MIPRO is the largest national ICT forum in Croatia and in Balkan region that could play a role of facilitator of ICT driven and social innovation in the development of smart islands, rural and coastal communities.

European Smart Islands and Regions need a coherent multidisciplinary international research collaboration platform/Alliance that could provide a scientific systematic perspective for smart island and regions development in EU and Adriatic regions. 

The platform should include European stakeholder’s forum and Island Lab for multidisciplinary research and innovation targeting complex economic and societal challenges of Smart Islands and Regions. The platform outcome - recommendations and best practises for European smart islands and regions policies, input into harmonisation and standards. It could provide scientifically justified input for European, national and local development roadmaps for smart islands and regions.

Croatia as an attractive tourist location with large number of islands and is well connected with major European airport hubs. It hosts a large number of European and international meetings and conferences. The country being among the initiators and playing an active role in EU-EP Smart Islands Initiative. It makes Croatian costal cities and nearby islands a convenient place for regular meetings, demonstrations and experimentations on Smart Islands development. The Croatian locations could be complemented with mirror platform in Nordic- Central Baltic regions (Finland-Sweden- Estonia) and in Norway-Denmark and participate proactively in international collaboration with the major relevant international networks and forums providing venues for meeting and training.