European Academy participated in a key session of the GR digiGOV-innoHUB Weekly Innovation Forum, held on Wednesday, the 26th of November, 2025. This landmark initiative is coordinated by GRNET under the European Digital Innovation Hub for Digital Governance, and brings together thought leaders, policymakers, public sector professionals, and digital transformation stakeholders.
The forum fosters a collaborative environment for advancing public service innovation, digital transformation, and policy alignment through technologies such as AI, IoT, blockchain, and open-source standards. The November 26 session featured a diverse audience including public administration officials, SMEs, start-ups, universities, certification bodies, and research institutions seeking tools and strategies to align their operations with evolving EU priorities.
Represented by Harry Konstantopoulos, Chief of Operations, and Alexia Voutsina, Business Development Manager, European Academy presented four of its most impactful and future-oriented projects, all aligned with EU strategies on sustainability, skills development, and digital innovation.
Project Portfolio Presented by European Academy:
This Erasmus+ initiative bridges the growing gap between sustainability and professional project practice. ESG4PMChange introduces a new framework for embedding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into the heart of project management education and certification. The project includes:
- A Europe-wide market and skills gap analysis involving 500+ stakeholders across 10+ sectors.
- Development of a State-of-the-Art Report on ESG in project education.
- Creation of Living Labs for applied ESG learning.
- Deployment of micro-credentialing systems for ESG competencies.
- A pioneering ESG curriculum for HEIs and VETs, supported by real-world, industry-aligned scenarios.
The project is designed to align fully with the European Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Focusing on international impact, this project equips higher education institutions in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia with the tools to lead sustainable development and digital transformation. Key components include:
- Design of competency-based learning ecosystems aligned with market needs.
- Delivery of MOOCs, eLearning platforms, and open educational resources (OERs).
- Enhancement of university–industry collaboration to bridge academic curricula with labor market expectations.
- Development of curricula supporting green, digital, and entrepreneurial skills.
GreenTech Horizons directly contributes to workforce readiness, policy innovation, and economic resilience in rapidly developing partner regions.
SPM² – Sustainable Project Management through PM²
SPM² aims to expand the PM² Project Management Methodology of the European Commission by integrating sustainability at every phase of the project lifecycle. It is a forward-thinking initiative that provides:
- The SPM² Guide, offering a step-by-step application of sustainable practices through PM².
- A digital resource hub with case studies, templates, webinars, and articles.
- Development of standards-aligned curricula for HEIs and VETs.
- Launch of flexible micro-credentials and digital badges promoting lifelong learning.
- Collaboration with certification bodies to secure ISO 17024-aligned recognition.
SPM² empowers project managers to deliver impact-driven, resilient projects aligned with the EU Green Deal, while increasing transparency and efficiency in project execution.
This Horizon Europe-funded project supports early-stage researchers (ESRs) by enhancing institutional capabilities and creating structured career pathways. The project addresses a critical gap in talent development within Widening Countries and beyond. Its core objectives include:
- Establishing Career Support Centres (CSCs) to guide researchers in skills acquisition, mobility, and career development.
- Designing a micro-credentialing and certification framework based on the ResearchComp model.
- Creating a Competence Lab to provide continuous learning, mentoring, and innovation challenges.
- Aligning institutional HR policies with the European Charter for Researchers and Council Recommendations.
SMART Researchers is a bold step toward building a flexible, inclusive, and skills-driven research ecosystem across Europe.
“These four projects reflect our mission: to empower professionals and institutions with tools, training, and certification pathways that are practical, policy-aligned, and ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow,” said Alexia Voutsina.
Discover European Academy’s project portfolio and ongoing EU-funded initiatives here.
