This focus group addresses the human and societal factors that determine whether offshore wind can scale in the Adriatic–Ionian region—focusing on skills gaps, workforce readiness, employment potential, and the conditions for durable social acceptance. It also examines how education systems, SMEs, and institutions can be supported to participate effectively in the offshore wind value chain.

Participants

• Stakeholders focusing on workforce and societal aspects:
• universities and vocational training providers
• labour market institutions
• workforce training centres
• offshore wind industry HR experts
• civil society organisations
• NGOs and community groups
• local authorities involved in community engagement

Role of the group

• workforce development
• skills gaps and training programs
• public acceptance
• community engagement and environmental communication.

Goals

Develop skills; address workforce gaps; engage communities for social acceptance.

Highlights

Participants highlighted interconnected workforce and acceptance challenges:

• Skills gaps: shortage of specialised offshore wind expertise and limited academic programmes tailored to offshore wind technologies.
• Capacity building needs: reskilling/upskilling programmes are needed, alongside structured support that helps local SMEs and stakeholders translate interest into practical participation.
• Employment potential: offshore wind can generate high-value jobs across the value chain, but only if training pipelines and industry–university cooperation are strengthened.
• Social acceptance: awareness is still limited and concerns remain about environmental and visual impacts; early stakeholder engagement and transparent communication are essential.
• Community benefits: benefit-sharing mechanisms were highlighted as important for trust and acceptance, which participants linked to project feasibility and "bankability".

Results and implications for ADRIONWIND

The results confirm that skills development and social acceptance must be embedded early—through targeted training, SME-oriented support, and stakeholder engagement approaches that are proactive rather than reactive. These insights feed into the strategy's capacity-building, communication, and just transition components, and will inform subsequent ADRIONWIND capacity-building activities.