Linked to a common sea, the states of the Baltic Sea Region need to tackle the issues of climate change, rising sea levels and maintaining a clean sea together. Since climate change affects all of us equally, we need to connect and adapt beyond borders in the Baltic Sea Region.

What do you think when you think about the Baltic Sea? Its beautiful landscape and unique archipelago? Pollution and environmental problems? Maybe its coastline is the place you call home?

There is no business as usual when it comes to game design, I am told when having a tour in DE:HIVE, a game design centre in Berlin. My guide, Friedrich Schadow, works as a game developer in Baltic Game Industry, an EU funded project that raises awareness of the game industry in the Baltic Sea region.

”The game industry is the most dynamic creative industry worldwide with an exponential growth rate.” The statement above, found on the website of the Baltic Game Industry project, fits well the mindset of the Baltic Sea Region that scores high in innovation rankings and is known for its experimental attitude.

Finding a Pokemon on your city’s main square - an example of virtual reality. But virtual and augmented reality are rarely used outside gaming. Read about how Interreg catalysed innovation by connecting screen industries with education, health and tourism.

We, the participants of the Baltic Sea Youth Camp, young people from all over the Baltic Sea Region worked hard to develop new ideas and projects for the region, back to back with the 10^th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region in Gdansk.

Let’s face it. The EUSBSR is hard to communicate. In general terms, yes, but perhaps especially to outsiders such as youth. The strategy is volatile, intangible and hard to measure. Therefore, it is hard to sell. The Baltic Youth Camp 2019 will try the mission impossible: Not only explaining it to youth – but also activating them in the strategy.

In January 2019, the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre in Gdańsk hosted 9th Strategic Project Development Workshop “The Power of Culture & Creative Sectors to increase Youth Participation in the BSR – Supporting the Baltic Sea Region Youth Camp in Summer 2019”co-organized by EUSBSR PA Culture.

Routes4U project organized its first meeting for the EUSBSR in Oslo, Norway on September 6-7 2018. The meeting gathered together actors from almost all of the Baltic Sea region countries, and based on the discussions was an appreciated and much needed opportunity to exchange ideas and share experiences.

The Interreg project BalticRIM, also a Flagship of the EUSBSR under Policy Area Culture, integrates maritime cultural heritage of the Baltic Sea into maritime spatial plans to safeguard it for the future. Matthias Maluck from the State Archaeological Department of Schleswig-Holstein explains what maritime cultural heritage is and why and how it should be preserved. BalticRIM frames cultural heritage of individual countries in a transnational perspective and thus delivers territorial cohesion. The interview was conducted by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme.