The 12th edition of EU Design Day will happen in Brussels on 17 September 2024, gathering key stakeholders from the design and creativity sectors for a networking opportunity with familiar and new faces, while being inspired by insightful initiatives and projects! This year's topic will be: From citizens to citizens - shared places in community spaces.

The three thematic panels will be around: 

• Green transition: recycling and reuse, circular economy (e.g. repair cafés, recycling centres, etc.), sustainable food (e.g. shared gardens and from farm to fork), slow and soft mobility (supporting coworking spaces) etc.
• Digital transition: digital inclusion, use of AI, smart data management, development of digital skills, FabLab, etc.
• Societal challenges: maintaining local services and social links (e.g. bars, restaurants, public services, etc.), local production and consumption (e.g. maker-spaces), cultural programming, entrepreneurship support, inclusion of vulnerable groups, etc.

Applications are welcome from experts working in the field who wish to present their initiatives and projects. We encourage all ERRIN members to forward this invitation to their stakeholders by downloading the questionnaire here. Once filled out, please send it to francesca.pozzebon@errin.eu by 10 June.

More information about the EU Design Days can be found here.

Over the past three years, the CHARTER project has worked intensively to deepen the understanding of regional cultural heritage ecosystems in Europe. The project will hold an online webinar on 26 April from 14:00-15:30 to explore "How can heritage skills unlock the full potential of European regions?". 

This online webinar will present the findings of six regional case studies on regional cultural heritage ecosystems that were conducted by five ERRIN members from the Cultural Heritage & Tourism Working Group: the Basque Country (Spain), the Free Hanseatic State of Bremen (Germany), Alentejo Region (Portugal), Tuscany Region (Italy), and Västra Götaland Region (Sweden) and the Sibiu County (Romania), during the CHARTER EU Skills Alliance for Cultural Heritage project. 

These case studies have provided CHARTER with a wealth of information showcasing each region's unique heritage specificities. They also highlight a diverse array of approaches in responding to skills needs deriving from sustainability, digitalisation, and the circular economy and how they impact cultural heritage. The webinar will also showcase how to better align the education and training offer with the labour market needs to equip future-ready skills and traditional heritage skills, especially in the realm of crafts, among many other facets.

Additionally, the webinar will introduce the conclusions and findings from the final report on regional cultural heritage ecosystems, which will be issued later this month and will feature the full assessment and analysis of CHARTER’s regional cases.

Participants can look forward to gaining insights and on-the-ground information regarding crafts and traditional skills, industrial heritage, maritime heritage, digitalisation, volunteering, funding, intangible heritage, skills intelligence observatories, built heritage, and much more. 

For the detailed programme and the registration, please click here. 

About ERRIN's role in CHARTER 

Five of ERRIN’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Working Group members will play a key role in the regional roll-out of the initiative: Alentejo, the Basque Country, the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Tuscany Region and Vastra Gotaland. The member organisations are, committed to reinforcing the regional dimension of the Sectoral Skills Strategy on Cultural Heritage, the sector-integrated collaboration within the regional cultural heritage ecosystem. 

In addition, ERRIN is co-leading the work on ‘Alliances, Sustainable Strategies, and Policy Recommendations. This will be the place to reflect on how to reinforce the regional roll-out of all Blueprints for Sectoral Skills Strategy funded by the European Commission and how to better coordinate actions at regional and national level in the respective Member States, securing a stronger voice for the regional activities.

The ERRIN Bioeconomy Working Group, in collaboration with the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), is currently drafting a document that underscores the pivotal role of regions and the synergies with the private sector in driving forward the circular bioeconomy. This document aims to provide actionable recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders at both regional and EU levels.

To ensure that the document reflects the diverse perspectives and experiences within our network, ERRIN Bioeconomy WG leaders are inviting ERRIN members to add their inputs and feedback.  

If you are interested in contributing to this initiative, please send an email to gianpiero.petruzziello@errin.eu indicating your willingness to participate before Wednesday 8 May 2024. Members willing to contribute will then be added to the collaborative space on TEAMS and will be able to add their contributions and inputs directly on the document.  

The Bioeconomy WG will follow up on the positioning of regions in the discussion, and possibly organise a dedicated exchange in the coming months.  

In the past years, ERRIN's Bioeconomy Working Group has closely looked at the role of cities and regions in the circular transition, continuing the dialogue with the BIC and closely following up on the Circular Biobased Europe Joint Undertaking. Read more in the 2024 Bioeconomy WG Annual Work Plan. 

In celebration of Europe's rich and diverse cultural heritage, the European Commission has announced the winning European Heritage Label sites for 2023. In receiving this label, 7 historical sites from across the continent have been recognised for their significant role in the history and culture of Europe and the development of the European Union. 

The winning sites are: 

• Cisterscapes – Cistercian Landscapes Connecting Europe (Austria, Czechia, Germany, Poland, Slovenia) 
• Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste, Cuacos de Yuste (Spain - Extremadura) 
• Our Lord in the Attic Museum (The Netherlands) 
• Royal Theatre Toone (Belgium) 
• The Kalevala (Finland) 
• Romanian Athenaeum (Romania) 
• Sant’Anna di Stazzema (Italy - Tuscany) 

The European Heritage Label was established by the EU in 2011 to promote a sense of belonging and identity among Europeans. It highlights sites that have played a pivotal role in shaping our continent's shared history. The label was first awarded in 2013. This year’s selection brings the total number of sites with the label across Europe to 67. 

Discover the other sites and learn more about the label here.

We invite ERRIN members to express their interest in the new co-funded European Partnership on ‘Social Transformations and Resilience’, which will be set up under Strategic Plan 2025 – 2027 of Horizon Europe. The ambition of the Partnership is to create a transformative R&I programme, which will inform evidence-based policy setting for:

• Supporting the modernisation of social protection and essential services
• Shaping the Future of Work
• Fostering education & skills development
• Contributing to a fair transition towards climate neutrality

You can find more information on co-funded Partnerships here.

Survey 

ERRIN members can fill out this survey, which explores how the partnership can be grounded in the broader ecosystem of policymakers, researchers, social partners, civil society actors, and other stakeholders. A first stock-taking exercise of the answers will be done on 30 April, but the survey will remain open afterwards. 

An expert workshop will be organised on 29 May (9:00-12:30) to further develop the expected impact areas of the Partnership workshop. Members can flag their interest in this workshop by sending a message to astrid.hannes@errin.eu. 

As a consolidation of the open dialogue and collaboration between the ERRIN and the Joint Research Center, ERRIN members are invited to provide inputs and recommendations to support the shaping and coherent planning of the newly launched New European Bauhaus Facility.

This meeting is a first step of a consultation process which aims to gather inputs and key recommendations to better shape the two components of the NEB Facility, while ensuring that the NEB Facility is built as close as possible to the needs of Member States and key stakeholders. Specifically, ERRIN members are strategic stakeholders to provide relevant content and feedback to the R&I component of the Facility, while advising on challenges and showcasing good practices on the structure of the roll-out component.

This will happen in an interactive session, which will see the direct participation of the JRC NEB Unit, allowing ERRIN members to gain direct insights into the proposed structure and future developments of the Facility and to influence the content of its two components with their place-based knowledge and cross-sectorial experience.

More information will be shared soon to better inform members and allow targeted feedback. Inputs from the consultation process will feed the Roadmap for the NEB Facility (expected in Autumn 2024).

DG RTD has recently released a thematic report titled "Overview of Public Engagement in Research & Innovation", which provides an introductory overview of Public Engagement in Research and Innovation in Europe. Public engagement is crucial for better and sustainable solutions, advancements, and innovations in research and innovation. However, it can be challenging, as it requires integrating citizens' knowledge into R&I activities, outcomes, and policies. Thorough and well-planned Public Engagement processes are needed to avoid adverse impacts and frustration. It is important to adapt methodologies to local conditions, context, and target groups and ensure that these processes equally bring tangible benefits to citizens. Inclusivity should be a key aspect when developing Public Engagement activities. 

The report describes various policies, frameworks, resources, and projects (mainly EU-funded)  promoting Public Engagement practices. 

The document aims to inspire and help public actors and policymakers to promote and support public engagement.

Find more on the dedicated webpage.

Funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, Living Spaces - Cities and regions shaping the built environment for everyone (Living Spaces) is implemented by Eurocities and the Architects’ Council of Europe. 

Living Spaces is a peer-learning programme designed for local and regional authorities to learn how to plan and implement high-quality architectural policies and projects. From July 2023 to November 2024, the programme will facilitate exchanges among the European Union’s cities, regions, Member States and relevant stakeholders on processes and good practices.

If you are part of the administration of a city or region in the EU or a professional working on architecture and urban planning, this is your chance to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and learn from your peers and from experts on how to plan and implement high-quality architectural policies and projects. All you need to do is fill out the form with your information and motivation to participate.

The focus of the peer-learning visits will be on architecture and the built environment, and they will address various cross-cutting topics such as climate change, social equality, sustainable development, housing, public and open spaces, mobility etc.

20 participants for each visit will be selected through 2 rounds of calls for participants. 

The second call for participants is open from 10 April 2024 to 13 May 2024 and will cover the following visits: 

• Oulu, Finland: 11-13 September
• Vilnius, Lithuania: 18-20 September
• Malmo, Sweden: 9-11 October
• Gdansk, Poland: 23-25 October

Learn more here.

“The European Year of Skills: what comes next?” is a large-scale hybrid conference where hundreds of participants will come together to share successful skills stories and discuss the legacy of the European Year of Skills. During the event, we will look back at the Year's achievements and reflect on the road ahead. After all, the European Year of Skills does not end here – connecting the dots and delivering in practice remains a top priority.  

The conference will feature prominent political and stakeholder panels, inspiring speeches, insightful conversations, and interactive discussion groups on specific topics. 

More information

You can find the programme attached, and discover the speakers here. You can register to participate online via this link.