The final conference of the BLUE KEP project, co-financed by the Interreg Italy-Croatia Program 2014-2020, took place on Thursday 26 September in Ancona, organized by the partner Marche Region. The project, which had Informest as lead partner, dealt with the mobility of students from the Italian and Croatian nautical and technical institutes involved in 45 days of intercultural exchanges and professional training in alternation school-work.

The experience of BLUE KEP represented the third stage of a multi-year path dedicated to school mobility started with KEPASS, as part of the IPA Adriatic 2007-2013 program, and continued with the BlueSKILLS project, always part of the IPA Adriatic program, projects carried out with the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region as leader of the partnership in collaboration with Informest.

 The event was opened by the Regional Councilor for Education, Training, and Work of the Marche Region Loretta Bravi, by the representative of the JS of the Italy-Croatia program Marin MIletic and by the secretary of the Adriatic Ionian Euroregion Francesco Cocco.

The role was recognized in the project to work in favor of synergies in territorial cooperation in the blue economy by offering, through the results achieved, stimuli for the transfer of knowledge between the two educational systems and the economic sectors of the two countries, representing a significant point of reference for similar initiatives to be implemented at a macro-regional level.

During the conference, the partnership composed of Informest, the Marche Region, the Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion, the Istrian Region, the development agencies of Split and Sibenik, presented the results reached by the project activities concerning the mobility of 38 students of 12 schools and the definition of the methodology for the standardization of school curricula and the recognition of acquired skills.

Some of the students participating in mobility have also expressed their point of view on the importance of this experience abroad.

A panel with experts in the field was organized on the role of knowledge aimed at favoring the strategic development of the cross-border area, involving the younger generations in their schools, creating synergies between the education system, the research and development sector, local businesses and public authorities.

Finally, certificates of participation were distributed to the students and teachers of the schools involved.