On 18 June 2026, EIT Culture & Creativity's Regional Hub South-West will host its Open Day at Barcelona XRLab - Palo Alto. The event will bring together creatives, innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, cultural organizations, and policymakers from across the region for a full day of exchange and collaboration.
Covering Spain, Portugal, and South of France, the Southwest regional Hub builds bridges between creators, researchers, entrepreneurs, companies and public institutions to strengthen a shared ecosystem for cultural and creative innovation.
The 2026 Southwest Open Day takes place during Sónar Week and the +Rain Film Festival, offering a timely opportunity for the region’s creative community to come together, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities for 2026 onwards.
Barcelona in 2026 is more than a backdrop. As UNESCO World Architecture Capital, the city is at the centre of a global conversation about the future of design, sustainability, and the built environment, a thread that runs through the heart of this year's programme.
Programme
Co-designed with partners and beneficiaries from across the Southwest Region, the programme is crafted on three pillars shaping Europe's creative future:
- Sustainable architecture and innovation
- EU cultural sovereignty & digital services
- AI opportunities & challenges for audiovisual, media and music sectors
Across panels and fireside chats, participants will share live projects and ongoing work, with dedicated time for one-to-one conversations and structured networking throughout the day. We will also have the opportunity to see some projects in a dedicated exhibitor area.
The Open Day is also a chance to look ahead, highlighting funding opportunities across the region:
- A presentation of EIT Culture & Creativity's 2026 programmes and calls - spanning Education, Business Creation, Innovation, and Transformation - will give participants a clear picture of what's coming and how to get involved.
- A dedicated session on Horizon Europe funding, presented by IaaC and FECYT with the support of the Spanish Ministry of Science*, Innovation and Universities, will open up further opportunities for the region.
AGENDA
Registrations for this event are now closed.
*The Horizon Europe panel was made possible through the support of the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades del Gobierno de España and AEI as part of the GPE2024-001526 project “Implantación Estrategia HEU IAAC 2025–26”, funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/ 501100011033.