RETENTION AND ATTRACTION OF TALENT FOR A BETTER DEPLOYMENT OF SMART SPECIALISATION STRATEGIES

Free movement of labour is a core freedom of the EU and its single market, long seen as vital for competitiveness by reducing territorial imbalances, rigidities and skills mismatches. However, mobility should be voluntary, not driven by limited economic opportunities. The EU is currently debating brain drain and depopulation, which, if unaddressed, will deepen territorial disparities as regions age and lose workforce capacity (COM 2023 32 final).

Improving talent retention and attraction policies is crucial to ensure equal opportunities across regions. Smart Specialisation Strategies offer an effective framework to address brain drain by focusing on each territory’s competitive advantages.

A key approach is the development of innovative policies by national and regional authorities through participatory processes involving universities, businesses, citizens and administrations. These aim to build ecosystems that foster innovation, education, quality jobs and better alignment between labour supply and demand.

This project’s main goal is to strengthen talent attraction and retention policies, ensuring the human capital needed for the successful implementation of smart specialisation strategies across EU regions.

Funding body:

Managing Authority of the programme Interreg Europe

Project manager:

Lucila Castro