We are thrilled to share a look back at a pivotal milestone in the ACTIVATE project (2025-1-IT01-KA210-VET-000350220) “Using green and digital transition to increase artisans and small business competitive advantage”: our first Collaborative Meeting held in Torino, Italy. As we move forward with our mission to use the green and digital transition to boost the competitive advantage of artisans and small businesses, this meeting served as the creative engine for everything to come.

A Meeting of Minds: 9 Educators, 3 Countries, 1 Goal

Hosted by our lead coordinator, ARTES A.P.S., the workshop brought together nine educators from our transnational consortium, including experts from Socialinis efektas, asociacija (SEN) in Lithuania and NIKANOR LTD from Bulgaria. This wasn’t just a meeting; it was a „learning-by-doing” experience. Our goal was clear: to co-design the structure of the ACTIVATE Roadmap, a guide designed to help self-employed workers and artisans modernise their business models in line with the EU Green Deal.

Mapping the Artisan Journey

During our time in Torino, we rolled up our sleeves to map out the daily realities of the modern artisan. We identified key areas where green and digital skills can make the biggest impact, focusing on tasks common to almost every craft:

• Accounting and Billing: How digital tools can save time and reduce paper waste.
• Marketing: Leveraging digital platforms to reach new audiences.
• Supply Chain Shortening: Identifying ways to make sourcing more sustainable and local.

By „standardising” these tasks into a clear roadmap, we are building a navigational system that any artisan—whether a wood restorer, blacksmith, or photographer—can follow to improve their competitiveness.

The Power of Partnership

Each partner brought a unique strength to the table in Torino. NIKANOR presented the assessment tools that will help us measure project quality, while SEN introduced the dissemination strategy that ensures our results reach the people who need them most. ARTES shared their deep knowledge of traditional craftsmanship, ensuring our digital suggestions always keep the „craft” intact.

The co-creation process in Torino successfully produced the first draft of our roadmap in English. This draft has since moved into the validation phase, where it is being reviewed by focus groups of real artisans to ensure it is practical, relevant, and easy to use. Stay tuned as we continue to build the supporting Digital Toolkit in our upcoming production phase! We are excited to keep „activating” the potential of traditional trades through modern innovation.