One of the key objectives of the CARES project is to support professionals working in the care sector, promote their mental well-being, and contribute to the development of more sustainable and attractive working environments. Through training programmes, self-learning resources, mentoring opportunities, and capacity-building activities, the project seeks to strengthen the skills and resilience of care workers while helping them address the challenges they encounter in their daily work.

The first Online Policy Lab organised within the CARES project highlighted that many European countries face similar challenges. Participants identified workforce retention, burnout prevention, professional recognition, and continuous skills development as main priorities for ensuring the long-term sustainability and quality of social care services.

Building on these discussions, the CARES project will host its second Online Policy Lab on 17 June 2026. This event will focus on sharing practical solutions and showcasing project results. Participants will be introduced to the CARES Online Training Platform and its training modules, while representatives of European organisations working in the social sector will present good practices that support the well-being of care professionals and contribute to a more sustainable care workforce. 

The event aims not only to present the project outputs but also to create a space for exchange and mutual thinking. Speakers and participants from different countries will have the opportunity to discuss innovative approaches, successful initiatives, and practical experiences to strengthen the support systems for care workers across Europe.

Participation in the event is free, but prior registration is required. 

Date: 17 June 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 14:00-15:30 (CET)
Format: Online (Zoom)
Language: English

You can register via the link below:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WDdnfBrHRjWLj6bi9jKE4Q

The detailed programme and information about the guest speakers are available in the event invitation: Invitation for the 2nd Online Policy Lab.

The dashboard presents the concept of territorial resilience (Conceptualization), a comprehensive, interactive statistical interface that displays indicators of territorial resilience in Europe at the regional level (Statistics), the different stories of how resilience has been manifested and interpreted in various territorial contexts (Stories), the results of the case studies conducted within the project (Case Studies), the assessment tools developed (Assessment), and related terminology (Documentation – Glossary). The further results of the research (including the Final Report) are publicly available on the ESPON website.

In recent years, the concept of “resilience” has become embedded in the policy discourse of the European Union, but there’s still no common agreement on the actual meaning of the term and its application in territorial governance practice. The aim of the ESPON TERRES project was to fill this research gap and develop a conceptual framework for “territorial resilience,” outlining a measurement methodology that could potentially help guide EU cohesion and other sectoral policies, particularly at the subnational level.

As a result, the project team defined a comprehensive concept of territorial resilience, reviewed its current policy applications and possibilities, compiled a set of indicators suitable for measuring territorial resilience, and developed recommendations for future data collection. Analysed and mapped territorial inequalities in resilience; formulated recommendations for future research and methodology; and prepared an online dashboard to support the interpretation and measurement of territorial resilience.

Six case studies were also prepared within the framework of the project: HÉTFA staff addressed the challenges of the Budapest functional urban area, including intensive suburbanization and urban sprawl, overburdened infrastructure, public services and natural environment, and fragmented governance. To address these challenges, the project proposed a framework to strengthen cooperation and commitment among governance actors. The Budapest case identified valuable new initiatives, promising forms of cooperation, and the high added value of informal relationships, highlighting the role of proactive actors in resilience.

The keynote presentation was delivered by Martin Lichte, the senior policy officer at the European Social Network (ESN), who provided an overview of workforce trends and structural challenges affecting social services across Europe.

The presentation highlighted that social services workers represent approximately 5% of the total EU workforce, while the sector remains significantly undervalued, underfunded, and characterised by difficult working conditions. It was also emphasised that 80-90% of the workforce is women, the average age of workers is above 45 in many countries (somewhere 55+), and the demand for long-term care services continues to rise across Europe.

Several innovative European good practices were presented during the keynote session, including community-based preventive care models, respite care programmes supporting family carers, and examples of digitalisation and artificial intelligence in social services. The presentation stressed that technological developments in care services must remain accessible, ethical, inclusive, and human-centred, while reducing administrative burdens and supporting independent living.

The second part of the event featured a presentation by the lead partner of the CARES project, Claudia Petrescu (Center for Not-for-profit Law), who introduced the main findings of the project’s transnational benchmark research examining social and health care systems in the project’s partner countries – Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, and Romania. The research highlighted that population ageing, increasing care needs, and workforce shortages are placing growing pressure on care systems across all four countries.

One of the main findings of the research was that social care workers remain highly dedicated to their profession, while burnout, emotional exhaustion, and secondary traumatic stress are reaching alarming levels in several countries, including Hungary. Survey participants identified excessive workload, low salaries, staff shortages, administrative burdens, and insufficient organisational support as the main sources of stress.

The moderated breakout discussions also provided an opportunity for participants to share national experiences and formulate recommendations. In the Hungarian discussion group, participants highlighted the lack of social recognition for social work, the need for stronger cooperation between organisations within the sector, and concerns regarding the weakening of professional qualification requirements in social services. Hungarian participants also stressed the importance of strengthening university-level social work education and improving coordination between the social, health, and education sectors.

Among the recommendations formulated during the discussions were improving salaries and working conditions, strengthening institutional support for workers’ mental well-being, expanding mentoring and training opportunities, and increasing the social recognition of care professions.

The outcomes of the event will contribute to the CARES project’s further professional development and the preparation of future policy recommendations.

The project will continue in the coming months with additional professional events and a second Online Policy Lab to strengthen international exchange and share good practice through individual presentations by professionals working in the social care sector.

Regarding the upcoming events, more information will be shared with you soon.

You can find the CARES project’s Benchmark Report on Social Care Sectors at the National and EU Level here: CARES_Benchmark_report_on_social_care_sectors_Transnational.

The workshop, entitled “Identifying Key User Groups & Developing an Exploitation Strategy for the Benchmark and Gap Analysis Report”, aimed to help project partners jointly identify the potential users of SECURE2’s first Key Exploitable Result, the Benchmark and Gap Analysis Report, and define practical steps to maximise its uptake and impact.

SECURE2 (Sustainable Careers for Researcher Empowerment 2) is a Horizon Europe project that aims to make research careers more sustainable and attractive across Europe. Through the project, partners are working on the implementation of a common Research Career Framework (RCF) that supports researchers’ professional development and institutional reforms.

During the Szczecin meeting, consortium members reviewed the achievements of the project’s first year, discussed recent European policy developments related to research careers, and exchanged experiences from the implementation of pilot actions. 

Those interested can follow the latest SECURE2 results and news through the project’s website and LinkedIn page.

The goal of the DECONSTRUCT project was to raise public awareness and promote critical thinking about Holocaust distortion. The project conducted comprehensive research on the manifestations of Holocaust distortion and its presence in education in Greece, Hungary, Italy, and Portugal. Based on the research findings, we developed innovative educational materials and online campaigns to raise social awareness and foster critical thinking, with particular attention to Holocaust distortion.

During the Budapest meeting, partners reviewed the achieved results, including key outputs of each work package, and evaluated project management, implemented activities, and their impact. Interactive World Café sessions, led by Zachor and HÉTFA, provided a space for participants to discuss project content, results, as well as key challenges and experiences.

HÉTFA Research Institute participates in the project as a partner and actively contributes to content development, project evaluation, and the preparation of the final report and sustainability plan. On the second day of the meeting, HÉTFA provided guidance to partners on preparing the final report and, together with Zachor Foundation, led the development of the sustainability plan and the final coordination discussions.

The project is funded by the European Union under the CERV programme. We would like to thank all partners for their dedicated work and cooperation, which made the successful implementation of the project possible.

The aim of the event is to create a space for dialogue among experts, policymakers, and practitioners, and to foster joint reflection on the sector’s future.

The programme will begin with a keynote presentation by an expert from the European Social Network (ESN), who will share insights on current workforce trends in social services. The presentation will also introduce ESN’s new initiative on a quality framework for social services, which promotes co-production approaches involving both service users and workers. This will be followed by a presentation from the project’s lead partner, Center for Not-for-profit Law (CLNR), introducing the key findings of the project’s benchmark transnational report and setting the framework for the project’s objectives.

The interactive part of the event will consist of moderated breakout sessions in which participants will work in smaller groups. These discussions will allow participants to share national experiences, identify key challenges, and formulate policy recommendations.

The session will conclude with a plenary wrap-up, where the project’s moderators will summarise the main insights from the group discussions. These outcomes will contribute to the further development of the project’s activities.

The Online Policy Lab is particularly relevant for professionals working in the care sector, policymakers, and anyone interested in the future development of care services.

Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Llb1SYWrSeGkw2RUFYaaEA

The meeting brought together participants from research, business development, policy, community-building and hands-on support backgrounds. The conversation showed that a great deal of valuable knowledge, experience and initiative is already present in the field — what is often missing is the space to connect these efforts and turn them into real collaboration.

The meeting focused on linking research with practice, shaping policy-relevant lessons, and creating opportunities for peer learning. For us, this was an important first step towards creating a more connected professional space and fostering stronger, more lasting professional collaborations among those working to support women entrepreneurs.

We invite anyone interested in joining the IMPACTA stakeholder group to register via the form below:  https://forms.gle/CNSWbnbEBH3FQ93x8 

How can this mindset be translated into everyday urban practice in Central Europe? This is the question at the heart of the PATH-CE (Pedestrian Access and Tactical Hubs for Central Europe) project, which officially kicked off on 23–24 March 2026 in Budapest, hosted by HÉTFA Research Institute with the participation of experts from four countries.

Why is this needed?

As Gábor Balás, Managing Director of HÉTFA Research Institute, highlighted during the opening:

“A city is successful when people choose to walk.”

Over the past decades, cities across Central Europe have increasingly been shaped by car use. While this has improved mobility in many cases, it has also led to growing challenges: congestion, air pollution, safety risks, and the gradual loss of public space.

This issue is particularly critical in smaller cities, where walking is often not a viable option even for short distances due to fragmented and poorly connected pedestrian networks.

2 days shaping the direction of the project

The two-day kick-off meeting marked not only the launch of the project, but also the beginning of a shared reflection among partners — including Szarvas Város Önkormányzata (Szarvas City Municipality), Grad Metković (City of Metković), Město Žďár nad Sázavou (Municipality of Žďár nad Sázavou), and Rzeszowska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego Spółka Akcyjna (Rzeszów Regional Development Agency) –  on how to bring walking and active mobility back to the centre of urban life.

On the first day, partners met in person and worked in a World Café format on tactical urbanism tools – focusing on pedestrian experience, greening, and small-scale interventions.

The second day focused on strategic planning: participants jointly shaped the directions of active mobility, explored the Urban Living Lab methodology, and defined the first milestones, complemented by a professional study walk through relevant sites in Budapest.

What does the PATH-CE project do?

Running from February 2026 to January 2028 and co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Central Europe programme, the project aims to reduce car dependency and make walking and active mobility more attractive in cities across the region.

The project will test small-scale, tactical, pedestrian-friendly interventions across several pilot locations, including Szarvas, Metković, Žďár nad Sázavou, and the suburban area of Rzeszów.

The pilot actions focus on three main areas:

• improving the walking experience and wayfinding
• introducing green and climate-adaptive public space solutions
• implementing small-scale infrastructure improvements to make urban spaces safer and more accessible

As the lead partner, HÉTFA Research Institute is responsible not only for coordinating the consortium but also for guiding the project’s professional direction. Through its research, analytical, and policy work, HÉTFA ensures that project results are translated into practical, adaptable solutions for cities across the region.

The session will take place on 31 March 2026 (14:00–15:30 CET) and will explore how gender equality can be strengthened across these domains, with a particular focus on women entrepreneurship. Participants will discuss how women can be more effectively supported in entering and succeeding in STEAM and digital sectors, and how these aspects can be better integrated into education systems.

As part of its broader objectives, the STREAM IT project seeks to improve gender equality in STEAM fields by supporting women entrepreneurs and innovators. The Policy Webinar series creates a space for women entrepreneurs and start-ups in STEAM and digital sectors, aspiring innovators, as well as representatives of education institutions and business support organisations to engage in dialogue and share their perspectives.

The event goes beyond a traditional webinar format: it is designed as an interactive session where participants actively contribute to shaping future policy recommendations. Insights gathered during the discussion will directly feed into the project’s policy outputs, ensuring that recommendations are grounded in real experiences and needs.

Through this initiative, HÉTFA Research Institute aims to contribute to a more inclusive and innovative STEAM ecosystem, where women have greater opportunities to participate, lead and succeed.

Date: 31 March 2026
Time: 14:00–15:30 CET
Location: Online (Zoom)

On 12 February 2026, the partners of the Equal Energy project held their kick-off meeting in Lenti. The project aims to explore the links between energy poverty and climate change in the cross-border region, implement pilot interventions, and raise awareness among local decision-makers. The project brings together Zala County Self-Government, HÉTFA, which contributes to the research and analytical activities of the project, as well as the Austrian W.E.I.Z. – Weizer Energie-Innovations-Zentrum and EnergyFuture WEIZplus eGen. The project is implemented within the framework of the Interreg VI-A Austria–Hungary Programme with co-financing from the European Union.