From April 8 to 10, 2025, the final interregional meeting of the CODIL project took place in Laval, France, hosted by Laval Mayenne Technopole. The event brought together partners and stakeholders from Slovenia, Romania, and Ireland to strengthen collaboration, review progress, and shape future directions.
The central focus was the thematic workshop New Business Models for Sustainable Innovation Centres, exploring how innovation hubs can adapt to evolving work patterns and regional development needs. A notable contribution was the presentation of the local good practice “Challenge and Competences,” which fosters cooperation between schools and companies to develop skills and support innovation.
Participants visited key elements of Laval’s innovation ecosystem, including a co-working space, the northern business zone, and FabLab Crealab. A highlight of the program was the visit to Laval Virtual, Europe’s leading XR exhibition and conference.
The event featured cutting-edge immersive technology showcases, expert-led conferences, and a dedicated CODIL workshop. Speakers included Grégory Duvalet (Clarté), Diego Monteiro (ESIEA), and Madeth May with Corentin Coupry (LIUM, IUT Laval / University of Le Mans), who shared applications of XR in industry, workplace settings, and education.
Iztok Renčelj, CEO of EDGETECH d.o.o., offered a powerful reflection:
“Laval Virtual was an excellent opportunity to learn about emerging trends in XR. The event brought together experts from various industries and countries, enabling valuable knowledge exchange and networking. I would gladly seize any future opportunity to connect through European projects.”
Teodor Stimec, CEO of OPTICS Trade, shared his experience:
“Laval Virtual 2025 was an excellent opportunity for me to learn about trends in this industry and new technologies, connect with potential collaborators, and test the latest equipment that is usually not available to us.”
The meeting in Laval reinforced CODIL’s commitment to developing resilient, sustainable innovation ecosystems by linking regions, technologies, and forward-looking policy frameworks.
