Transgression of European Border Regions

Due to European unification, border regions are acquiring a new role; these areas are increasingly becoming spaces of opportunity, places where innovative ideas and collaborations can emerge. However, realising this potential requires overcoming a fundamental challenge: the lack of standardised, transparent, and accessible data that flows seamlessly across national boundaries.

During the first session held on 23 April, we explored how European border regions can act as catalysts for deeper collaboration across Europe. The discussion centred on transcending borders, physically, but also in terms of governance, policy, and spatial planning.

To keep this discussion going, we will host a second event (Online) featuring two distinguished speakers represent complementary approaches to this challenge. Johan van der Valk from Statistics Netherlands will share insights from the Werkinzicht project, demonstrating how we can create meaningful cross-border labor market data. Sebastiaan Hupkes will present the systematic approach of Schakelpunt Grensbelemmeringen, showing how comprehensive databases help identify and prioritize border obstacles.

Join the Zoom

This session will bring together expert perspectives to explore:

— Data Production and Standardization Creating harmonized cross-border datasets that overcome technical and administrative barriers

— Multi-stakeholder Collaboration Coordinating between different government levels, statistical offices, employment agencies, and academic institutions across national boundaries

— Research-Policy Integration Bridging academic research with practical policy needs to develop adequate cross-border data infrastructure that supports broader cooperation goals. 

Speakers

Johan van der Valk  works at Statistics Netherlands (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek) as project manager of Werkinzicht, an initiative that maps cross-border labor market developments within the theme of labor. The project focuses on providing comprehensive insights into employment dynamics across national boundaries. Johan initiated a pilot project examining cross-border labor flows between the Netherlands and Germany. The success of this initiative captured the attention of Dutch policymakers, leading to expanded interest in collecting and providing similar insights for data at the Belgium border region.

Sebastiaan Hupkes Coordinator of Schakelpunt Grensbelemmeringen Vlaanderen-Nederland (Switch Point Border Barriers), a cross-border initiative established to tackle border barriers that arise in cooperation between people, businesses, organizations, and governments across the Dutch-Flemish border region. His work involves maintaining and overseeing a database system that serves as a repository for cross-border issues. This database helps inventory, identify, analyze, select, and put border obstacles on the agenda of responsible administrators in the Netherlands and Belgium. The system functions as both a collection point for reported obstacles and an analytical tool for identifying patterns and prioritizing solutions. Read more on the website

Program

		(Join us online)
9:30	Session Introduction Welcome and overview of themes building on April 23rd session
9:35	Johan van der Valk Werkinzicht project: Creating standardized cross-border labor market data
9:55	Sebastiaan Hupkes Schakelpunt database: Systematic identification and prioritization of border barriers
10:15	ITEM perspective: Research-policy integration and cross-border data infrastructure needs
10:35	Moderated Q&A and Discussion Interactive discussion exploring connections between presentations and audience questions
11:00	End Closing of the session

 

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