In recent activities across the Industry Advisory Board working groups, significant progress has been made through their initial online meetings held in February and March 2024. The Infrastructure group met on February 20 and March 5, the Local Value Creation group convened on February 22 and March 7, and the Jobs, Skills, and Capacity Building group gathered on February 21 and March 6. The Infrastructure group is set to conduct bilateral discussions with partner countries to address data collection challenges and support needs, emphasising the importance of distinguishing between current and needed jobs and skills in their surveys due by March end. The Local Value Creation group has also made strides, encouraging countries to detail key industries and potential EU partnerships in their surveys, aiming for enhanced regional value. Meanwhile, the Jobs, Skills, and Capacity Building group plans deep dives into survey findings to tackle individual country challenges and support requirements, with a focus on distinguishing between existing, planned, and essential jobs and skills in their submissions. All groups aim to compile their findings into reports for the upcoming June IAB second meeting in Brussels, setting the stage for meaningful discussions and collaboration based on the comprehensive data collected.

IAB Infrastructure WG Meeting no.1 20/02/2024 + no.2 05/03/2024

During the first two online meetings of the IAB Infrastructure Working Group on February 20 and March 5, 2024, several key actions were outlined for moving forward. The MED-GEM team plans to conduct in-depth bilateral meetings with each partner country to discuss the progress, challenges in data collection, and the support needed concerning three specific working group surveys. Partner countries are required to submit these surveys by the end of March 2024, with an emphasis on distinguishing between current jobs and skills, what is planned, and what is needed. The collected survey data will be utilised to generate reports for the upcoming IAB meeting in Brussels on June 11, highlighting the importance of each country's thorough participation and survey completion for creating meaningful reports. Based on the June meeting's outcomes, decisions on collaboration and technical assistance for partner countries will be made.

IAB Local value creation WG Meeting no.1 22/02/2024 + no.2 07/03/2024

The first two meetings of the IAB Local Value Creation Working Group, conducted online on February 22 and March 7, 2024, concluded with productive outcomes and next steps. Countries did not encounter significant issues in filling out the survey, although coordination with other institutions might be required, potentially delaying responses. The surveys can include details on existing industries or add annexes for key industries to be highlighted, such as a brief on solar PV panels. The group aims to identify key industries to enhance regional value and explore connections with EU countries interested in investing. The MED-GEM team will hold bilateral meetings to further discuss survey details, challenges, and support needs with each partner country. Surveys are due by the end of March 2024, with findings to be compiled into reports for the IAB meeting in Brussels on June 11. The completion and participation of each country in the survey are crucial for generating meaningful reports and determining subsequent collaboration and technical assistance based on the June meeting's findings.

IAB “Jobs, Skills, and Capacity Building” WG Meeting no.1 21/02/2024 + no.2 06/03/2024

The first two meetings of the IAB “Jobs, Skills, and Capacity Building” Working Group, held online on February 21 and March 6, 2024, concluded with several forward steps. The MED-GEM team plans to conduct bilateral meetings with each partner country to delve deeper into the findings from three working group surveys, addressing individual progress, data collection challenges, and the need for support. Partner countries are expected to submit a baseline survey on jobs, skills, and capacity building by the end of March 2024, with a clear distinction between existing, planned, and needed jobs and skills. The MED-GEM team will compile these surveys into an interim report, providing an initial analysis and recommendations by early June 2024. These findings will then be presented at the next IAB meeting in Brussels, scheduled for mid-June, to determine further collaboration and technical assistance.