Integrating Maker Skills in Innovation Ecosystems
Mastering Soft Skills Through Outdoor Experience
Unleash your Relational Intelligence with dedicated outdoor session with soft skills experts
Overview
What has been done
The pilot action took place during January and February 2026. Starting in late January 2026, the initiative was promoted through an open call advertised via social media and the official websites of the Padua Chamber of Commerce and Venicepromex. Applications were collected for two days of outdoor experiential training led by an expert consultant specialized in the growth and development of entrepreneurial soft skills.
The two sessions, held on February 9th and 16th, 2026, were specifically designed to meet the needs of employees and entrepreneurs. The program aimed to strengthen interpersonal skills, foster teamwork, and enhance workplace performance through a series of targeted activities, workshops, and reflective sessions.
Why was it needed locally
An analysis of the socio-economic landscape in Veneto revealed a predominance of micro and small enterprises, primarily artisanal, built on the core values of hard work and responsiveness to market demands. While highly competitive, these businesses often lack certain innovative elements due to their deep-rooted traditions. Consequently, it became essential to identify innovative ways to strengthen existing soft skills, making them more open and receptive to new ideas.
Target Groups: How were they activated and their benefits
Industrial / technological SME
Activation: An open call was launched through different social channels to gather employees from industrial and local SMEs and entrepreneurs
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Phone calls
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on line survey
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newsletter
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public open call
Benefit: Awareness of soft transversal skills for enterpreneurs, enhance competence and ability of employees to cooperate together, improve performance and replicability of the activity in the work environment
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cooperative activities
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collaborative storytelling
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active listening
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improvisation games
Resources Required
Staff
Expert and facilitator on soft skills topics
Space
La Fenice Foundation Padova: main auditorium, Religious Guest House San Marco, Padova: seminar room
Equipment
laptop, wifi connection, audio and video facilities, stationery
Budget
Medium: 2-10,000 €
Budget of 8500€ covering venue, staff, trainer, equipment, catering
Methods & Steps
Core Mechanism
Formats applied
Workshop:
Immersive 4 hours training with improvisation games, collaborative storytelling, active listening activities and final reflection wrap-up
Methods used: Improvisation Games: Exploring spontaneous reactions when facing tasks that seem difficult or awkward. Participants observed how the fear of making mistakes often leads us to focus more on what doesn’t work than on what does, generating self-criticism or judgment toward others.Collaborative storytelling: The goal was to train cooperation and the ability to make meaningful contributions, even through small individual inputs. Participants experienced the challenge of letting go of control and truly embracing others’ ideas
Active listening: Although it seemed simple, it turned out to be surprisingly challenging, revealing how easily our attention can be disrupted or diverted by the urge to respond
Social Style Model: The activity encouraged meaningful reflection on relational dynamics within teams: respect, curiosity, and awareness of diversity emerged strongly
Steps taken
Promotion of the activity
2-4 weeks
- Public call: Publication of an open call explaining the concept and the content of the activity. Link to the google form for the registration
- Newsletter and web promotion: Publication on news and sending of newsletter promoting the activity
Outdoor Workshop
4 hours
- Workshop 1: 4 hours immersive training lead by a designated expert located in the Auditorium Hall of Parco La Fenice in Padova
- Workshop 2: 4 hours immersive training lead by a designated expert located in the Seminar Room of Religious Guest House San Marco, at the foot of Euganean Hills
Results
Measurable and Direct Outcomes
The local action brought about the following concrete results:
- Improved transversal skills: The activity allowed participants to discover, enhance, and integrate soft skills and communication techniques that can be applied in the workplace to boost productivity and well-being within the work environment."
- New / enhanced cooperation: During the activities, participants experienced and learned innovative techniques to foster cooperation and communication among colleagues and between companies
Indirect Impacts
The two workshops were highly impactful for the participants, some of whom discovered—for the first time—new ways of working and engaging with colleagues and clients in a more interactive and productive manner. Several attendees, particularly those in management roles, expressed interest in replicating these activities within their own companies to strengthen bonds among employees in the same department.
Local Outlook / Follow-up
- Replication of the interactive workshop: It has been explored the opportunity to replicate the workshop format to an homogeneous group belonging to the same company or SMEs
- Replication of the single activity: According to the SMEs needs, the different activities/methods developed during the workshop, could be adapted and performed also in separate sessions, as stand-by actions
Evaluation
Satisfaction - Overview
The participants in both groups were asked about their feedback: they experienced an enjoyable, useful, and meaningful training. The experiential activities allowed participants to turn the lightness of play into tools for awareness, offering each person new insights for both personal and professional growth. Some SMEs asked also the possibility to replicate the training only for their employees.
Satisfaction - Details
- 20 employers/entrepreneurs of local SMEs improved their communication transversal skills: All participants were highly satisfied with the activities performed and some SMEs asked for a replication of the activities inside their own company
Transfer Hints
- Outdoor experience: The innovative aspect of the action lied also in the venue of the training. It was specifically chosen to provide a clear break from routine, allowing participants to focus on themselves rather than their daily work environment.
- Interactive activities and methods: The planned activities were highly interactive and required the active involvement of every single participant, quickly fostering a strong team spirit. Individual participation is essential to fully understand and develop soft skills to their full potential.
- Customization of training contents/activities: According to the participants gathered, to the
level and background of their previous education, and to their actual work, training topics can be adapted or improved - Involvement of participants: On the basis of the activity you are performing, you can choose to use a public call for involving participants, or the same activity can be performed for a unique subject, like a company or a particular department
- Lack of promotional activities: Begin participant recruitment at least one or two months in advance of the scheduled activities
Participant Testimonials & Impressions
Impressions
Replicate This Application?
Access the complete implementation guide and connect with the team
Contact: Luisa Previati
Phone: +393420711765
Email: luisa.previati@vepromex.it
Need more information?
Project manager:
Franziska Görmar
IfL - Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography, Germany
Email
This project is supported by the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme with co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund.
Find more information about the x-Inno Radar project on the Interreg CE projectwebsite.
x-Inno Radar is a project of: 
Creative Region Linz & Upper Austria Gmbh, 
The Regional Chamber of Commerce of the Karlovy Vary Region, 
Padova Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture, 
Creative Industry Košice, n. o., 
BSC, Business support centre, ltd., Kranj, 
Regional Development Agency in Bielsko-Biała, 
Stebo Competence Centre Community Developmentm, 
Association of Cultural and Creative Industries Chemnitz and Region (Creative Chemnitz), Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography – Germany, Otelo Cooperative