The meeting took place from 14 May to 16 May 2024 in the Portuguese region of Médio Tejo in Tomar. The partner institution for the meeting was the Inter-Municipal Community of Médio Tejo. The meeting was directed by the host institution and in cooperation with the lead partner of the project Savonlinna Development Department Services Ltd, supported by the Institute for Tourism.
On the first day, the partner organisations got to know each other and introduced themselves. Afterwards, the status quo analysis of each region/organization focused on the retention of knowledge workers was presented. This information shared between partners is the basis for transferring good practices as it will help map the position, challenges, and opportunities in each region to strengthen talent attraction through regional policies and practices in other regions.
The host presented good practices in the areas of quality of life and regional attractiveness, such as the Convent of Christ - UNESCO World Heritage and the presentation of the strategy of the Inter-Municipal Community of Médio Tejo, which helps to improve living conditions and increase attractions for tourists and new residents. At the Castelo de Bodelake site, a debate was held at the nautical station on the Templar Route and attracting tourists to more remote and less visited places out off the main tourist routes.
The second day was a visit to the Science and Technology Park in Tagusvalley. Founded in 2004, the technology centre supports companies and investors, and is a business incubator that also focuses on food processing with respect to the principles of circular economy and sustainability. There was a debate on talent retention and attraction and the CR INOVE project was presented - it is a cluster that connects entrepreneurs and relevant stakeholders in the region. Finally, a visit to a good practice of secondary vocational school where olive oil is processed, a presentation of the traditional crafts project and its importance for the preservation of culture and tourism took place.