
Voices of Satisfaction: Real Stories, Real Experiences
Discover genuine and honest testimonials from satisfied people. Immerse yourself in a collection of insightful opinions, each accompanied by a fascinating photo of the person and their opinion of the DG-VET project.
Immerse yourself in the authentic voices of our community, sharing their unique views on the excellence of our deliverables and their connection to our work.
Trust the testimonials, see the faces and explore their stories. 🚀 🚀
Our Members! 👇🏽

Sergi Queralt , Belgium 🇧🇪
Sergi Queralt is a European public affairs specialist with extensive experience in social affairs and employment matters. Born in Barcelona, he specialised in organisational psychology and business administration.
He completed his studies with a master’s in European studies, following his deep interest for European policymaking. Since 2015 he has been working in Brussels in several European institutions and associations. Since 2022 he is responsible for the secretariat operations of Geopa, the European Employer’s Group of Professional Agricultural Organisations.
Interview with NSAG members: Geopa
1 Please tell us more about the pathway of Geopa.
Following the Maastricht treaty, Geopa was created in 1993 to work on the social and employment aspects in European agriculture. Since 1999, Geopa is officially recognized by the European Union as the employers’ group for the sector in Europe. In this capacity, Geopa is part of the European sectoral social dialogue committee for agriculture, and therefore one of its social partners. Today, we represent 22 national employer associations in the sector, which employ almost 9 million salaried workers in Europe.
In the recent years, Geopa has increased its activities in several prominent EU platforms. Among the most important, we have joined the European platform tackling undeclared work, we have become a key member of the civil dialogue groups for agriculture and a core member of the agri-food pact for skills. In addition, we are also engaged in several European projects tackling social dialogue, skills, and health & safety.
2 What is the greatest success that Geopa has achieved so far in your field of competence for you?
If we look at the recent history of our association, we can easily see how our presence and representativeness has been steadily increasing. Our greatest success is the respect, attention, and recognition that the European institutions and policymakers have for our voice. A very good example of this is our direct participation to the strategic dialogue for the future of agriculture launched in January by President Von der Leyen.
3 What do you see as an added value of the project DG VET in relation to the existing training material for the green-digital economy transition?
Projects like DG VET are exactly the type of initiatives that the sector needs at the moment. In recent years agriculture has become the industry with the oldest workers and the highest workforce shortages of all. In a sector like ours, long-term planning is key, so we need to find permanent solutions to a problem that has its roots in the overall demographic situation of our union. With a clear demographic diminishing, in our recently published manifesto for the EU elections, we propose a new thrust to digitalize and automatize our sector. With this complete overhaul of our employment, we aim at reducing costs, optimizing business operations, reduce the need for manual workforce and increase our offer for highly qualified and more attractive jobs such as engineering, data analysis and programming. More attractive jobs and good career perspective will also contribute to the much-needed generational renewal and ultimately, to a significant improvement of our impact to the environment. However, this transition will require heavy investments and the strong support of policymakers and public administrations. On the other hand, new farmers and employees will have to be much better prepared to assume the new tasks. This is where a project like DG VET can make a difference, both in terms of training new generations in the so-called agriculture 4.0 and at the same time presenting our sector as an attractive career opportunity to the NEET population.
4 In what way do you think the collaboration between the project DG VET and Geopa can beneficiate in the present and in the future?
Geopa is a core member of the European agri-food pact for skills, which I have the honour to coordinate together with FoodDrinkEurope. With this initiative, we offer a platform of exchange to help the sectoral stakeholders working on skills to enhance the impact and long-term sustainability of their activities. European projects are also welcome to join the platform, and in fact we already have several of them: Fields, I-Restart, Social Dialogue for Skills, Eqvegan and Askfood. In addition, our members and their experts are always available to support your actions at national and regional level and explore future collaboration opportunities.
Links to Geopa’s position papers:
Manifesto in English, manifesto en español.

Anna Nicolaou, Cyprus 🇨🇾
Anna, an expert in Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), has lectured at Frederick and European Universities.
Her work focuses on developing and implementing EE/ESD programs. She offers sustainability consultancy to businesses and has authored educational materials on the subject. Involved in Cyprus’ National Strategy for EE/ESD, Anna now works at the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus, focusing on sustainable development education.
Interview with NSAG members: STANDO
- Please tell us more about the pathway of the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus.
The Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus was established in 1972 by a decision of the Council of Ministers with the mission of providing continuous training to teachers of all levels, to inform them about modern trends in education, to document research and theory of the educational policy to be followed and to facilitate teachers in their effort for professional and personal development. The Pedagogical Institute offers training to educators for all secondary, technical, and vocational education schools in Cyprus.
- What is the greatest success the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus has achieved so far in your field of competence?
The Pedagogical Institute offers training to educators for all secondary, technical, and vocational education schools in Cyprus. The Institute aims to develop the occupational skills of professionals in experiential training and learning and practical experiences through workshops, labs, and simulated work environments. Development of soft skills such as decision-making, problem-solving, critical thinking, adaptability, and teamwork are at the center of the activities.
Anna has been actively involved with the pedagogical institute for over 15 years, and in addition to being a VET and adult educator, she was also involved in designing educational materials to support learning and training experience and delivered training focusing on education for sustainable development, circular economy and digitization of education.
- What do you see as an added value of project DG VET in relation to the existing training material for the green-digital economy transition?
As a member of the National Strategic Advisory Group, which provides feedback and evaluation for the outputs of the DG-VET project, Anna evaluates the DG-VET training materials as follows: ‘DG-VET training curriculum is well designed and offers a comprehensive set of modules that will provide a solid foundation for young and women NEETs for taking their steps in digital and green economy sectors. The materials produced as a part of the DG-VET project will help me and my colleagues to enrich the training that we provide, especially on green skills development, climate change mitigation, and technological skill gaps.’
- In what way do you think the collaboration between project DG VET and the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus can beneficiate in the present and in the future?
The Pedagogical Institute offers training to educators for all secondary, technical, and vocational education schools in Cyprus, therefore, increasing the knowledge of teachers on green and digital economy sectors through the DG-VET project would allow the teachers to transfer their knowledge to their students, which will be encouraged to pursue careers in digital and green economy sectors.
Sandrine Quoibion, Belgium 🇧🇪
Expert in digital business transformation.Manager of the “Digital Wallonia 4 Business” and “Agriculture of the Future” programs.
Contributes to the development and evolution of the digital strategy to stimulate the development of the digital agricultural sector in Wallonia.In charge of implementing strategic measures to optimize the performance of Walloon companies through the adoption of digital technologies in Agriculture.
Interview with NSAG members: Digital Wallonia 4 Business
1 Please, tell us more about the pathway of « Digital Wallonia 4 Business, Agriculture of the Future Program »
The Agriculture of the Future program aims to increase the digital maturity of the agricultural sector through 4 crucial objectives:
– optimization of production;
– improvement of agricultural practices;
– strengthening the link between the farmer and the consumer;
– the development of commercial activities on farms.
Sensors, robots, connected objects, decision support and management tools… Walloon agriculture today has a range of connected digital tools to gain competitiveness and better respect the environment. The use of these tools combined with collected data offers opportunities to be seized by the Walloon agricultural and digital sectors.
Here are the 4 main ones:
Optimize production
The yield of each plot of a farm can, today, be precisely optimized while respecting the soil, animal welfare and the environment. We can, for example, modulate fertilizer applications within the same plot according to soil differences or detect certain animal health problems (hyperactivity, etc.).
- Reduction in strenuous physical tasks. Example: the use of a milking robot offers more flexibility in work and a better quality of life.
- Additional leverage to reduce the use of pesticides.
- Soil cared for to conserve and improve its agronomic potential.
Opportunities: several regulations (Europe, Belgium, etc.) aim to gradually reduce the use of synthetic inputs and encourage the reinventing of ancestral practices such as mechanical weeding. These provisions provide a market for the robotization of agriculture.
Improve agricultural practices
The collection and processing of large-scale data allows, among other things, the development of efficient predictive systems for continuous improvement of agricultural practices.
- Data acquisition is a prerequisite for any strengthening of the economic and environmental performance of agricultural practices.
- The farmer moves from knowledge acquired through his long and isolated empirical experiences (we test and refine our practice alone) to the use of predictive models that are both collective and effective.
the increase in the volume and type of data from farms also allows an improvement in the services offered to farmers such as parametric insurance linked to real-time data capture.
Renewing the link between the farmer and the consumer
Data collection throughout the agri-food supply chain (through technologies such as BlockChain) ensures efficient and transparent traceability. The position of the farmer is strengthened. Dialogue with the consumer is re-established.
- The consumer can make a choice informed by information that has become accessible such as the origin of a seed, the production conditions or the plot where their product was grown. It can act on the societal and environmental impact of its purchases.
- Identifiable, the producer can speak directly to the consumer. He can more easily justify the price of a product and get him to pay more for better quality and more virtuous practices.
- The development of short circuits is encouraged.
Opportunity: To facilitate this dialogue, the farmer must develop his online communication skills. Specific training and advice must be developed.
Develop commercial activities of farms
The combination of their knowledge of the agricultural sector and the rise of digital technology offers farmers numerous commercial opportunities: promotion and reservation of lodging or guest rooms on the farm, online sales, development of products and services specific to the profession of farmer, etc.
- The farmer becomes aware of his entrepreneurial skills and values the potential of his farm.
- The farmer, as a specialist in his profession, dictates innovation in line with his specific needs. His position is strengthened.
to maximize his chances of success, the farmer must be supported in his entrepreneurial approach. There is also a wide range of training and a specific consultancy profession to be developed.
2 What is the greatest success « Digital Wallonia 4 Business, Agriculture of the Future Program » has achieved so far in the green digital transition?
As part of Digital Wallonia and the Walloon Recovery Plan, the Walloon Government has validated a budget of 7,052,072 euros in order to accelerate the adoption and deployment of digital technology within the agricultural sector. Seven projects were selected. The theme of the environment and more sustainable agricultural practices is obviously strongly taken into account in these different projects.
The Duratechfarm project aims to measure the impact of SmartFarming on the consumption of inputs having an impact on the environment (fertilizers, pesticides, fuel, etc.) in relation to the impact on production (in quantity and quality). In addition, the priority agronomic levers of the project are the management of irrigation and the carbon content of the soil, which are 2 major environmental issues.
Another project, the Sunshine project itself, concerns the greater forage autonomy resulting from the use of OAD which will have a significant positive environmental impact through better valorization of forage resources in quantity and quality, a reduction in external inputs (concentrates, N for meadows rich in legumes) and de facto direct and indirect environmental impacts linked to this import (e.g. reduction in greenhouse gases emitted during the production and transport of these inputs). It also contributes, by supporting the maintenance of meadow ecosystems, to the fight against, for example, global warming through increased storage of C, soil erosion by maintaining permanent cover, pollution of water resources by nitrates. or even the erosion of biodiversity.
3 What do you see as an added value of project DG VET in relation to the existing training material for the green-digital economy transition?
The Green Deal publication by the European Commission emphasizes the necessity for a more intelligent and resilient European Green Economy, particularly focusing on enhancing skills, research, and innovation. The DG-VET project aligns seamlessly with this vision, as its outcomes and activities are strategically crafted to offer adaptable support, guidance, and information on how these achievements can be expanded and reproduced in various European regions. Furthermore, the innovative training material and the interactive DG-VET e-learning platform serve as substantial tools for European stakeholders and policymakers. These resources contribute significantly to advancing the cause of supporting and promoting social inclusion and employment for young/women NEETs in the emerging sectors of the Digital and Green Economy. Consequently, this initiative aims to create a noteworthy impact at the European level.
4 In what way do you think the collaboration between project DG VET and « Digital Wallonia 4 Business, Agriculture of the Future Program » can beneficiate in the present and in the future?
The DG-VET project, in conjunction with the “Digital Wallonia 4 Business, Agriculture of the Future Program,” stands poised to yield substantial present and future benefits. Currently, the DG-VET project aligns with the European Commission’s Green Deal objectives, offering transferable support and information for upscaling and replication across diverse European regions. Simultaneously, the “Digital Wallonia 4 Business, Agriculture of the Future Program” accentuates digital agriculture transformation in Belgium, aligning with the broader goals of sustainability and innovation. Together, these initiatives create a synergistic impact, fostering skills development, research, and innovation within the Digital and Green Economy sectors. In the present, they contribute significantly to social inclusion and employment, particularly for young citizens. Looking forward, their combined efforts lay the groundwork for a more resilient, technologically advanced, and sustainable European landscape, reinforcing the region’s position in the global digital and green sectors.


Lorenzo Mari, Luxembourg 🇱🇺
Digital innovator leads sustainable agriculture transformation as the force behind LandFriend.
With a background in tech entrepreneurship and IT management, Mari, established LandFriend in Croatia via Erasmus+ funding. He now manages a dynamic team revolutionizing farmer-consumer connections across Europe. Passionate about tech and agricultural sustainability, Mari aims for a digital revolution in farming.
Interview with NSAG members: LandFriend
Please tell us more about the pathway of LandFriend.
“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are” is the famous statement made by Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in 1826 and documented in the legendary book “The Physiology of Taste.” This phrase is not only used excessively and found in various articles on the Internet, but it strongly suggests that food and nutrition are determinants for us and our health, as well as for the health of our planet. Do we really know what we eat? What is certain, according to the World Health Organization, is that there are still significant gaps in knowledge regarding food, nutrition, and health that need to be filled.
In 2016, LandFriend began its challenge to overcome this problem and created the first Hub to connect farmers with consumers across Europe. LandFriend positions itself as an interactive intermediary between the original products of passionate farmers and end consumers eager to discover and savor food traditions.
According to the latest report published by the EU agency Chafea, 73% of people do not know where to find traditional and authentic products. Therefore, the lack of knowledge not only concerns the foods we should preferably consume but also the producers hidden in the complex food chain. LandFriend’s mission is to increase the visibility of farmers and revolutionize how they promote themselves in the market. Through its platform, LandFriend provides a unique and interactive virtual space where farmers can share their stories and sell their traditions, and consumers can find the quality products they are looking for at home or while traveling.
Considering the data provided by the Farm Data Network Europe 2017, the profit margin for EU farmers has decreased from 15% to 4% in the last 25 years. Unfortunately, this means that the younger generations of EU farmers no longer envision a future for the agricultural sector.
LandFriend is committed to creating social impact by breaking down communication barriers through technology and becoming a reference point for both farmers and consumers across Europe.
What is the greatest success that LandFriend has achieved so far in your field of competence for you?
Lorenzo Mari, founder of LandFriend, presented his project idea in March 2015 during a European event held at the Tag Innovation School in Milan. As a graduate in Computer Science in Turin, a web developer at the European Parliament, and later an IT Lead, he was able to envision how most problems could be solved by harnessing the potential of technology.
“THE SECRET TO MOVING FORWARD IS TO START.”
In a world where globalization has become dominant, people feel the need to revive extinct traditions by rediscovering each product as a symbol of the territory from which it originates – or they have visited – or are passionate about. Mari presented his idea to the Erasmus for young entrepreneurs funding programme promoted by the European Commission, that encourages young project to develop their ideas. LandFriend was selected and successfully financed for a period of five months as a project partner of the Ecomuseum in Croatia, an NGO that promotes Istrian culture and tourism by showcasing small farmers and their products and organizing events.
After conducting thorough market research in the Croatian territory, LandFriend was officially registered as a Croatian organization in Dignano (Istria) in November 2016. Since then, a small team of young experts based in Brussels, Croatia, and Italy has worked together to build the brand identity and the LandFriend system.
In October 2017, LandFriend was selected to participate in a six-month bootcamp promoted by the Microsoft Innovation Centre in Brussels, fostering innovation implementing AI technology into the system.
By November 2017, LandFriend showcased its innovative system at the Web Summit in Lisbon.
In 2020, a collaboration with EIT Food and Growzer aimed to strengthen LandFriend’s presence among local farmers and markets in Gent.
The persistence of food security and the sustainability challenges in the European supply chain pose a significant and ongoing threat to both farming businesses and consumers. Recognizing the paramount importance of the health of farming businesses and consumers to the agricultural and food industry, LandFriend’s future challenge lies in forming an EU Mapping Farmers Stakeholders Group. The objective is to devise a comprehensive European-level strategy, representing farmers, retailers, wholesalers, and community food consumers. This initiative involves establishing and managing the European Mapping Hub, serving as a repository for food master data and facilitating the transmission of farmers’ data to consumers.
What do you see as an added value of the project DG VET in relation to the existing training material for the green-digital economy transition?
DG VET project plays a pivotal role in the ongoing transition to a green-digital economy. Its commitment to providing quality training materials aligns perfectly with the evolving needs of industries, including agriculture. The added value of the DG VET project in this context is its focus on tailoring training materials to address the specific challenges and opportunities presented by the green-digital economy. By incorporating up-to-date knowledge and fostering skills development, DG VET ensures that individuals are well-equipped to navigate and contribute meaningfully to the evolving landscape of sustainable practices, digital technologies, and ecological considerations.
In what way do you think the collaboration between the project DG VET and LandFriend can beneficiate in the present and in the future?
The collaboration between DG VET and LandFriend is mutually beneficial in the present and holds great promise for the future. DG VET brings its expertise in crafting relevant and effective training materials, aligning them with the needs of the green-digital economy. LandFriend contributes with its practical experience and real-world insights from the field, ensuring that training materials are not just theoretical but grounded in the challenges faced by farmers. This collaboration enriches the training ecosystem, providing learners with a holistic understanding of sustainable agriculture in the digital age. In the future, this partnership can pave the way for continuous improvement, as DG VET can adapt its materials based on the evolving landscape shaped by initiatives like LandFriend, creating a dynamic and responsive educational framework and policy making for a digital innovation in the agriculture sector.
Alicia Gabán Barrio, Europe 🇪🇺
Alicia Gabán Barrio – Communications & Projects Manager
EARLALL- European Association of Regional & Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning
Alicia Gabán Barrio joined the European Association of Regional & Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning as a Communications and Project manager in 2022. In her role, she is responsible for EARLALL’s communications strategy and the communications activities of the LCAMP: Learner Centric Advanced Manufacturing Platform for CoVEs project, among others. Before this, she worked for a wide variety of EU Associations in the media, business, education, and environment sectors. She has over six years of professional experience working in corporate communications and EU-funded projects. In particular, she worked for the European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (EfVET) where she gained a good understanding of European Vocational Education and Training and Lifelong Learning policies and EU project management. Alicia holds a master’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from the Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB, Belgium) and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain). She speaks fluently Spanish, English, and French.
Interview with NSAG members: EARLALL
1 Please tell us more about the pathway of EARLALL.
The European Association of Regional and Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning (EARLALL) was established in 2001 under the initiative of regional and local authorities throughout Europe, willing to build solid cooperation in the field of lifelong learning.
EARLALL believes that regions and local authorities have a privileged role in designing and implementing strategies for lifelong learning since they are in direct contact with citizens, educational institutions and the business environment.
2 What is the greatest success that EARLALL has achieved so far in your field of competence for you?
The great success of EARLALL is that it has created an association built by, and for, its members. EARLALL serves as a platform for exchanging good practices, through its Working Groups, initiatives or events, in matters focused on lifelong learning.
Our network is quick to react to EU developments, as seen through our response to the European Year of Skills. EARLALL has set up an Academy so that its members can be trained in different competencies, such as how to efficiently write European projects, the opportunities of the New European Bauhaus or training in communication competencies, to name a few. In addition, last June 2023, more than 50 representatives of local authorities met in Brussels to share their best practices and exchange experiences on lifelong learning, which was a milestone in EARLALL’s trajectory and has set our strategic priorities for the period 2023-2028 (see here). Another of our successes is our range of European projects that present solutions not only for our regions but also for the people who live in them. That is why the selected themes always aim to help their citizens by improving skills in strategic sectors (such as LCAMP on advanced manufacturing skills), supporting to the retention of talent in rural areas (Stride4Stride) or the integration of migrants (TALENTs, or FIER and incoming Interreg Europe project – SALAM:Sustainable AccessibIlity to the LAbour Market).
3 What do you see as an added value of the project DG VET in relation to the existing training material for the green-digital economy transition?
Today, green skills are essential to achieve a sustainable and environmentally friendly living environment. In order to reach this point, we need to train young people and adults by designing training programmes in these competences. These programmes must be designed with a lifelong learning approach. One example that DG VET is tackling is to modernise the agriculture sector bringing new materials to what’s called agriculture 4.0. This can be beneficial for a sector that needs to renew itself and where people working on it do not have enough time to do so. Online content can help them to achieve this, as flexibility is the key for them to train themselves in new competences. One of the novelties presented by DG VET is the incorporation of artificial intelligence in the training, which can be used as an innovative tool to reach the younger generation living in rural areas. DG VET takes this one step further by training the trainers.
4 In what way do you think the collaboration between the project DG VET and EARLALL can beneficiate in the present and in the future?
In February 2024, EARLALL organised a webinar on agriculture sector skills and needs. In this webinar, it became clear that to overcome the barriers in the sector, cooperation between the different actors involved was essential. Therefore, the cooperation between DG VET and EARLALL members can be very beneficial, as it addresses topics of interest for our members such as the digital and green skills of NEETs youth from rural areas.


Daniel Holzer, Austria 🇦🇹
Daniel Holzer, forward-thinking professional in Sustainability and Innovation Management, currently enriches the team at bit management Beratung GmbH as the head of the PROCEED business unit. His academic journey, including a master’s in Global Studies and an ongoing interdisciplinary PhD program at Karl-Franzens-University, Graz, focuses on the diverse perceptions and applications of circular economy practices across various industrial sectors.
With a rich background in managing and implementing diverse projects like Erasmus+, Interreg, and FFG, Daniel’s expertise lies in circular business consulting, services, and project development. His role at PROCEED underlines his commitment to advancing sustainable business models and fostering innovation within the industry.
Interview with NSAG members: Beratung GmbH
Pathway of bit management Beratung GmbH
Established in 1996, bit management Beratung GmbH, a key part of the larger bit group, has been a leading force in training and consulting in Austria. Their work spans across diverse fields, including entrepreneurship, educational counselling, and environment and sustainability. Notably, the integration of CPC Austria GmbH in 2015 marked a strategic enhancement, focusing on the circular economy. The creation of PROCEED in 2020 emphasized this direction, pooling over two decades of experience in consultancy and training towards ecological and economic goals.
Greatest Success of bit management Beratung GmbH
The standout achievement of bit management Beratung GmbH is its strategic pivot towards environmental and sustainability sectors, notably with the establishment of the PROCEED unit. This move underscores their commitment to integrating economic and ecological sustainability via innovative circular economy projects. PROCEED excels in research, consulting, training services, and project development, focusing on circular economy and sustainability at both national and international levels.
Key Projects:
- CASCADE (Creating Awareness and Skills for Circular Approaches in the Digital Economy): Empowering SMEs in digital services to develop IT-enabled circular economy solutions. circular-cascade.eu
- CLAY (Closing the Loop Along with the Youth): Developing a “Circular Behaviour Index” and digital training for youth. clay-project.eu
- Sen4CE (seniors for Change): Providing adult education on Circular Economy to support sustainable societies. sen4ce.eu
bit management’s involvement in these significant projects, along with its extensive international network, plays a crucial role in promoting industrial transformation towards sustainability.
Added value of project DG VET in relation to the existing training material for the green-digital economy transition?
The DG VET project offers significant added value by providing important skills to NEETs in a gamified manner, helping to build self-confidence and making the learning process engaging. The project specifically targets the needs of NEETs, as identified through a comprehensive questionnaire, by focusing on areas such as adaptive capacity, motivation, perseverance, learning through experience, and initiative. Additionally, it emphasizes the development of skills in attitude, open-mindedness, networking, energy-saving, and water-saving thinking. The project’s adaptability to male and female NEETs’ preferences, including those interested in technology and mechanics, underscores its comprehensive approach to skill development.
Collaboration between project DG VET and the bit management can beneficiate in the present and in the future?
The collaboration between the DG VET project and bit management Beratung GmbH presents a mutually beneficial opportunity. For bit management, integrating DG VET’s specialized training focused on NEETs and their gamified learning methods can enhance their portfolio, especially in fostering skills for the green-digital economy transition. Conversely, DG VET can leverage bit management’s extensive experience in project development, consulting, and training in the circular economy. This synergy would not only broaden the scope and effectiveness of both entities’ educational offerings but also amplify their impact in promoting sustainable industrial transformation and addressing the evolving needs of today’s workforce.
Krasimira Damyanova, Bulgaria 🇧🇬
Krasimira graduated from the University of Economics – Varna as Bulgaria’s most innovative university. This is Bulgaria’s first higher school of commerce. Her Bachelors’ degree is general Economic Theory while her Master degree is Agricultural Economics.
Krasimira has experience in diverse fields all concerning the fundamental digital, green and also marketing skills within the leading national economy sectors.
Interview with NSAG members: EARLALL
- Please tell us more about your educational and professional pathway.
My educational journey started at the University of Economics – Varna, which is renowned for its innovative approach to education in Bulgaria. I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Economic Theory, which provided me with a solid foundation in understanding economic principles and dynamics. Following that, I continued my studies with a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, which allowed me to delve deeper into the intersection of economics and agriculture, a crucial sector in Bulgaria’s economy. Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work across different sectors on different positions such as Tourism, Private consultancy on job opportunities and also management and accounting positions in different agri SMEs. All roles also incorporated and enhanced my knowledge on economical analysis and sustainability initiatives management. I’ve leveraged my economic expertise to identify opportunities for growth and development. Whether it’s analyzing market trends, implementing green practices, or crafting marketing strategies, I’ve always aimed to contribute to the sustainable development of the economy.
- What is the greatest success you have achieved so far in your field of competence?
As Bulgaria continues to navigate the complexities of a rapidly evolving global economy, there is undoubted need for creating mechanisms handling the challenges that we face. Embracing digitalization holds the potential to unlock new avenues for growth, enhance competitiveness, and drive inclusive development. Moreover, sustainability remains a pressing issue, requiring concerted efforts to address environmental degradation, promote resource efficiency, and transition towards a low-carbon Agricultural economy. That is why, my biggest achievement could be the ability to create a vision for sustainable management in all professional endeavours I have initiated.
- What do you see as an added value of project DG VET in relation to the existing training material for the green-digital economy transition?
As an expert that follows the DG-VET project from the very beginning, I can evaluate the overall output as very innovative, offering a complex set of modules that provide a solid foundation for young and women NEETs for taking their steps in the digital and green economy sectors. Also the platform featuring search/post job vacancies is something much appreciated on a national level as we don’t have many websites/apps that provide such an option. Having one exclusively for the Agricultural labour market brings added value to the national context.
- In what way do you think the collaboration between project DG VET and organisations from your network can benefit in the present and in the future?
Main mutual benefit that I can highlight is the future opportunity to promote the E-learning platform and the search/post job vacancies feature to many agri SMEs that could be interested to further exploit it. I strongly believe that this will contribute to the biggest possible impact of the DG-VET project. As I know the project is almost finished, but the produced deliverables can be continuously shared with the wide audience.


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 the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. 2021-1-BE01-KA220-VET-000035895



