On June 26, 2026, at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Tirana, the stakeholder workshop titled “Building Bridges of Cooperation between the Public Sector, Academia and Industry” was successfully held. The event took place in the Research and Education Centre (REC) for Green and Digital Transition, Room B209, in Tirana, Albania, within the framework of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building project SKILL2SUSTAIN.
The workshop aimed to strengthen cooperation between universities, public institutions, industry representatives, and other stakeholders in support of the green and digital transition. Special focus was placed on developing digital and green skills, promoting lifelong learning, and creating opportunities for joint initiatives that respond to current climate, sustainability, and labour market challenges.
The introductory presentation of the SKILL2SUSTAIN project was delivered by Prof. Meivis Struga, who presented the main objectives, expected results, consortium, and activities of the project. Participants were introduced to the establishment of Research and Education Centres, the modernization and development of study programmes, and the strengthening of academia-stakeholder collaboration across the Western Balkans.
As part of the programme, Prof. Dr. Oltion Marko presented the Lifelong Learning programme “Digitalization and Sustainability in the Built Environment”, as well as the REC established at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Tirana. The programme addresses topics such as circular economy, energy efficiency, carbon management, BIM, GIS, smart buildings, digital twins, artificial intelligence, and sustainable infrastructure.
Prof. Klejda Gabeshi from the University of Tirana presented the Lifelong Learning course “Risk Assessment”, developed in response to market needs and the growing demand for practical competencies in risk analysis, digital transformation, sustainability, and decision-making under uncertainty. The University of Tirana also presented its Research and Education Centre for Green and Digital Transition, created to support education, applied research, innovation, and cooperation with external stakeholders.
The 1Future/SKILL2SUSTAIN collaboration platform was presented by Dr. Hafsa Laçi. Participants were introduced to the platform’s registration procedure and main functionalities for developing joint projects, research initiatives, training activities, and partnerships between academia and business.
A key part of the event was the interactive stakeholder engagement session, moderated by ETMI, UPT, and UT. Participants discussed ways to improve cooperation and exchange experiences between universities, industry, and the public sector, with particular attention to addressing climate change challenges through the SKILL2SUSTAIN network and platform.
The final part of the workshop was dedicated to participant feedback and evaluation. The collected inputs will support the further development of Research and Education Centres, Lifelong Learning programmes, and the 1Future/SKILL2SUSTAIN platform.
The workshop confirmed the importance of continued collaboration among academia, public institutions, industry, and civil society in building a more resilient, sustainable, green, and digitally prepared society.
More information about the project: https://skill2sustain.uns.ac.rs/
Join the community platform: https://community.1future-platform.com/
