As regions across Europe face demographic change, skills shortages and increasing competition for talent, attracting and retaining people is becoming an important dimension of territorial development. Against this backdrop, the event 'Attracting Talent for Strong Regions: Policies and Tools for Sustainable Territorial Regeneration' will take place on 20 October 2026, from 10:00 to 12:30 CET, at the Puglia Region Office in Brussels, with the possibility to participate online.

Organised by Puglia Region – Department of Economic Development, in collaboration with ARTI, as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2026 – Close to You, the event will bring together regional and European perspectives on how talent attraction and retention can contribute to stronger, more resilient and sustainable territories.

The discussion will explore how regions can leverage human capital to address demographic challenges, foster innovation and develop attractive territorial ecosystems. It will also provide an opportunity to exchange experiences and consider how regional initiatives can contribute to the broader European policy debate on territorial development and talent.

The programme will open with remarks from Eugenio Di Sciascio, Regional Minister for Economic Development of Puglia Region, and MEP Georgia Ilaria Iben Tramacere, followed by a keynote speech from Szilvia Kalman, Deputy Head of Unit at DG REGIO, European Commission.

The event will also feature a roundtable discussion, 'From Local Action to European Policy: Building Attractive Regions for Talent', moderated by Astrid Hannes, ERRIN Head of Projects. The discussion will bring together representatives from Puglia Region, Emilia-Romagna Region, EURADA, the Regional Development Fund of Western Greece and ARTI Puglia, offering perspectives from different regional contexts and approaches to talent attraction and territorial regeneration.

The event will provide a space for regional stakeholders and European policymakers to exchange practices, identify common challenges and discuss how policies and tools can support regions in creating the conditions needed to attract, retain and empower talent.

Participants can register via the registration form.

The programme can be found attached.