugal’s first personalised oncology programme.

More than 1,500 patients gained access to advanced diagnostic tests, while hundreds participated in clinical trials, including early-phase studies.

The research programme has produced 53 scientific publications and five international patents, strengthening the region’s position in European medical research.

274 applications submitted from across the EU

The European Commission has organised the REGIOSTARS awards since 2008, establishing them as a platform for recognising successful projects supported by the EU’s cohesion policy.

For the 2026 awards, organisers received 274 applications from across the European Union. A panel of experts selected 25 finalists across five main thematic categories. The finalists presented their projects in Brussels during the European Week of Regions and Cities, held from 12 to 14 October.

The awards aim to demonstrate how European funding can deliver tangible benefits for citizens, supporting everything from new technologies and environmental solutions to improved public services, social initiatives and infrastructure that drives regional development.

The EU’s cohesion policy remains one of the bloc’s main investment instruments, seeking to reduce regional inequalities and unlock the potential of local communities.