The EXCEED consortium gathered in Athens for a three-day meeting that brought together project partners, trainers, and members of the Policy Board for intensive exchanges, strategic discussions, and field learning experiences. Hosted by the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) and HELMEPA, the programme highlighted the project’s strong connections with research, policy, and industry stakeholders.
The meeting opened with a keynote by Professor Dr. Phoebe Koundouri, who presented the work of the AE4RIA – Alliance of Excellence for Research and Innovation on Aephoria, offering valuable insights into sustainable development and innovation ecosystems. Participants then heard from Constantinos Triantafyllou, who introduced the environmental protection initiatives of HELMEPA – Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association.
Representing the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Mr. Thanos Tsagatakis provided an overview of the Greek VET system on behalf of Mrs. Olga Kafetzopoulou, General Secretary of VET and Lifelong Learning. This was followed by Mrs. Katerina Alexomanolaki from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, who highlighted current policies linking vocational education with labor market needs in Greece.
The project team then shifted to internal updates: Elena Romanini presented the state of the art of EXCEED, while Stavroula Samara and Hezal Dilan Sari shared the status and timeline of the communication campaign on gender equality in VET.
In the afternoon, Alessandro Guadagni led an engaging Talent Factory workshop. National teams worked individually on pre-assigned personas and later reconvened to present and compare their approaches. The day concluded with a warm networking dinner at Dopios and Café Avissinia, offering a relaxed moment for partners to connect.
The second day organised by HELMEPA, offered participants an opportunity to experience environmental action in practice. Hosted by the port authorities of Elefsis, the group toured the port area by boat and observed the ongoing wreck-removal and recycling programme. The visit provided valuable insights into maritime environmental protection, circularity in practice, and the operational realities of green transformation in port management.
