Bridging the digital skills gap and boosting smart e-governance solutions: promoting digital transformation through a UfM Conference in Antalya

• The UfM brought together 50 experts and actors from both shores of the Euro-Mediterranean Region in Antalya to share best practices and ongoing efforts to promote digital skills, digital jobs, and e-governance solutions in the region.
• The Conference introduced the participants to the initiatives underway in Türkiye and gave the floor to participants to share best practices and success stories involving Governments, Private Sector, and Academia from Albania, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Türkiye, and other UfM countries.

20-21 May 2026, Antalya – This year’s edition of the UfM Digital Transformation Conference, co-organised with the Chambers of Commerce of Antalya and Kumluca and supported by the European Commission (DG EMPL), focused on the opportunities, challenges and best practices associated with two interlinked facets of digital transition, namely digital skills and job creation, as well as smart e-governance solutions.

The Conference brought together 50 participants including a broad spectrum of high-level speakers, entrepreneurs and stakeholders from different sectors of the Euro-Mediterranean region. They were engaged in three fit-for-purpose panels that combined interventions with elements of gamification to engage the participants in focused group discussions on two case-studies from the UfM region.

During the Opening Remarks, UfM Deputy Secretary General for Economic Development and Employment, Amb. Meltem Büyükkarakaş, stated that “technology without inclusion risks deepening inequality,” stressing that “our responsibility is to ensure that innovation expands opportunity — particularly for youth, women and SMEs across our region.” This was followed by a keynote speech by Amb. Hami Aksoy from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a scene setter presenting the current macroeconomic realities associated with the field.

Several representatives of Governments, Private Sector entities, Academia and young entrepreneurs took the floor to share best practices. The Conference also comprised a focused study visit to the Antalya Technopark R&D Building within the Akdeniz University Campus, during which they were introduced to several projects and offered a technical tour to the greenhouses and agricultural fields of HEKTAŞ Seed Production Industry and Foreign Trade Inc. located within Antalya Technopark.

The Conference included a session for B2B meetings aimed at identifying concrete synergies, and the key takeaways from the Conference will inform future UfM activities in the field and will be reflected in an official Outcome Document.

Outcome Document (to be uploaded)