The panel ‘Skills transition and regional transformation’ was a rich collection of academic work on skills in general. Most of the attendants zoomed in on how to measure skills in a meaningful, comprehensive way, mainly via statistical modelling and data frameworks.
Spotlight on empathy, critical thinking and sustainability
Franziska and Jelena brought something unique to the table: a call to action to take soft skills seriously. Especially in already tech-savvy industrial environments. They shifted the lens toward the importance of soft skills like empathy, critical thinking and sustainability awareness for future-proof industrial regions.
And it worked! There is an increased interest in investing on soft skills development, alongside technical skills, and skills in general.
Communication: highly present and needed
“We presented the findings from the x-Inno Radar expert survey. People were interested in the paradoxical observation that some skills like communication are identified by experts as both highly present and highly needed in the regions,” Jelena says. “It could indicate the expert awareness for long-term investment in specific soft skills.”
Bridging data and hands-on experimenting
The Porto presentation is just a fraction of the broader work that the x-Inno Radar partnership is doing. What made x-Inno Radar unique in Porto, is that this project focuses on hands-on approaches. We’re not only mapping or modelling soft skills: we’re actively testing and experimenting, directly on the ground in co-creation with local partners in the field.
What’s next?
Soon we can share the full results of the x-Inno Radar survey on soft skills, with regional data, insights and best practices. These outcomes will feed directly into the development of the x-Inno Radar Tool Base and our next regional actions.
Keep on following x-Inno Radar as we build a more human-centered industrial future, one soft skill at a time.