Building Skills for Future Smart Communities

The development of resilient, inclusive, and future-ready smart communities depends on a workforce equipped with the skills needed to navigate digital, green, and societal transitions. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated action across sectors and stakeholder groups.

To support this effort, the SMARCO project has established the Smart Communities Skills Partnership, a collaborative initiative bringing together public authorities, industry, SMEs, higher education institutions, vocational education and training providers, research organisations, and civil society actors. The Partnership aims to foster cooperation, identify emerging skills needs, promote upskilling and reskilling initiatives, and contribute to a stronger skills ecosystem for smart communities across Europe.

This launch event will officially inaugurate the SMARCO Skills Partnership, presenting its vision, objectives, governance, and opportunities for engagement. Participants will also gain insights into the SMARCO Skills Strategy, which provides the strategic framework for the Partnership’s activities and serves as a roadmap for addressing skills gaps and supporting workforce development in smart communities. The event will offer a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among stakeholders committed to shaping the future of skills for smart communities.

What to expect

Participants will:

• Gain awareness and understanding of the SMARCO Skills Strategy and Skills Partnership;

• Learn how to engage and participate in training programmes, pilot initiatives, and skills certification schemes;

• Identify opportunities for collaboration, joint initiatives, and community-building activities within the SMARCO network.

Agenda

15:00 – 15:10 | Welcome and Introduction

• Caterina Bortolaso, Senior Project Manager, European DIGITAL SME Alliance

15:10 – 15:25 | Keynote Speech: Skills Partnerships as Drivers of Europe’s Skills Agenda

• Sonia De Melo Xavier, Policy Officer at DG EMPL, European Commission

 15:25 – 15:35 | Introducing the SMARCO Skills Partnership

• Lina Nardone, Project Manager, European DIGITAL SME Alliance

 15:35 – 15:45 | The SMARCO Skills Strategy: A Roadmap for Action

• Caterina Bortolaso, Senior Project Manager, European DIGITAL SME Alliance

15:45 – 16:25 | Panel Discussion: Building Skills for Smart Communities Together

• Panos Fitsilis, Full professor at the University of Thessaly

• Ilpo Laitinen, Director of Administration at the City of Helsinki and Advisory Board Member of SMARCO

• Alessandra Buffa, EU Projects Specialist at Fondazione Piemonte Innova

• Eoin Costello, National Programme Director at Dargan Institute and Advisory Board Member of SMARCO

• Oscar Huerta Melchor, Policy Analyst on Urban Development and Governance at OECD

 Moderated by Caterina Bortolaso, Senior Project Manager, European DIGITAL SME Alliance

16:25 – 16:30 | Closing Remarks

Registration

Participation is free, but registration is required. Register here to join the online event. 

About SMARCO

Smart Communities Skills Development in Europe (SMARCO) is an EU-funded Erasmus+ Blueprint project that serves as a one-stop shop for smart communities skills development. It addresses skills gaps among smart city engineers and planners through targeted upskilling courses, flexible learning pathways and recognised micro-credentials. The project also builds a European community of stakeholders to exchange best practices and promote the long-term development of smart communities skills through initiatives such as the Pact for Skills and policy dialogue with decision-makers.