The Project

Supporting Transitions in European Labour Markets

ISABEL (mInimize coSts and mAximize Benefits in the transitionary European regional Labour markets) is a pioneering Horizon Europe project dedicated to understanding and managing how the green and digital transitions reshape employment across Europe. It explores the complex processes of job creation and destruction (JCD), aiming to ensure that the transformation of regional labour markets is socially fair, geographically balanced, and economically sustainable.
The project introduces the ISABEL Framework, an AI-powered, data-driven approach that analyses and forecasts changes in jobs and skills while promoting reskilling, upskilling, and social innovation. By combining advanced analytics with citizen engagement through Living Labs, ISABEL supports policymakers, researchers, and communities in designing inclusive, evidence-based strategies for Europe’s just and equitable transition.

Methodology

Multi-level Analysis (WP2–WP4)

ISABEL follows a three-tiered analytical approach to understand how Europe’s green and digital transitions reshape employment patterns.

  • At the European level (NUTS2 regions), the project merges extensive secondary datasets—from Eurostat, CompNet, and other European databases—to map regional and social disparities in job creation and destruction (JCD).
  • At the national level, primary survey data from six countries (Denmark, Greece, Poland, Spain, Serbia, and the UK) capture employer and employee perspectives on skills needs, reskilling, and labour transitions.
  • At the regional level, Living Labs bring together policymakers, employers, and citizens to co-create and test strategies that promote fair and inclusive transitions.

Integration and Validation (WP5–WP6)

Data from all levels are combined within the ISABEL Data Lake (SNAP) and analysed using AI-powered models to forecast future labour and skills trends. The results are visualised in the FAROROMO Observatory and applied in real-world settings through the Living Labs.
Within this phase, ISABEL also develops the Digital Policy Writer Assistant (DPWA) — an AI-driven policy support tool that translates data insights into evidence-based policy recommendations for reskilling, inclusion, and regional development.

Main Results

ISABEL Framework

A data-driven and AI-powered framework to understand and manage Job Creation and Destruction (JCD) during Europe’s green and digital transitions, integrating economic, social, and spatial dimensions for fair and evidence-based policymaking.

FAROROMO Observatory

An interactive, GIS-based Fair Green Transition Observatory visualising JCD patterns, skills gaps, and regional disparities, supporting place-based decision-making and equitable policy design.

SNAP – Smart oNe-stop digitAl data shoP

An open-access data lake combining primary and secondary datasets on jobs, skills, and socio-economic conditions across European regions, enabling researchers and policymakers to explore and analyse labour transformations.

ISABEL Platform

A user-friendly online environment integrating all ISABEL tools, data visualisations, and policy insights, fostering collaboration among researchers, regional authorities, and the wider public.

Digital Policy Writer Assistant (DPWA)

An AI-assisted policy support tool generating evidence-based recommendations for labour, education, and reskilling policies, helping authorities craft fair and efficient strategies during the transition.

Sustainability & Policy Uptake

A long-term roadmap and policy recommendations to support the integration of ISABEL results into EU and national labour transition strategies, ensuring sustained impact and social inclusion across Europe.

Key Objectives

ISABEL aims to guide Europe through the challenges of the green and digital transitions by fostering social fairness, regional balance, and inclusive growth. It combines Artificial Intelligence, data-driven insights, and citizen participation to transform how labour market change is understood and managed across Europe.

Understanding Uneven Labour Transformations
Analyse how job creation and destruction vary across regions, sectors, and social groups to reveal the geographical and social disparities of the green transition.

Identifying Underlying Drivers of Change
Explore the economic, technological, and policy factors shaping labour market transformations to inform more effective interventions.

Designing Fair Transition Strategies
Develop targeted strategies for reskilling, upskilling, and labour mobility, ensuring that workers and regions can adapt to new employment realities.

Empowering Decision-Makers and Communities
Provide AI-based tools, data visualisations, and evidence-based insights to support policymakers, researchers, and citizens in shaping inclusive labour policies.

Promoting Co-creation and Social Innovation
Foster collaboration through Living Labs and participatory processes, engaging multiple stakeholders to co-create solutions for a just, inclusive, and sustainable green transition.

WP1

Project Management

WP2

Conceptualisation, Cooperation Methodology & System Architecture

WP3

Data Lake creation & Data Collection

WP4

JCD And Skill Analysis

WP5

Data Analysis Tools & Visualizations

WP6

Living Labs on JCD And Reskilling Poilicies

WP7

Dissemination & Exploitation

WP8

Ethics Requirments