Networks and cities' news

"The Urban Industry 4.0 Talent Ecosystem: 7 Challenges"

"The Urban Industry 4.0 Talent Ecosystem: 7 Challenges" by Willem van Winden, URBACT Lead Expert

In many European cities, manufacturing industries are still important drivers of their economy. But the sector is in a process of transformation, under the influence of new technologies (robotisation, digitalization, new materials) and the urge to produce in a sustainable way. This transformation puts new demands on the skills and competences of people that work in the industry, but also on educational institutes in the city that educate the new talent flowing into the sector. How to create a local/urban talent ecosystem that is future proof? This article identifies seven key challenges that industrial cities face in this respect. It is based on in-depth interviews with companies, educational institutes, policymakers and experts in four industrial cities united in the AS-Transfer project: Bilbao, Bielsko-Biala, Tartu, and Timisoara.

 

RiConnect in 100 words

A brief overview on the RiConnect project: its vision, goals and partners - including a collection of content for broader information on each topic

Towards more human-scale mobility infrastructures

Transnational meeting in Baia mare was focused on brokerage and the new role of public administration in boosting social innovation.

Summary of Learning - Alytus

Alytus City Municipality together with the project partners: Barnsley (United Kingdom), Novska (Croatia), Rzeszow (Poland), Roeselare (Belgium) is implementing the TechRevolution 2.0 project wchich is co-financed by EU URBACT III program. You can read more about it at https://urbact.eu/tech-revolution-20

Summary of Learning - Roeselare

In mid-September, Bo and Gino defied the English weather and roads to meet, for the first time, with the partners of this URBACT Transfer Network. We got to know each other but also learned more about the “Good Practice” of Barnsley. Barnsley worked in collaboration with different stakeholders on the local economy of the future. On basis of their experiences of successes, methods and challenges during the project, Roeselare  made our own transfer plan including a provisional schedule and goals for the coming 18 months. In other words, Roeselare left Barnsley after three days full of inspiration for Roeselare. The knowledge gathered during the kick-off meeting triggered a cooperation with Art Economy where 20 colleagues of the city interacted with artists to enhance out-of-box approaches to innovation and technology and how to improve the ecosystem.

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Barnsley's Fierce Love Holds You Forever in it's Heart

These are the words, lit up in neon that welcome you when you walk into Barnsley’s new public space in the town centre.