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.

In recent years, the concept of “resilience” has become embedded in the policy discourse of the European Union, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukrainian war, and climate change. Nevertheless, there is still no shared understanding of the term’s precise meaning or 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, such as intensive suburbanization and urban sprawl, overburdened infrastructure, public services and natural environment, and fragmented governance. To address these challenges, a framework was proposed that strengthens cooperation and commitment among governance actors. The Budapest case identified valuable new initiatives, some promising forms of cooperation, and the high added value of informal relationships, highlighting the role of proactive actors in resilience.

The results of the research (including the Final Report) are publicly available on the ESPON website.

]]> https://hetfa.eu/2026/01/cares-training-curriculum-is-coming-soon-building-skills-for-a-sustainable-and-human-centred-care-sector/ Thu, 29 Jan 2026 10:16:17 +0000 https://hetfa.eu/?p=11874 The CARES project (Caregivers Advancing Regulatory Environment and Skills) will introduce its Training Curriculum in February 2026 — a comprehensive, 30-hour learning framework designed to strengthen the competences, well-being, and adaptability of caregivers across Europe. HÉTFA is a partner in the Erasmus+ project coordinated by the Center for Non-Profit Law.

Developed collaboratively by the consortium partners — Center for Non-Profit Law (Romania), Cooperativa Sociale Labor (Italy), HÉTFA Research Institute (Hungary), Welfare Society Institute (Lithuania), and DGASPC Sector 6 (Romania) — this curriculum responds to the growing challenges faced by care professionals, including digital transformation, emotional burnout, and the transition to sustainable practices in health and social care. You can learn more about the upcoming Curriculum in this article.

🌍What the CARES Curriculum Offers

The curriculum is structured into 15 short, targeted modules (each around two hours), offering a balanced mix of digital skills, soft skills, green competences, and well-being strategies for care professionals. Each module was designed to be practical, flexible, and accessible through both in-person and online learning formats. Together, they form a holistic pathway toward empowering caregivers to thrive in a rapidly evolving sector.

Main Training Categories and Highlights:

💻Digital Skills (Modules 1–3)

Practical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital communication tools in social services, online well-being apps, and assistive smart technologies.

🧠Soft Skills (Modules 4–5)

Emotional intelligence, boundary setting, and intersectionality awareness — essential for maintaining empathy and professionalism.

💼Social Entrepreneurship (Module 6)

Understanding social enterprise standards, ethical procurement, and networking in the care economy.

🌿Green & Sustainable Skills (Module 7)

Linking climate change, eco-procurement, and nature-based therapies to care work.

💚Burnout Prevention & Well-being (Modules 8–15)

A set of eight modules addressing stress, anger, trauma, fear, self-esteem, and psychological first aid — promoting emotional resilience and peer support in care environments.

🧩A Modular, Flexible Approach

Each module combines interactive methodologies — from hands-on exercises and real-life case studies to reflective journaling and online simulations — ensuring that participants engage actively in their learning journey.

Training sessions are supported by:

 – Digital resources on the CARES online platform,

 – Practical toolkits and guides,

 – Certificates of attendance for each completed module.

The CARES Curriculum not only develops technical and emotional skills — it supports a broader vision of “care for the caregivers.” By investing in those who provide care, we strengthen the entire system that underpins social inclusion, dignity, and well-being in Europe.

As the consortium finalises this deliverable, the next step will be to integrate the modules into the CARES e-learning platform, opening access for caregivers and trainers in 2026. We will publish the news on launching the CARES Training Curriculum on our website. You can find recent news on the CARES project on this link.

As part of WP2, the consortium conducted a comprehensive mapping of over 80 social innovation initiatives across Europe. The selection included projects supported by EU programmes – such as EaSI, Urban Innovative Actions (UIA), Erasmus+, and Interreg – as well as national and regional initiatives from partner countries. This mapping aimed to identify both inspiring practices and systemic challenges in the fields of integration, employment, and inclusion.

The complete repository of mapped initiatives is accessible here:
https://simpleinnovation.eu/repository.php?lang=EN

From this broader repository, the consortium extracted 13 best practices that were particularly well-documented, impactful, and aligned with the SIMPLE project’s objectives. These are analysed in depth in another key project deliverable: The Social Innovation Compendium, available at: https://simpleinnovation.eu/assessment.php?lang=EN

Among the 13, three model initiatives were selected as the primary inspiration for the development of SIMPLE’s Theory of Change:

• BSI_4Women (Interreg Baltic Sea Region) – focused on entrepreneurship and economic integration for Ukrainian refugee women.
• SIREE (Interreg 2Seas) – based on a co-creation model engaging schools, families, and communities to support refugee integration.
• MiFriendlyCities (Urban Innovative Actions) – emphasising employer engagement and the creation of inclusive employment ecosystems.

The Theory of Change, available on the project website, outlines how the SIMPLE model is expected to generate meaningful and sustainable impact. Drawing on selected elements of the three model initiatives, it proposes an adaptable, modular approach that can be tailored to diverse national and local contexts.  This Theory of Change will serve as the foundation for the stakeholders’ engagement activities to be performed in all partner countries under WP3 and pilot actions to be carried out in Poland and Italy under WP4. In these two countries, partners will:

• Design and deliver targeted interventions for Ukrainian refugees, inspired by the selected model initiatives
• Engage relevant stakeholders (e.g. employers, training providers, community organisations, public authorities) to test co-designed solutions and build supportive local ecosystems
• Apply the SIMPLE model in real contexts, testing its feasibility, relevance, and adaptability
• Collect feedback and monitor outcomes, to evaluate the model’s effectiveness and inform future refinement and scaling.

In Poland, the focus will be on employment activation, while in Italy, activities will revolve around empowerment and entrepreneurship pathways. Both pilots will be closely monitored to assess short-term and longer-term changes in participants’ inclusion and integration trajectories.

SIMPLE is co-funded by the European Union under the ESF+ programme. The project brings together partners from Italy, Poland, Spain, Belgium, Croatia, and Hungary to co-design, pilot, and promote sustainable models for inclusion, employment, and community empowerment.

Stay updated at: https://simpleinnovation.eu
Contact: simple.euproject@gmail.com

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.

]]> https://hetfa.eu/2026/01/coopower-partner-meeting-in-vienna/ Thu, 08 Jan 2026 20:58:31 +0000 https://hetfa.eu/?p=11857 We spent three intensive and inspiring days in Vienna with our COOPOWER partners, taking major steps toward creating practical, locally tailored solutions to strengthen youth employability and social inclusion across the Danube Region.

What happened?

• Together we identified the pilot target groups and their key challenges, from small villages in Slovakia to the Bulgarian seaside, from disadvantaged communities around Tokaj in Hungary to long-term unemployed youth in Serbia.
• We discussed how to ensure real outreach, involvement and engagement, and reached a shared understanding of the concepts.
• Through creative workshops, we worked on pilot structures, youth motivation, trust-building, and effective local cooperation mechanisms (LCIs).
• We explored inspiring examples of how to involve businesses, schools, municipalities and civil society actors, even in challenging local environments.

Key takeaways:

• Youth don’t need to be “activated”, they need to be listened to and engaged as partners.
• The success of each pilot depends on local collaboration, trust and flexibility.
• A good idea is not enough on its own: clear definitions, shared goals and ongoing dialogue are essential.

Pilot activities starting soon!

By February 2026, each country will have its first detailed pilot plan ready. In the coming months, we will begin building the Local Cooperation Incubators (LCIs) and shaping the Danube Transnational Dialogue Hub.

A warm thank you to all partners for your insights, ideas and constructive discussions!

COOPOWER is implemented with the support of the Interreg Danube Region Programme and co-financed by the European Union and the Széchényi Programme Office.

Co-organised by the European Association of Mountain Areas (Euromontana) and the European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL), the event gathered 33 participants, including researchers, representatives from the European Commission, as well as from EU networks and civil society organisations working on social inclusion, social economy and sustainable rural development. The discussions led to a strong call for a more holistic vision to rural policy planning.

You can read more about the take-aways of the policy workshop on ESIRA’s website by clicking here.

As one of the foremost global gatherings for social economy research, the EMES conference showcased cutting-edge research addressing today’s most pressing social and territorial challenges. The event reaffirmed the pivotal role of the social economy in creating inclusive and sustainable societies.

The panel, titled ‘Enhancing social innovation through the social economy in rural areas’, brought together four research papers created as part of the ESIRA and SERIGO projects. They focused on how social economy organisations, social enterprises and grassroots initiatives were addressing persistent challenges in rural, remote and mountainous regions. The presentations focused on innovative models of elder care, the developmental impact of social economy organisations, intersectional approaches to rural vulnerabilities, and the effects of the de-democratisation of governance on social entrepreneurship in Hungary.

Rural regions across Europe continue to face demographic decline, reduced access to essential services, and widening socio-economic vulnerabilities. The ESIRA and SERIGO projects were designed to explore how social economy actors can strengthen resilience, inclusion, and quality of life in these contexts. The panel aimed to share evidence that cooperatives, social enterprises, and community organisations are creating innovative, place-based solutions. By bringing together comparative research and case studies from across Europe, the session contributed to a deeper understanding of how social economy initiatives can foster more inclusive, sustainable rural development.

About the SECURE 2 Project

SECURE 2 aims to pilot and implement recommendations for the European Framework for Research Careers (ERCF) to improve research career progression and mobility within research-performing organizations (RPOs) and research-funding organizations (RFOs). In short, this project will:

• Build upon the legacy of the recently completed Horizon Europe project SECURE, which gave the initial practical toolkit of over 80 actions for RPOs and RFOs to implement reforms in recruitment, training, progression, and mobility, helping to reduce career precarity.
• Conduct trials in at least 8 European institutions for a period of over 2 years, in order to trigger interventions for tangible institutional changes. These long-term trials offer enough time to analyze the possibilities and effects of implementation in specific institutions.
• Carry out these pilots via custom-tailored action plans (АPs). Institutions have an active co-creative role in designing and implementing the actions. The SECURE RCF Actions Selection Tool will serve as the basis of guiding the pilots to select their own specific interventions.
• Foster the development of ecosystems for research positions by promoting collaboration between researchers, research managers, and administrators, facilitating active participation. The project will ensure that the co-design, implementation, and evaluation of the RCF are rooted in the practical needs of both academic and non-academic sectors.

A Successful Kick-off in Sarajevo

The project’s activities officially commenced with a kick-off meeting held in Sarajevo on September 15–16, 2025. The event gathered representatives from 18 partner institutions across 13 European countries, providing a platform to exchange experiences and lay the groundwork for the next four years. During the two-day session, participants discussed the roadmap for translating the Research Career Framework (RCF) into practice. The meeting featured contributions from key stakeholders, including Dr. Dario Capezzuto from the European Commission (DG RTD), who highlighted how SECURE 2 aligns with the broader European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda and the Choose Europe for Science initiative.

From Recommendations to Implementation

Research careers in Europe are often characterized by job insecurity, short-term contracts, and a lack of clear progression. While the previous phase of the project laid the foundation, SECURE 2 focuses on action. According to the project’s latest bulletin, the consortium is currently conducting an “Initial Maturity Mapping” to assess current institutional policies.

The initiative is designed to:

• Combat Precarity: Reduce the reliance on short-term contracts and improve job security for early-career researchers.
• Implement the RCF: Test and refine the Research Career Framework recommendations through specifically designed interventions in eight pilot organizations.
• Support Policy: Provide evidence-based feedback to the European Commission to support the modernization of research careers.

HÉTFA’s Role

As a partner in the consortium, HÉTFA is contributing to the effort to improve the working conditions and career prospects of researchers and research managers. We have a key role in planning the long-term usage of project results and channeling them to policymaking.

For more information about the project’s progress and resources, please visit the official SECURE2 website. Further updates are provided through the SECURE2 Bulletin, published biannually (June and December), which presents news, opportunities, and key developments related to research career development, job security, and skills enhancement across Europe.

The participating partners focused their efforts on providing practical guidance for the development of STEM education, based on the theoretical objectives of gender equality.

• As part of the project’s 3rd Work Package, the partners are developing practical teaching toolkits for teachers, mentors, and other educators active in the STE(A)M field. The toolkits will describe teaching methods that can be easily used by organizations in their work with students. You can read an article about the latest developments related to the practical toolkits at this link.
• The objective of Work Package 5 is to develop a Policy Roadmap that will support future efforts to promote gender equality in STE(A)M fields in Europe. The project meeting provided an excellent opportunity to discuss the details of the Policy Roadmap. We are organizing Policy Webinars over the lifetime of the project to facilitate the exchange of ideas between stakeholders and summarize their recommendations. Previous webinars are available on the project’s YouTube channel, and details of upcoming webinars will be announced on the ST(R)E(A)M IT website and social media pages (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram).

The Palermo meeting marked an important milestone in the STREAM IT project, as it helped shape  directions for working together in the consortium, focusing next steps for inclusive, gender-sensitive STE(A)M education and policy solutions.