Vanessa Sanson is a project manager at the Research Valorisation and Business Support Institute of Area Science Park, a national Technology and Research Organisation based in the North East of Italy, Trieste. Since 2021, she is in charge of coordinating the project BLUEAIR – BLUE Growth Smart Adriatic Ionian S3. The project is funded by the Interreg Adrion Programme and it is coordinated by Area Science Park, with the main goal to establish an Innovation Community for the development of a Macro Regional S3 on Sustainable Blue Economy. Besides this, she is member of the working team for the management of the European Digital Innovation Hub - IP4FVG EDIH - Industry Platform for Friuli Venezia Giulia EDIH that has received the Seal of Excellence from the European Commission. Vanessa Sanson has 16 years of experience in EU project and communication management, having managed more than 30 projects financed by different EU funds that foresaw capacity building, transferring of know-how and multilevel governance as well as stakeholders’ engagement activities. Starting from an academic background and enhanced by several on field missions in the framework of cross-border and transnational cooperation projects, she gained a deep understanding of the Balkan Area pre-adhesion policy and governance. She holds a Master’s degree in European International Relations.