Erasmus+ BusyBees Partners Discuss Key Project Milestones at Wittenborg

Key Highlights from the Second BusyBees Meeting

The Erasmus+ funded BusyBees project held its second transnational partner meeting at Wittenborg on 7 and 8 October. Representatives from partner countries, including the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Türkiye and Hungary, gathered at Wittenborg's Brinklaan location to collaborate and plan the next steps of the project.

Jian Liu, Erasmus+ Project Administrator and Researcher, explained that the purpose of the BusyBees event was “to bring project partners together to review progress, share results, and plan for the next phases of the project.”  

He described the key objectives of the meeting, which included reviewing the meeting's purpose, discussing ongoing activities, and setting deadlines. The partners also focused on developing the BusyBees methodology and toolbox, presenting results from questionnaires sent to small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and finalising the BusyBees Twin Skills.

Liu highlighted that the agenda included discussions on the design of the Train-the-Trainer course and the business game methodology for pilot implementation. He noted that reviewing the progress of dissemination tasks, such as creating a handbook and discussing promotion strategies, was essential. They also addressed logistics, calendar updates, and plans for future meetings.

Reflecting on the meeting's outcome, Liu stated, “The collaboration and engagement from all partners made the sessions productive and insightful. What stood out the most was the collective effort in shaping the BusyBees methodology and finalising the Twin Skills set, which was a crucial milestone.” He pointed out that discussions about the Train-the-Trainer course and the innovative business game methodology showed the project's commitment to creating useful tools.

A significant part of the meeting was a presentation by researcher and Associate Professor at Wittenborg, Vanessa de Oliveira Menezes, who shared insights from the BusyBees Skill Set questionnaire for SMEs. Conducted between July and September 2024, the survey collected responses from 40 SMEs across Spain, Italy, Hungary, Türkiye and the Netherlands. The focus was on identifying the main skills related to digital marketing and green initiatives relevant to their businesses, as well as assessing which skills their staff had already mastered.

"Based on the survey, we found that the most important topics for the respondents regarding digital marketing are social media management and digital content creation," Menezes explained.  

"Interestingly, social media management is where they feel most competent, while using eco-friendly e-commerce platforms is considered the least important. Additionally, using user experience (UX) design tools is the skill they are least familiar with. In terms of green skills, understanding environmental sustainability is the area they know best. However, their most critical skills are in sustainable branding and marketing communications, as well as performing market research on sustainability trends."

Based on the findings, Menezes highlighted four key areas for skill development. First, training and development need programmes focused on data analytics, social media management, and content creation. Workshops should also cover interpreting environmental impact calculators and integrating sustainability into business operations.  

Second, in tool adoption and support, promoting the adoption of sustainability tools is essential, along with providing training and technical support for teams struggling with advanced tools like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) calculators.  

Third, under sustainability integration, it is vital to enhance sustainability knowledge across all teams, particularly in branding, marketing and reporting, while developing green marketing strategies that align with current sustainability trends and avoid greenwashing. Finally, for global and country-specific initiatives, it is crucial to promote initiatives tailored to address country-specific gaps.

Liu concluded by emphasising the importance of collaboration, stating that it is vital to ensure the project's success.  

For more information about the BusyBees project, please visit the BusyBees website.

WUP DD/MM/2024 
by Erene Roux 
©WUAS Press