About
On 23rd June 2026 an ENE webinar on Smart Specialisation (S3), brought together almost 70 participants from across the globe.
This session explored:
• Introduction to Smart Specialisation strategies and methodology,
• Platforms, tools, and governance approaches for S3 in EU and neighbouring regions,
• Regional cooperation and practical experiences from North Macedonia,
• Opportunities for cross-regional collaboration and capacity building.
Organised by the ETF Network for Excellence (ENE), the session served as a platform for policymakers, educators, and industry representatives to explore innovative approaches to Smart Specialisation (S3) and its role in strengthening regional innovation ecosystems. For Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs), S3 provides a practical framework to connect vocational education, innovation, and regional economic development, ensuring that training, research, and industry needs reinforce one another.
On the Agenda
Jolien van Uden (ETF Expert) introduced the Network for Excellence and outlined the session's focus.
Nicola Radovanovic (ETF Expert) presented the Smart Specialisation methodology, covering its design and implementation phases, stakeholder engagement processes, and examples from the Western Balkans region. The presentation explained how Smart Specialisation connects regional economic development with skills development and vocational excellence, emphasising the importance of data analysis, stakeholder dialogue, and governance in priority setting.
Pirita Vuorinen (ETF Expert) presented the European Training Foundation's methodology for analysing skills for competitiveness, focusing on technology-driven changes and their impact on domestic companies.
Presentation:Unlocking Smart Specialisation through Skills: From Evidence to Action
Ramojus Reimeris (JRC Expert) presented on transformative innovation policy and the open discovery process (ODP), explaining how it extends entrepreneurial discovery processes to address both economic and societal challenges.
Ksenija Hadji Toseva Avramcheva (Assistant Head of International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Education and Science, North Macedonia) presented on North Macedonia's smart specialisation strategy and vocational education efforts. She outlined the country's four vertical domains (Smart Agriculture and Food, ICT Sector, Electromechanical Industry, and Sustainable Materials) and two horizontal domains (Energy for the Future and Tourism), along with their connection to vocational education and training through dual education programs involving over 700 companies.
Presentation: Implementation of Smart Specialisation in North Macedonia
The webinar concluded with a Q&A session where participants discussed the challenges and opportunities for VET providers to engage in smart specialisation processes and contribute to regional competitiveness.
Radmil Polenakovikj (Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia) was unfortunately unable to join the webinar live. However, he kindly shared his presentation, which you can find below:
Building a Global Community of Practice
The webinar concluded with an invitation to join the growing Network for Excellence (ENE), which offers a range of resources and support services. These include self-assessment tools, an online knowledge library, and onboarding sessions designed to help institutions strengthen their capacity and impact.
Ready to join? Contact us at etf.network.for.excellence@etf.europa.eu to begin your ENE membership journey and connect with over 120 VET excellence practitioners worldwide. More information at the JOIN Page
Thank you for your invitation to this meeting. Thank you, Roberto, for this valuable session.
We extend our sincere thanks to the ETF team and all the speakers for delivering this valuable, informative, and meticulously organized webinar.
The session provided insightful perspectives on the strategic relationship between smart specialization, innovation environments, skills development, and the growing role of professional centers of excellence in supporting regional competitiveness and sustainable growth.
What particularly impressed me was the connection between policy frameworks and practical application, especially through examples related to entrepreneurship discovery, skills information, stakeholder engagement, and aligning education and training systems with emerging economic priorities. The country experiences presented during the webinar added significant practical value and helped translate strategic concepts into actionable guidelines for institutions working in the field of technical and vocational education and training.
From the perspective of technical and vocational education and training leadership, the webinar underscored an important message: professional institutions and professional centers of excellence should not be limited to training providers but should be active partners in regional development, innovation, skills foresight, and workforce development. This is crucial, particularly for systems seeking to strengthen the links between education, industry, and future economic sectors.
In the Egyptian context, I would like to emphasize the importance of placing teachers at the heart of any effort to reform technical and vocational education and training (TVET). TVET teachers continue to play a pivotal role in producing highly competent graduates across various technical and vocational disciplines, often demonstrating strong commitment and professionalism despite practical challenges. As is the case in many rapidly transforming TVET systems, supporting and incentivizing teachers and providing funded professional development opportunities remains essential for maintaining their motivation and retaining high-performing technical teachers.
Therefore, future EU-supported initiatives in Egypt can achieve greater value by expanding professional development opportunities for a larger number of TVET teachers, considering targeted support mechanisms or training grants that promote engagement, motivation, and the practical application of knowledge. This approach will not only support the teachers themselves but will also advance the broader goals of professional excellence, aligning education with the labor market, and achieving a sustainable transformation of the system.
Thank you so much for providing this valuable platform for exchange and reflection. I look forward to future discussions within the framework of the Professional Excellence Program, which will continue to connect policies, practices, and institutional transformations in the field of professional excellence.
Dr. Osama Bekhiet
Director of WE School of Applied Technology
Cairo, Egypt
I was delighted to join the ETF group. It was a pleasure to participate in this seminar; it was very informative and enriching, and highlighted some similarities with technical and technological education in Egypt, where industry experts collaborate with the education sector to graduate students capable of meeting the ever-changing demands of the labor market.
Many thanks and appreciation to the speakers and organizers.
Special thanks to Roberto for his efforts in organizing and preparing the seminar, as well as to the ETF members.
Sincerely, Hoda Trayel, Technology Development Expert, Egyptian Ministry of Education.
Dear 29323 Thank you for your thoughtful reflections and valuable contribution. We fully agree that TVET teachers are central to sustainable reform, and your perspective on strengthening their professional development in Egypt adds an important dimension to the discussion. We look forward to continuing this exchange! ENE team
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