Digital4Sustainability: Successful Kick-off Meeting Launches Ambitious Project
On the 6th and 7th of March 2024, the Digital4Sustainability project marked its official commencement with a highly engaging and productive kick-off meeting held at the Comet Meetings Place in Brussels. This event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including project partners, representatives from European institutions, and industry experts, both in-person and remotely via Teams. The meeting set the stage for a collaborative effort to advance digital and green transitions across European industries.
Day 1 Highlights
Welcome and Introductions The meeting began with welcoming remarks from key figures in the project. Naïs Habermacher and Caterina De Giovanelli, Project Officers at EACEA, Antonio Grasso, Public Affairs Director at the European DIGITAL SME Alliance, and Déborah Goll, the Digital4Sustainability Coordinator, all expressed their enthusiasm and commitment to the project’s goals. This was followed by a round of introductions and an ice-breaker session, fostering a sense of camaraderie among participants.
The discussion on the first day emphasized the skills required for the green and digital transition, with insights from key experts such as Francesca Borgonovi from the OECD, Joachim Schwerin from the European Commission, and Ilias Iakovidis from DG CONNECT. These speakers highlighted the current landscape and future needs for skill development in these areas.
In the afternoon, workshops on project management and branding were conducted. Déborah Goll and Lina Nardone from DIGITAL SME provided an overview of the project workplan and management tools to ensure partner alignment. Additionally, DIGITALEUROPE and Matrix facilitated a workshop on project identity and branding, focusing on creating a cohesive and recognizable project presence.
Day 2 Highlights
The second day focused on project management, starting with sessions on project budget and lump-sum rules presented by Noémi Borsos-Repka from DIGITAL SME, and a discussion on quality assurance led by Brian Cochrane from Cochrane Marketing. These sessions established strong financial and quality management frameworks.
Paul Aertsen from EduserPro conducted workshops on skills needs analysis, outlining the methodology for identifying the skills needed for the digital and green transition. This was followed by a workshop on target audience and key performance indicators (KPIs) led by DIGITALEUROPE and Matrix, essential for defining project outreach and impact metrics.
In the afternoon, Caterina Bortolaso and Déborah Goll from DIGITAL SME discussed the long-term sustainability strategy and scale-up plans. The New College of Ireland presented on the design of curricula accreditation criteria and development of learning materials, and Hogeschool Utrecht introduced pilot programmes.
Conclusion
The Digital4Sustainability kick-off meeting successfully laid the foundation for the project, aligning all partners on the vision and strategic plan. With a strong start, the project is well-positioned to drive the digital and green transitions within the ICT sector and across European industries. The collaborative spirit and insightful discussions from the meeting will undoubtedly propel the project towards achieving its ambitious goals.