In an era where digital transformation intersects with the urgent need for sustainability, regions across the globe are striving to foster competences that will drive both digital and green transitions. The Capacity2Transform project’s recent comprehensive report sheds light on the state of regional competences in these critical areas, focusing on the support programs, strategies, and capacity-building activities that are shaping the future of pilot regions.
The Digital-Green Competence Gap
The analysis reveals a notable disparity in the availability of capacity-building support for digital versus green competences across the regions examined. While digital capacity-building activities enjoy broader coverage, green competences – a vital component for sustainable development -lag behind. This discrepancy underscores the pressing need to elevate awareness and expand initiatives focused on green topics.
The Role of Diverse Providers
The investigation into capacity-building activities unearthed a rich tapestry of providers, from academic institutions and NGOs to private companies and public sector entities. This diversity highlights the collaborative effort required to foster a robust environment for digital and green competence development. However, a critical gap was identified: the majority of regions lack specialized capacity-building activities that cater to the unique needs of the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) sector and sustainable tourism, sectors pivotal for economic and sustainable development.
Support Strategies and Programs: A Mixed Landscape
The entrepreneurial environment of the pilot regions reported the existence of 49 support strategies and programs aimed at bolstering digital and green competences. Communication and collaboration emerged as the most supported digital competence, while safety lagged. In the realm of green competences, actions and values related to sustainability received the most focus, yet there was a shortfall in competences dealing with the complexity of sustainability.
A Joint Categorization of Competences
One of the report’s key contributions is the joint categorization of local entrepreneurial environments based on digital and green (D&G) competences. This classification ranges from regions at the starting level in green competences, like Central Transdanubia (Hungary), to those at an advanced level in both digital and green competences, including Slovenia, Veneto (Italy), Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Italy), Split (Croatia), Carinthia (Austria), Baden-Württemberg (Germany), the Czech Republic, and the Košice (Slovakia) region for digital competences.
Conclusion: The Way Forward
The findings from the report illuminate the current landscape of digital and green competence support across regions. It becomes evident that while strides have been made in digital capacity building, a concerted effort is required to enhance green competences. This calls for a multi-faceted approach involving diverse stakeholders, from educational institutions to the private sector, to close the gap and pave the way for a sustainable, digitally fluent future. The roadmap is clear: fostering an ecosystem that equally supports digital and green growth is not just beneficial but essential for the well-being of our planet and future generations.
Read the full report here
Share the article
