The European CATALYST CoVE is envisioned as a central hub and catalyst for sustainable business transformation in Europe. It serves as the foundation for a collaborative business community focused on driving sustainable, resilient, and equitable outcomes. “Inspire and enable business sustainably” Our vision is to build a collaborative business community that can drive the transformation towards a more sustainable, resilient and equitable future for all. The CATALYST consortium established the united Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) in five European countries: North Macedonia, Germany, Austria, Portugal and Greece to support and inspire SMEs in re-thinking and re-designing their business models for sustainability.
CATALYST CoVE Goals
- Help to tackle professionals’ and students’ personal and organisational development and to embrace sustainable transformation in SMEs
- Enable and inspire SMEs to rethink and redesign their business model addressing sustainability from an organisational, social and economic perspective
- Have an advisory role in policy creation and adaptation
- Providing high quality knowledge and skills which are relevant and applicable for professionals, SMEs and students
- Facilitate the cooperation between key stakeholders to enhance the ecosystem and improve the visibility of upskilling best-practices via CATALYST Network
CATALYST CoVE Target Group and Beneficiaries
National CATALYST CoVEs
National CoVEs serve as localised versions of the European CoVE, adapting its offers to suit the specific needs of each nation. While unified by a shared vision and purpose, these National CoVEs will possess the flexibility to cater to the diverse economic, social, and environmental landscapes of their respective regions and address very specific and relevant target groups.
The national CoVEs, tailored to local contexts, extend this vision, adapting offerings to meet specific regional needs and target groups.
The National CATALYST CoVE in Austria puts its focus on sustainability in tourism, emphasizing the sector’s growth and the need for eco-friendly practices. Additionally, the CoVE aims to target entrepreneurs and founders, addressing the low entrepreneurial activity and the need for concise training in sustainability practices.
In Germany, the CATALYST CoVE focuses primarily on SMEs, particularly in the food, textile and ICT sectors. The aim is to facilitate sustainable change, particularly for traditional operating companies.
The selected industry in Greece, manufacturing, contributes significantly to the economy but faces challenges such as global competitiveness, innovation, and investment and is therefore put into the focus for the National CATALYST CoVE in Greece.
CATALYST CoVE in North Macedonia addresses the national need for sustainability and business education. The selected industry, construction, is initially targeted due to legislative requirements and its significant role in the economy.
The selected industry in Portugal is the Moulds and Plastic sector, where the CoVE focuses on SMEs within this industry. Portugal’s Moulds Cluster is a significant global player, ranking third in Europe and eighth worldwide for plastic injection mould production.
