On 21 May 2026, the HR+ Project officially came to its conclusion with the Final Conference in Brussels, at the Permanent Representation of Portugal to the European Union (REPER), bringing together HR professionals, policymakers, educators, stakeholders, and partners from across Europe to discuss the future of Human Resources in the context of the twin transition and a rapidly evolving labour market.
Over the course of 20 months, the Erasmus+ initiative examined the impact of digitalisation, sustainability, and demographic shifts on the sector, while fostering transnational collaboration to identify emerging competences, anticipate future skills needs, and develop innovative approaches to support more resilient, inclusive, and future-oriented workplaces.
Throughout the conference, participants engaged in a series of presentations, discussions, and exchanges focused on the future of Human Resources in Europe, including:
- The HR+ Project Overview presented by Roberto Baldo, Funded Activities General Manager at Fòrema and Project Coordinator of the HR+ Project.
- The HR+ Training Needs Analysis and its main findings were presented by Francesca Nadalin, Labour Market Analyst at Veneto Lavoro, who shared insights gathered across Italy, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, France, and Belgium. Based on 250 responses from HR managers and companies, the analysis highlighted how the twin transition is reshaping HR roles, increasing the need for strategic HR management, adaptability, multicultural team management, and a stronger balance between technological progress and the human factor.
- The presentation of the New HR CV Development, Implementation and Testing activities was carried out by the HR+ partners Gaia Galante (Project Manager at Fòrema), Horváth-Karip Krisztina (Managing Director of PC-Trend Kft.), Kálmán Edina (Managing Director of Knowhouse Consulting Kft.), and Ariana Romero (Project Manager at Gdoce). Their presentations focused on the development of a shared European learning framework combining e-learning, in-person training, and work-based learning to help HR professionals address emerging skills gaps linked to the green and digital transitions.
- The event also provided space for the HR+ Online Contest winning projects and special mentions, including presentations from the Best Practice winner, Giulia Sbalchiero, and Innovative Idea winner, Cristian Manuel Andrés Porras Calderón. Giulia Sbalchiero presented “FisioVan”, an initiative focused on improving workers’ wellbeing within companies, while Cristian Manuel Andrés Porras Calderón showcased “SPAL-M”, a project exploring sustainable labour market solutions linked to the green transition and reverse recruitment models. The session also featured contributions from special mentions Leda Ferrari, Maria Isabel Gomez Osorio, and Stella Kaszab.
- The conference also featured the panel discussion “Attracting and Selecting Talent for Europe: Skills, Transitions, and the Future of Work”, moderated by Sergio Expósito Cabrera, EU Communication and Project Officer at EVTA, and featuring Heike Gras, Deputy Head of Unit – Outreach and Communication at EPSO, and Maud Sacquet, Head of EU Public Policy at LinkedIn. The discussion addressed skills shortages, AI, talent attraction and retention, labour market transitions, and the future of recruitment in Europe. Heike Gras highlighted the growing importance of human-centred recruitment, critical thinking, and more flexible selection systems, while Maud Sacquet shared LinkedIn insights on the rapid evolution of skills demands, the rise of AI-related jobs, and the increasing importance of AI literacy and transferable competences.
Alongside the conference activities, project partners met in Brussels to discuss the final steps of the project and its long-term sustainability, reinforcing the importance of continued cooperation and knowledge exchange beyond the project’s official conclusion.
One of the key messages emerging from the event was that the future of HR goes far beyond administrative processes and procedures, increasingly focusing on supporting people through change, anticipating future skills needs, strengthening organisational resilience, and building meaningful relationships within workplaces and across business ecosystems, a vision that the HR+ Final Conference helped reinforce while opening the door to new conversations, collaborations, and opportunities for innovation in Human Resources and the future of work across Europe.
More Than a Project: The HR+ Experience
Discover the insights, skills, and experiences gained throughout the HR+ project, as shared by the people who made it possible:
Pictures from the event:
