Local and regional authorities are essential to turning the EU’s Global Gateway ambitions into concrete, sustainable results with their local knowledge that ensures projects meet real needs and gain community support. This topic stood at the centre of the forum “Cities and Regions for International Partnerships – Localising Global Gateway”, where representatives gathered to address how local and regional authorities can more effectively shape and implement the EU’s global investment agenda.  

The Global Gateway is the European Union’s strategy to support sustainable and reliable infrastructure development around the world. By investing in digital connectivity, clean energy, transport networks, health, and education, the initiative aims to foster long-term sustainable partnerships. Yet the success of this global strategy hinges not only on high-level agreements – it depends fundamentally on the involvement of local and regional authorities.  

Local authorities play a decisive role because they understand reality on the ground. They know which roads, energy systems, or digital connections matter most to residents and businesses, and they can identify risks early on. Moreover, implementation always happens locally, where projects requires local permits, land-use decisions, coordination with utilities, and sustained engagement with citizens. Long-term sustainability also depends on local ownership. Local governments and communities are responsible for maintaining infrastructure, integrating new systems into plans, and ensuring that the benefits continue beyond the initial investment.  

Trust and legitimacy must be built at local level as well. People are far more likely to welcome a major project when they feel informed and consulted. The broader economic impact is also rooted locally, where it is in cities and regions that SMEs join supply chains, workers access new jobs, and training or innovation initiatives take shape. Finally, local and regional authorities play a crucial coordinating role, bridging national, European, and international strategies while aligning public and private partners.  

The Global Gateway strategy aligns with the SymbioCity approach, where infrastructure investments must meet democratic governance, social inclusion and sustainable development. By giving local authorities a central role in planning and implementation, the framework recognize that long-term impact depends on holistic solutions shaped by local needs and capacities. In this way, global investments can translate into resilient, inclusive growth.   

Platforms for cooperation and partnerships  

These issues stood at the centre of the forum “Cities and Regions for International Partnerships – Localising Global Gateway”, where representatives gathered to address how local and regional authorities can more effectively shape and implement the EU’s global investment agenda. The forum brought together local and regional leaders already engaged—or eager to engage—in flagship initiatives, offering new avenues for cooperation between EU territories and partner countries. Beyond policy discussions, it also provided a unique space to forge direct cooperation between EU and non-EU local governments, further strengthening the Team Europe approach and ensuring that the Global Gateway is grounded where it matters most: in the daily realities of local communities.