INVESTech - synergy and application

Introduction

The dynamic transformation of the urban environment in Europe requires not only technological innovations, but also a new quality workforce capable of managing complex ecosystems of data, infrastructure, and human resources. However, despite the substantial financial investments and the high quality of outputs generated by European programmes such as Erasmus+ and Horizon, systemic evaluations and years of practical implementation reveal a persistent structural bottleneck: the low overall efficiency and limited secondary exploitation (re-use) of project results. 

Countless valuable methodologies, training courses, and operational tools developed within individual project consortia frequently remain isolated as "digital archives" after project lifecycles end, rarely finding widespread adoption or cross-institutional scaling

This article addresses this challenge by proposing a proactive model: achieving strategic synergy and reusability through the integration of results from two complementary initiatives.

The foundation of this work is an attempt to bridge two significant projects. On the one hand, the Skills4Cities Project, finalized in 2024 under the leadership of the Cluster Sofia Knowledge City (CSCK), which provides a methodological basis and defines professional roles necessary for the digital transformation of cities. On the other hand, the INVESTech Project, which is still in the process of implementation under the leadership of the Technical University of Košice, provides an institutional framework and a network of 5 Centers of Excellence in VET (CoVEs).

The combination of these two initiatives enables the know-how accumulated by one (Skills4Cities) to escape isolation and become a working European standard through the other's common platform (INVESTech), ensuring excellence in vocational education and training (VET). Through this article, we examine the integration between the established methodology of the Skills4Cities project and the innovative framework of the INVESTech project. At the heart of this process are two fundamental components:

1. Standardization of new professions

The Skills4Cities project successfully identified and defined critical skills gaps in managing smart cities projects. Its main achievements, detailed in the published open-access materials, include:

• Definition of three new professional profiles: Smart City Project Developer (initiator), Smart City Project Manager (executor) and Smart City Project Management Consultant (strategist). Each profile is based on a specific Competence Map, covering 40 key skills - from technological literacy to leadership and ethics.
• Methodology for international certification: Through a partnership with the European Certification and Qualification Association (ECQA), the project has established a mechanism for independent assessment and certification in accordance with ISO standards, ensuring that trained personnel possess skills recognized across Europe.

2. Scaling up through a network of CoVEs

The INVESTech project builds on these achievements by launching a transnational ecosystem for “VET excellence”. Its ambition is to create 5 CoVEs in 5 European countries, which will function as a single organism through:

• Common technological and educational platform: The project envisages the creation of an integrated digital platform that will serve as a shared space for learning resources, virtual laboratories, and the exchange of good practices between the five countries.
• Transnational cooperation: Instead of isolated centers, INVESTech is building a network in which the Smart City Skills methodology (developed in Skills4Cities) can be tested, adapted, and deployed internationally. The platform will allow learners and businesses from different countries to collaborate on real-world cases, transforming local innovations into European standards.

Let us continue with a detailed development of three practical sections that will illustrate how the Skills4Cities methodology can be "embedded" in the architecture of INVESTech and its five CoVEs:

Section 1: Operationalizing the professional profiles in the INVESTech network

Objective: To turn the defined roles into a practical standard for the five INVESTech participating countries. To achieve a real “peak performance”, INVESTech can use the three profiles developed by the Skills4Cities project as the basis for a single European standard within its upcoming platform:

Transnational Learning Paths - Instead of each country developing its own content, the CoVE centers will offer three specialized “Learning Paths” related to the management of smart city projects:

• The Innovator Path (Developer): Focus on creativity, design thinking, and identification of citizens’ needs.
• The Orchestrator Path (Manager): Focus on technical implementation, budgeting, and project lifecycle management.
• The Strategic Path (Consultant): Focus on data analysis, cybersecurity policies, and mediation.

Job descriptions for the public sector -A manual for municipal administrations will be developed within InvesTech, which directly translates the Skills4Cities competencies into job descriptions for new positions in digitalization departments and, in particular, initially for the three professional roles related to smart city project management.

Section 2: Implementation of the Skills4Cities Competency Map in the INVESTech Project Platform;

Objective: Digitalization of the learning process and automated recognition of skills. The common INVESTech platform in the 5 countries will integrate the Competency Guide in the following way:

Digital Skills Audit - The platform will include a self-assessment tool based on the 40 Skills4Cities competencies. The learner (student or expert) takes a test that visually displays his/her “skills profile” and guides him/her to specific modules to fill the deficits.

Synchronized content and Micro-credentials:

• Skills4Cities training materials will be converted into micro-modules.
• For each completed module in the platform, the learner receives a “micro-qualification” recognized by all 5 CoVE centers.

ECQA-compliant examination mechanism: The platform will serve as a portal for final certification. It will provide a link to the independent ECQA examination system, ensuring that the quality of training is equally high in Bulgaria as in the other partner countries.

Section 3: Institutional synergy and investor relations

Objective: Creating market value for certified personnel. INVESTech CoVEs will function as a living laboratory for the implementation of the achieved:

Job Role Committees (JRC) at the international level - INVESTech will expand the Skills4Cities model by creating an international Job Role Committee. Experts from the 5 countries will ensure that the defined competencies (such as IoT skills or risk management) meet the requirements of global technology investors.

Virtual incubator for smart city projects - The platform will allow teams from different CoVEs (e.g., students from Bulgaria and specialists from another country) to work together on project proposals using the Project Developer methodology.

Sustainability through a quality mark - InvesTech will promote the Skills4Cities/ECQA certification model as a “Gold Standard” for municipalities. Thus, CoVE centers will become a natural partner of the state in spending funds under the Recovery and Resilience Plans, requiring certified managers for each project.

Conclusion of the practical model

By combining the methodological scheme of the Skills4Cities Project with the infrastructure scale of the INVESTech Project, a closed loop is created: from need identification, through innovative training and European certification, to real career realization in the smart cities of Europe. To make the article as useful as possible for practice, we detail here how the specific competencies developed in Skills4Cities are transformed into operational modules within the INVESTech platform.

Detailed development of the Competence Map in the context of the INVESTech CoVE - Within the framework of the Skills4Cities project, 40 key competencies have been defined, which will now serve as a measure of knowledge in the INVESTech centers. They are divided into four pillars that guarantee the full scope of the professional profile:

 1. Technological competencies - These skills are the “engine” of the smart city. In the InvesTech platform, they will be implemented through practical simulations:

• Data Management and Big Data: Real-time data stream analysis for urban process optimization.
• Internet of Things (IoT) and Sensor Networks: Designing data collection infrastructure.
• Cybersecurity: Protecting critical urban infrastructure from hybrid threats.

2. Specific competencies (vertical skills) - Here we focus on the specific vertical sectors of Smart City:

• Smart Mobility: Planning intelligent transport systems and shared mobility.
• Energy Efficiency: Management of Smart Grids and integration of renewable sources.
• E-Government: Digitalization of administrative services for citizens.

 3. Transversal and soft skills (soft skills) - These skills are critical for the Smart City Project Manager profile, as he must be a mediator:

• Design Thinking: Putting citizens' needs at the center of the technological solution.
• Stakeholder Management: Coordination between business, municipality, and citizens.
• Ethical Data Management: Ensuring transparency and confidentiality.

4. Challenges and Innovation (Innovation Skills) - This pillar is key for the Project Developer profile:

• Business Modeling: Creating sustainable financial plans for smart solutions.
• Risk Management: Anticipating technological and social risks when implementing innovations.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of these 40 competencies developed in the Skills4Cities Project with the transnational platform of the INVESTech Project creates a unique framework, both for Bulgaria and for the countries participating in this project. It is evident that the Skills4Cities Project provides a “recipe” for what an expert in smart city project management should be; the INVESTech Project provides the CoVE centers and the platform, the place where specialists can prepare themselves to the highest standards.

Main benefits for practice:

• For municipalities: Access to certified personnel whose skills are confirmed by the international ECQA system.
• For business: Opportunity for direct participation in updating curricula through the JRC committees in the five countries.
• For education: Transforming vocational training into a dynamic process that responds in real time to market needs.

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REFERENCES

Data and materials from both projects were used for this article. Below is a summary of the two projects and useful links to the results, as follows:

• INVESTech: https://investech-cove.eu//; The project is a large-scale European initiative to build Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs). It aims to create a sustainable link between vocational education, innovation and economic development. Key objective: Building a network of 5 Centres of Excellence in 5 European countries, operating through a common technological platform for cooperation; Impact: InvesTech aims to prepare highly qualified personnel in high value-added sectors (such as ICT), by integrating the needs of investors directly into the curricula and ensuring transnational mobility of knowledge and certificates.
• Skills4Cities - The project is an international initiative, a project funded under the Erasmus+ program, in which Cluster Sofia City of Knowledge was the lead partner and coordinator. The main mission of the project was to overcome the lack of specific skills for managing "smart cities" projects by developing an innovative training methodology. Key result: The creation of three new, internationally recognized professional profiles (Smart City Project Developer, Manager, and Consultant), supported by a detailed “Competence Map” with 40 specific skills; Impact: The project laid the foundations for professional certification according to European standards (ECQA), transforming theoretical Smart City concepts into practical training tools. 1. Map of digital and smart disruptions: https://online.fliphtml5.com/khox/ioei/; 2. Toolkit for Smart Cities Competencies Framework: https://online.fliphtml5.com/khox/gwcl/; 3. Validation Tool for Smart City Competencies: https://www.knowledgesofia.eu/bg/resursi#sppb-modal-beb2f39a-7881-4165-823e-a11d956d293c