MOBILISE coordination team meets in Maastricht to plan final project phase and explore sustainability

From 19 to 22 October 2026, Maastricht School of Management (MSM) hosted a Coordination and Sustainability Workshop under the MOBILISE project, bringing together the project management team from MSM and Aeres University of Applied Sciences and MSM country coordinators from Tunisia, Egypt and Ethiopia. After three years of project implementation, this was the first opportunity for the full coordination team from all four countries to meet in person, providing a valuable occasion for cross-country learning, exchange of experiences and joint reflection on the future of the project.

The workshop provided a platform to share lessons learned from the implementation of international mobility programmes and in-country traineeships, comparing experiences, achievements and challenges across the participating countries. Discussions focused on identifying good practices and opportunities for improvement, particularly regarding participants' preparation, cooperation with host companies and support for employment and entrepreneurship after return.

A central topic was the planning of new mobility pilots targeting fresh graduates and employees. The team also engaged in joint brainstorming on the sustainability of MOBILISE results, exploring alternative talent development models, opportunities for institutionalising training approaches and potential future partnerships and initiatives.

The workshop concluded with agreed priorities for the remaining project period, including further development of the mobility pilots, monitoring of alumni outcomes, dissemination of project results and preparation of national and international final events in 2027.

On the last day, the team visited three organisations in the Limburg region, near Venlo, to gain further insights into the Dutch horticultural sector. Visits to Westburg and Bruinen, two horticultural companies that have participated in MOBILISE as host companies, offered perspectives on the latest technologies applied in horticultural production, as well as the challenges faced by family-run agribusinesses in the Netherlands and how they are adapting to a changing sector. The team also visited the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, an example of public-private partnership serving as a hub for research, product development and entrepreneurship support in the agrifood sector.

The workshop strengthened coordination and mutual learning across the four countries, while contributing to a shared vision for the final phase of MOBILISE and opportunities for continued cooperation beyond the project.