1. Oriol Barba – Techincal Director of MedCities
The cooperation between universities and local authorities towards employability and innovation.
Oriol Barba – Techincal Director of MedCities
Barcelona, 29 September 2016

2. Summary About MedCities State of the art MedCities approach
Policy recommendations

3. About MedCities
MedCities is a network that gathers more than 40 cities from all shores of the Mediterranean basin.
Who can be a member?
Local authorities located in Mediterranean coastal countries, Portugal and Jordan, that carry out or promote activities aligned with the objectives of the network.

4. About MedCities
To reinforce the role, competences and resources (institutional, financial and technical) of mediterranean local governments in the adoption and implementation of sustainable local development policies
To launch and develop direct cooperation projects and partnerships between its members and with other cities and organizations.
To develop awareness and common responsibility with regards to policies of sustainable development, environmental conservation and social cohesion of mediterranean cities
To develop citizens' awareness and involvement in the sustainable development of their towns and cities

5. About MedCities Implementation of urban projects and strategies
Technical assistance for the implementation of projects and strategies
Training and capacity building for elected representatives and municipal staff
Explore funding opportunities for members
Promotion of bilateral and multilateral cooperation projects
Promotion of knowledge transfer between cities
Advocacy for the role of local authorities in the Mediterranean region
Representation of the interests of Mediterranean local authorities in international debates

6. State of the art
Little interaction between local authorities, universities and innovation clusters.
Employability not recognised (and not assumed) as a local competence.
Youth employability is on the top list of priorities of local authorities but no strategies are presented to face it.
Lack of resources to undertake policies.

7. Is it true that there is nothing local authorities can do?
State of the art
Is it true that there is nothing local authorities can do?

8. MedCities approach
Promoting changes in local governance is a fist step towards matching university, economic actors and local authorities towards employability  City Development Strategies
Knowledge sharing in order to changing mentalities towards promoting action despite lack of competences.
Redirecting resources towards pilot action (scaling-up)

9. MedCities approach City Development Strategies
Joint identification of priorities of the city
Creation of multi-stakeholders project groups
Interaction between local governments and the actors of the city.
Towards the definition of city priorities rather than municipal priorities.
Increase appropriateness of city challenges and the definition of unique and shared strategies
Promotion of public-private partnerships

10. MedCities approach
City Development Strategies: the example of Sousse

11. MedCities approach
City Development Strategies: the example of Sousse

12. MedCities approach
City Development Strategies: the example of Sousse

13. MedCities approach Changing mentalities: knowledge sharing.
Within the city
At national level
With other cities in the region

14. MedCities approach Changing mentalities: knowledge sharing.
Within the city: Sfax and the SMOT Project.

15. MedCities approach Changing mentalities: knowledge sharing.
At national and regional level: networking

16. MedCities approach Pilot actions
Supporting small actions that can be scaled-up by other international or national actors
Pilot projects need be embedded in larger programmes and strategies
Cooperation with other partners is a must.

17. MedCities approach Pilot actions Vocational training centre in Saida
Other pilot projects within EU and other international calls

18. Policy recommendations
Local authorities can act as facilitators rather than promoters of projects. Their role is to make actors meet.
Need to create common spaces between the different actors involved.
Need to draw joint strategies within the city and make sure they are implemented.
Greater collaboration between networks of universities and networks of cities (promising UNIMED-MedCities partnership)

19. Contact us: obarba@amb.cat
RESUME
RESeaU Méditerranéen pour l’Employabilité
Thank you!
Contact us: