Mediterranean cities gather at MedaCity 2025 to seek solutions to common urban challenges
This landmark ASCAME event will have three objectives: to address the urban challenges of the Mediterranean, to analyse the key role of cities as drivers of sustainable and economic development and peaceful relations in the region, and to become a key platform for fostering synergies between Mediterranean cities, businesses and institutions.
Following the successful editions held in Barcelona (Spain), Marseille (France) and Alexandria (Egypt), the Mediterranean Cities Economic Forum - MedaCity 2025 - will take place this year in Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy) on 19 September at the Cagliari Congress Centre - Exhibition Fair. This year, ASCAME's flagship event will be organised by the Cagliari-Oristano Chamber of Commerce and the City Council of Cagliari, with the support of ASCAME and Unioncamere. Its aim is to consolidate its position as the leading summit for promoting economic cooperation, urban innovation and sustainable development among Mediterranean cities.
MedaCity 2025 will be structured around three fundamental themes. The first focuses on addressing the most pressing urban challenges currently facing Mediterranean cities. Through various thematic sessions, experts from different sectors and countries will analyse and propose solutions to common challenges such as ecological transition, sustainable mobility, affordable housing, digital transformation and social inclusion. These sessions will revolve around key themes such as sustainable tourism, port and transport infrastructure, urban regeneration, youth participation and innovative financing for local development. To encourage the exchange of ideas and inspire action, successful cases and pioneering experiences from cities such as Barcelona, Marseille, Beirut, Tangier, Valencia, Mersin and, of course, Cagliari will be presented.
Secondly, MedaCity 2025 will address the fundamental role of cities as drivers of sustainable development, the generation of economic opportunities, social cohesion and the promotion of peace in the Mediterranean. The sessions will analyse how urban environments have become centres of attraction for green infrastructure, renewable energy and sustainable mobility systems, as well as hubs for innovation and job creation, especially in sectors such as technology, tourism and the creative industries. The role of cities in promoting inclusive governance through participatory policies that respond to local needs and in providing essential public services—education, health, housing and access to culture—that contribute to improving the quality of life and well-being of communities will also be highlighted.
The forum will also foster strategic partnerships between cities, businesses and institutions in the Mediterranean. It will be a unique opportunity to connect with leaders from the public and private sectors, start-ups and organisations committed to the urban future of the region. One of the highlights of the event will be MedaCity Talks, where young entrepreneurs and changemakers will share their ideas for building greener, smarter and more inclusive cities. Through dialogue and collaboration, the forum aims to generate new opportunities for economic cooperation and promote joint initiatives across the Mediterranean.
According to Maurizio De Pascale, president of the Cagliari-Oristano Chamber of Commerce and vice-president of ASCAME, ‘the MedaCity Forum stems from the need to strengthen the strategic role of cities and chambers of commerce in promoting development through cooperation, innovation and peace’. In this regard, he added: ‘Cagliari is ready to become a meeting point for ideas, experiences and concrete initiatives at a time when building bridges across the Mediterranean is more urgent than ever’.
In this context, Anwar Zibaoui, General Coordinator of ASCAME, highlights the urgent need for coordinated urban transformation across the Mediterranean: ‘The transition to sustainable cities is one of the region's top priorities.’ In his opinion, ‘to meet this challenge, specific investments, innovative financing models and a common strategy integrating public institutions, the private sector and civil society are required.’ Zibaoui adds: ‘The Mediterranean cities of the future — which are already taking shape today — will be those that are committed to innovation and encourage entrepreneurship. In an increasingly interconnected world, it will be cities, rather than nation states, that will lead the way in creating prosperity and well-being in the region.’
MedaCity 2025 will also highlight the strategic role played by Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce in promoting Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. A clear example of this is the collaboration between the Cagliari-Oristano Chamber of Commerce and ASCAME, which work together on the management and promotion of numerous European projects.
With the celebration of MedaCity 2025, Cagliari reaffirms its position as a hub for economic dialogue in the Mediterranean, bringing together institutional leaders, entrepreneurs, start-ups and organisations from across the region with the aim of collectively building the future of the Mediterranean.
