HISTEK project addressed one of the key challenges identified in the process of support SMEs’ growth, competitiveness and internationalization, which was to improve knowledge, capacities and competencies of people using education as the most important tool to achieve this goal.

The constitution of a new Cross-Border cluster of SMEs/Training Institutions/Public Institutions represented an important opportunity and instrument for improving the cross-border framework condition and consequently to foster IT-AL-MON SMEs’ sustainable growth. In fact, thanks to the strong commitment and proactive involvement of all project partners a series of activities were conducted and several outputs produced, aiming at strengthening competitiveness and internationalization among the three territories:

• Cluster agreement in IT, AL and MNE
• Cross border assessment toolkit
• SMEs and training institutions assessments
• Consortium agreement

HISTEK capitalized on the important experience gained by the Italian ITS system, and improved it by moving from a national to an international cross border dimension, creating common standards that were adopted, but also defining, in accordance with a shared and participative approach, a new curriculum.