On 23 September 2026, DecarbonDHS participated in the Interreg South Baltic Programme Annual Event 2026 in Palanga, Lithuania. This year’s event focused on capitalisation and provided project partners with a practical opportunity to explore how project knowledge, methods and results can create lasting impact beyond the project lifetime. The event brought together around 100 participants, including 74 representatives from 35 projects, creating a strong setting for exchange, networking and cooperation across the South Baltic Programme (Fig. 1).
The event was officially opened by Šarūnas Vaitkus, Mayor of Palanga, who welcomed participants to the city (Fig. 2). He was followed by Monika Jurczyk, representative of the Managing Authority – the Polish Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, who spoke about the future of the Programme, and Małgorzata Skolmowska, Head of the Joint Secretariat, who provided an update on its current status.
The central part of the programme was the TakeUP Capitalisation Workshop – an interactive, hands-on format designed to help projects strengthen the uptake and long-term use of their results. The workshop was moderated by Katarzyna Sempołowicz-Lipska, Communication and Capitalisation Officer at the Joint Secretariat, and Belén Benzaquén, Project Officer at the Joint Secretariat.
Turning project results into lasting impact
The TakeUP approach is based on the Seven Essentials concept developed by the Interreg North Sea Region Programme. Participants worked in small groups with a dedicated toolbox and workbook, supported by facilitators from across the South Baltic Programme community, including the Joint Secretariat, Managing Authority, Regional Contact Points and representatives of projects that had previously tested the workshop approach.
The aim was very practical: to help project teams look at their results from a capitalisation perspective, identify opportunities for their further uptake and develop concrete next steps.
Learning and exchanging experiences across projects During the workshop, DecarbonDHS shared a table with representatives of the BALTWRECK and BES projects, together with facilitators from the Joint Secretariat and Managing Authority. Working alongside projects addressing different challenges created an opportunity to look beyond our own activities, exchange perspectives and learn from each other’s experiences
For DecarbonDHS, one of the key takeaways from Palanga was clear: capitalisation should not be left until the final stages of a project. It needs to be planned early, developed throughout implementation and – needless to say – treated as a joint effort of the whole consortium.
This is particularly where the value of the project lies – i.e. not only in developing knowledge and solutions supporting the decarbonisation of district heating systems, but also in ensuring that project results can be transferred, taken up and used by relevant stakeholders across the South Baltic Region, and even beyond.
Cooperation is part of capitalisation
The Annual Event was also a great reminder of what makes Interreg cooperation special: an open atmosphere, willingness to share experiences and ideas, and a genuine sense that projects can learn from one another across partnerships and borders.
The day also marked Interreg Cooperation Day and combined intensive workshop activities with networking and more informal elements. The event even had its own song, “South Baltic Star”, reflecting the ambitions of projects to create an impact that lasts beyond their implementation period.
The positive and collaborative spirit throughout the event was a reminder that capitalisation is ultimately about people as much as results: connecting project achievements with people, organisations and networks that can take them further.
Thank you to the Interreg South Baltic Programme, the organisers and facilitators, as well as BALTWRECK, BES and all the participating projects for the productive discussions, new perspectives and great spirit in Palanga!
Photo Gallery (Source: IMP PAN)
