Workshop

Are We Ready? Shaping Europe’s Smart Communities Skills Strategy from Local Needs

Date: Wednesday, 6th May


Location: Innoasis, Sverdrups gate 27, 4007 Stavanger


Time: 09.00 – 11.30 


Attendees: Leaders, strategists, procurement heads, innovation teams, academics and cluster representatives concerned with capability, competitiveness and transformation.


Organised by: SMARt COmmunities Skills Development in Europe


Facilitator: Alessandra Buffa and Caterina Bortolaso


Coffee, tea and croissants served from 08:45


About SMARCO 

SMARCO (SMARt COmmunities Skills Blueprint) is a European initiative bringing together cities, industry, academia and public authorities to strengthen the skills needed for smart and sustainable community development. Through a shared European Skills Blueprint and partnership model, the project addresses critical competence gaps to turn smart city ambitions into real implementation. 



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about this Workshop

The Challenge


Smart city ambitions are accelerating accross Europe, but are local authorities equipped with the right skills to deliver?


Gaps in key areas such as procurement, planning, and engineering continue to slow down innovation and implementation. Without the right competencies, even the most ambitious strategies risk falling short. 


What this Workshop is about

SMARCO is preparing to launch a European Skills Blueprint for Smart Communities, aimed at addressing critical capacity gaps.


This facilitated workshop invites participants to:


  • Engage with the proposed priorities, training pathways, and partnership model
  • Validate and refine the Skills Blueprint and Strategy
  • Contribute insights that will directly shape their finalisation and implementation across Europe


This session is the first in a series of ten regional workshops (roundtables) with decision-makers (nine national and one European). It will support the validation and refinement of the Blueprint and Strategy while establishing guidelines for the subsequent sessions.


How the Session Works


The workshop follows a three-step, interactive approach:


  1. Identify Needs and Gaps Participants share experiences and challenges related to skills and capacity in their organisations and regions.

  2. Present the SMARCO Blueprint 

    - Oveview of strategic priorities
    - Key finding from Year 1 skills needs analysis
    - Introduction to proposed actions, training pathways and roadmaps

  3. Validate and Refine


Through facilitated group work and discussion:

  -  Assess alignment between identified needs and proposed solutions

  -  Highlight missing elements and priorities

  -  Provide structured feedback to refine the Blueprint and Strategy 



Why participate 

  • Gain early access to a European-level skills strategy and related findings
  • Ensure the strategy reflects real-world needs and constraints
  • Strengthen your organisation’s thinking on skills and readiness
  • Position yourself within the upcoming Smart Communities Skills Partnership
  • Benefit from free training opportunities for Smart Communities Skills Development


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