Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HUPRES-SMART (Organizing “Skills development for smart specialization” conference under the Hungarian Presidency)
Período documentado: 2024-08-01 hasta 2025-01-31
The National Research, Development and Innovation Office organized Skills development for Smart Specialization conference under the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The aim of the conference was to collect valuable inputs from multiple stakeholders that can be channeled into future research cooperative efforts and policy-making in the field of smart specialization and skills development and introducing approaches and transferable skills that contribute to strengthening the societal impact of research. In today's dynamic industrial landscape, the agility of workers to embrace change stands as a critical factor. Identified skill gaps and mismatches between labor demand and supply pose direct hindrances to the creation of employment opportunities. Education and training must be tailored to equip individuals with the requisite skills to navigate and excel in the field of green-digital technologies.
The conference addressed different aspects of skills development and the smart specialization concept through various program formats and networking activities, involving EU-level and national policymakers, stakeholders and SSH experts. Topics discussed by experts included smart specialization strategy implementation, gaps in skills development, mismatches between labor supply and demand, enhancing growth and competitiveness of SMEs though skills development, inter-dependence between economic growth, innovation and skills in the era of digitization and green transition, valorization of the outcomes of successful Cluster 2 projects in service of reaching S3 goals, identification of the types of skills that could support today’s challenges (e.g. industrial transformation, green transition, and digitalization), and transferrable skills for the space sector.
The aim of the conference was to collect valuable inputs from multiple stakeholders that can be channeled into future research cooperative efforts and policy-making in the field of smart specialization and skills development and introducing approaches and transferable skills that contribute to strengthening the societal impact of research. In today's dynamic industrial landscape, the agility of workers to embrace change stands as a critical factor. Identified skill gaps and mismatches between labor demand and supply pose direct hindrances to the creation of employment opportunities. Education and training must be tailored to equip individuals with the requisite skills to navigate and excel in the field of green-digital technologies.
The conference addressed different aspects of skills development and the smart specialization concept through various program formats and networking activities, involving EU-level and national policymakers, stakeholders and SSH experts. Topics discussed by experts included smart specialization strategy implementation, gaps in skills development, mismatches between labor supply and demand, enhancing growth and competitiveness of SMEs though skills development, inter-dependence between economic growth, innovation and skills in the era of digitization and green transition, valorization of the outcomes of successful Cluster 2 projects in service of reaching S3 goals, identification of the types of skills that could support today’s challenges (e.g. industrial transformation, green transition, and digitalization), and transferrable skills for the space sector.
Skills Development for Smart Specialization conference under the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union was organized by National Research, Development and Innovation Office on 2-3 December 2024. The project consisted of the conference organization process, the completion of the event, and the preparation of three follow-up materials.
During the organization process in M1-M4, the program content was prepared and speakers were identified by the project coordinator consulting an expert stakeholder group. The invitation to the conference was sent out via NCP networks, targeted e-mails, and newsletters of NRDIO and Science|Business to attract a wide variety of stakeholders. Speakers were invited, and, in case of cancellations, new speakers were found based on recommendations. The program of the conference was slightly adjusted to fit the speakers’ expertise and availability. The operational background for the conference was prepared during the first four months of the project as well: the procurement process for a professional event management company was completed, the venue was booked.
In M5, the conference was organized in a hybrid format: plenary sessions and panel discussions were livestreamed for maximizing outreach, sharing the insightful thoughts of speakers and findings from fruitful panel discussions, with the recordings available on YouTube after the event as well. The panel discussions were moderated by experts of smart specialization, social sciences and humanities, and European research funding schemes in general. Various stakeholder groups were represented: Researchers (universities, research institutes), Funding agency representatives, NCPs, European and national policymakers. Speakers were invited on the basis of professional experience, with the aim of representing diverse stakeholder groups. Particular attention was given to the balanced distribution of speakers in terms of gender, geographical coverage and stakeholder group. Altogether 70 in-person participants attended the event that was hosted by the prestigious Ludovika University of Public Service.
Follow-up activities and the preparation of conference documents were completed in M5 and M6. Video recordings were published on YouTube to maximize outreach, an extensive LinkedIn campaign was conducted with follow-up posts, and two conference conclusions were produced (Set of Recommendations, Starter Kit).
During the organization process in M1-M4, the program content was prepared and speakers were identified by the project coordinator consulting an expert stakeholder group. The invitation to the conference was sent out via NCP networks, targeted e-mails, and newsletters of NRDIO and Science|Business to attract a wide variety of stakeholders. Speakers were invited, and, in case of cancellations, new speakers were found based on recommendations. The program of the conference was slightly adjusted to fit the speakers’ expertise and availability. The operational background for the conference was prepared during the first four months of the project as well: the procurement process for a professional event management company was completed, the venue was booked.
In M5, the conference was organized in a hybrid format: plenary sessions and panel discussions were livestreamed for maximizing outreach, sharing the insightful thoughts of speakers and findings from fruitful panel discussions, with the recordings available on YouTube after the event as well. The panel discussions were moderated by experts of smart specialization, social sciences and humanities, and European research funding schemes in general. Various stakeholder groups were represented: Researchers (universities, research institutes), Funding agency representatives, NCPs, European and national policymakers. Speakers were invited on the basis of professional experience, with the aim of representing diverse stakeholder groups. Particular attention was given to the balanced distribution of speakers in terms of gender, geographical coverage and stakeholder group. Altogether 70 in-person participants attended the event that was hosted by the prestigious Ludovika University of Public Service.
Follow-up activities and the preparation of conference documents were completed in M5 and M6. Video recordings were published on YouTube to maximize outreach, an extensive LinkedIn campaign was conducted with follow-up posts, and two conference conclusions were produced (Set of Recommendations, Starter Kit).
The conference organized within the project catalyzed discussions in the topic of smart specialization, skills development, education, necessary skills for employment, and life-long learning. The conference addressed different aspects of skills development and the smart specialization concept, identifying skill gaps and mismatches between labor demand and supply.
As deliverables of the project, a Set of Recommendations and a Starter Kit was produced, summarizing the main messages of the conference and collecting EU initiatives in smart specialization. The Set of Recommendations is based on lessons learnt from the implementation of Smart Specialization Strategies (S3) and success stories, as well as on the conceptual framework of skills development for S3. The Starter Kit is a practical guide for overviewing the landscape of European smart skills development initiatives. Both documents are available on the website of the conference.
As deliverables of the project, a Set of Recommendations and a Starter Kit was produced, summarizing the main messages of the conference and collecting EU initiatives in smart specialization. The Set of Recommendations is based on lessons learnt from the implementation of Smart Specialization Strategies (S3) and success stories, as well as on the conceptual framework of skills development for S3. The Starter Kit is a practical guide for overviewing the landscape of European smart skills development initiatives. Both documents are available on the website of the conference.