SERN

Welcome Città di Maranello!🎉

We warmly welcome the Municipality of Maranello in our SERN network.👥

📍 Located in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, Maranello is a dynamic community of around 17,500 inhabitants, globally known as the home of Ferrari and a key pillar of Italy’s renowned Motor Valley.

🏭 Maranello stands out for its strong manufacturing identity, with excellence in the automotive and ceramics sectors, and a vibrant ecosystem built on public-private collaboration, innovation, and high employment rates.

📚 The municipality also invests significantly in social services, education, and culture—highlighted by the modern and sustainable MABIC Library—ensuring a high quality of life for its citizens.

🌱 As part of the UNESCO MAB Po Grande area, Maranello is actively engaged in smart mobility and CO₂ reduction initiatives, contributing to a more sustainable future.

🌍 Why SERN?
By joining the network, Maranello aims to strengthen its alignment with European priorities in welfare, sustainability, and digital transition. It is particularly interested in exchanging good practices within the Italy–Sweden cooperation framework and involving private stakeholders in transnational projects.

We look forward to working together and building new opportunities for innovation, sustainability, and community development!🤝

fans

Erasmus+ Accreditation in Action: A Week in Trollhättans Stad, Sweden 🇸🇪

This week, seven professionals from Azienda Sociale Bolzano, ASP Rossi Sidoli, and Unione Romagna Faentina are taking part in a training course dedicated to children welfare and addressing the challenges linked to vulnerable families.

Organised by the Child Welfare Department of the City of Trollhättan, the programme offers an in-depth exchange on child protection systems, foster care and foster families, prevention of violence and abuse on children, and experiences related to sheltered housing.

A warm thank you to the City of Trollhättan for the valuable learning opportunity and hospitality, and to all participants for their energy and enthusiasm.🤝

🔜Stay tuned for more activities of the Erasmus + Accreditation coming up this June 2026!✨

🌐For more information about Accreditation, visit the SERN website: https://www.sern.eu/projects/social-services-and-digitalization/

ASSB BSB Unione Romagna Faentina fans

A warm thank you to Trollhättans Stad for the inspiring interviews conducted and for bringing the SERN network together in Trollhättan for this year's General Assembly!🙏🎉👥

View Trollhättan's post below and the attached Swedish article 📰 to learn more about the SERN Network through the voices of our representatives, of our members and of the Italian Ambassador to Sweden, Michele Pala, whom we sincerely thank once more for attending this year's GA! 🗣️

SERN General Assembly 2026: Steering the Network Forward 🤝🌟

📍 In the late afternoon of Day 2, the SERN General Assembly 2026 took place in Trollhättan, marking a key institutional moment for democratic governance, shared reflection, and joint direction-setting within our network. Together with our co-organisers and host city, we strengthened cooperation across borders and turned shared ideas into action. 🇪🇺🤝

To conclude, we also warmly congratulate the SERN Award 2026 winners, Trollhättans Stad and Comune di Parma, for their outstanding commitment, inspiration, and contribution to our shared mission. 🎉🏆✨

🔜See you all next year in Italy for the SERN GA 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣7️⃣, in the beautiful city of Ravenna!🌅☀️💯

Trollhättans Stad Città di Parma

Day 2 | SERN General Assembly 2026

Study Visit at Insikten: let's learn about Trollhättan together!🧩🏞️

At Insikten, the SERN General Assembly 2026 turned history into a living bridge between people, ideas and future cooperation. Guided by historian Henrik Olsson from Innovatum Science Center as well as Anki Carlsson, from the Trollhättan Convention Bureau - Trollhättans Stad, we explored Trollhättan’s cultural heritage and the stories that continue to shape innovation, learning and collaboration today. ✨🏛️

Innovatum Science Center Trollhättans Stad

Day 2 | SERN General Assembly 2026

Meet the SERN Secretariat 🤝 👥

On Day 2 of the SERN General Assembly 2026 in Trollhättan, the Secretariat was available for informal dialogue and one-to-one exchanges. This was a moment dedicated to exploring project ideas, discussing future cooperation, and clarifying organisational or administrative questions with the SERN team. ✨

A moment of collaboration and productive conversation!💡⚙️🗣️

Trollhättans Stad

Day 2 | SERN General Assembly 2026
SEMINAR - Procurement That Makes a Difference 📑🌱

Public procurement can be much more than a procedure: it can be a strategic tool for sustainability, inclusion and stronger local development.

This seminar explored how procurement choices can generate social and environmental value, while also looking at how AI can support smarter and more impactful decision-making.🌍💼⚡

Expertly moderatorated by Cecilia Burenby, Mjölby Municipality, the key interventions included:

🔸Fredo Schotanus — Professor of Public Procurement, Utrecht University School of Economics , with the presentation “AI as a useful assistant to the public buyer? Three applications”. 🎓📑

🔹Rudie de Vries — Senior Policy Advisor Sustainability, Haarlem Municipality, presenting “Working together makes Strategic Procurement work for your City”. 🌿🏛️

🔸Ugo Giudice — Contracting Authority Manager, Province of Parma, “Sustainable public procurement in Italy: current instruments and possible developments”. 🇮🇹⚖️


A session for public authorities and professionals who want procurement to become a real driver of change. 🚀🤝📘

Trollhättans Stad Città di Parma Gemeente Haarlem Utrecht University School of Economics Mjölby kommun

Day 2 | SERN General Assembly 2026
🌟 Project Showcase

On our second day in Trollhättan, members of the SERN network, with the guidance of Isak Johansson, Trollhättans Stad, moderator of this session, presented inspiring projects and local initiatives during the Project Showcase, sharing experiences and building new connections across our municipalities and organisations.

🔹TIPS Project: trauma-informed practice in schools — Ginevra Roli, Project Officer, SERN;

🔸Food 4 Future: engaging schools and families to combat food waste in rural municipalities — Norberto Vignali, Councillor on Environment and Education, Unione Pedemontana Parmense;

🔹Transmic-VET: transforming micro-destinations through C-VET to strengthen governance, collaboration and sustainable growth — Johan Cavallini, Senior Consultant, Svensk Destinationsutveckling (SveDest);

🔸DIGILIBRA Project: digital skills empowerment in libraries — Klara Wikman, Librarian, Motala Municipality.

A valuable moment to exchange good practices, spark new partnerships, and keep building Europe together. 🤝

📎 Find more information about these projects on their respective pages present on our SERN website:

🔹TIPS Project: https://www.sern.eu/projects/tips/

🔸Food 4 Future: https://www.sern.eu/projects/food-4-future/

🔹Transmic-VET: https://www.sern.eu/projects/transmic-vet/

🔸DIGILIBRA Project: https://www.sern.eu/projects/digilibra/

Unione Pedemontana Parmense Svensk Destinationsutveckling Motala kommun fans

Day 1 Study Visits — Innovation in Trollhättan📍🔍⚙️

Yesterday for the first day of the SERN GA Trollhättan opened its doors to innovation, learning and collaboration. The SERN General Assembly study visits took us from advanced manufacturing and 3D printing at PTC/WAAMLABZ AB 🔹 to automotive innovation at T-engineering 🚗✨ , and finally to healthcare simulation and clinical learning at University West Sweden. 🩺 A journey through places where ideas become practice! 💡

We sincerely thank all our hosts for the truly interesting study visits, PTC/WAAMLABZ AB, T-engineering and University West Sweden!🙏

Trollhättans Stad