ETF network ‘Skilling up the Western Balkan agri-food sector: digitalising, greening’

Launched in 2022, the ETF network “Skilling up the Western Balkan agri-food sector: digitalising, greening” aims to:

• Enhance skills development to foster innovation, growth, and competitiveness in the agri-food sector;
• Support the sector’s alignment with agri-food advancements within the European Union;
• Identify opportunities to strengthen regional cooperation among Western Balkan countries and foster collaboration with EU member state institutions, leveraging existing financial instruments (e.g. Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, Pre-accession Assistance Instrument ).

Project context:

The European Training Foundation (ETF) works to ensure that smart specialisation priorities in the agri-food sector are underpinned by a realistic and sufficient supply of relevant skills, particularly at intermediate and advanced levels. Adopting the perspective of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the agri-food industry, the ETF promotes collaboration between businesses and stakeholders focused on creating practical solutions to boost skills for innovation, competitiveness, and sustainable growth.

Its initiatives are closely aligned with the ongoing digital and green transitions, both of which are reshaping the agri-food landscape by increasing competitive demands and altering the skill sets required across the sector. In this context, the ETF developed the initiative ‘Skilling up the Western Balkan agri-food sector: digitalising, greening’, launched to foster integrated skills development across a diverse range of stakeholders in the Western Balkans, while also encouraging partnerships with counterparts across the European Union. This work directly supports the objectives of EU Acquis Chapter 25 on Science and Research.

By facilitating cooperation on skills development—whether initial training, upskilling, or reskilling—the ETF helps regional ecosystems prepare to take full advantage of the EU’s sectoral frameworks, enterprise support mechanisms, and funding opportunities.

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