EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative Pledger, Business Technology University (BTU Georgia) works hard to deliver high quality education, innovation and transformative change in the South Caucasus region. Reflecting this long-term commitment to inclusive and future-oriented education, BTU Georgia was named University Trainer of the Year at the recent EIT Education and Skills Day event.
“Deep tech, where scientific discovery intersects with technological innovation, represents the most transformative frontier of our mission.”
BTU Georgia’s strategic mission to advance digital transformation and business digitalisation across Georgia and the wider region, fostering the emergence of a competitive, knowledge-based economy. And the university’s dedication to this field is rooted in the conviction that technological competence and digital literacy are essential foundations of economic resilience, social inclusion and sustainable development. BTU Georgia views education not just as a process of knowledge transmission, but as an instrument of societal transformation, empowering individuals and institutions to navigate and shape the digital era. In a region still facing digital disparities, prioritising deep tech education is both a strategic commitment and a meaningful responsibility.
Its initiatives reach learners from high-mountain regions, refugees and participants in its Inclusive Digital Opportunity (IDO) Centres, developed with UNICEF to support children, young people, women, and older adults. UNESCO’s acknowledgment of BTU Georgia’s “AI4Globe” initiative as a key part of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024–2033) also underscores BTU Georgia’s growing global role in promoting AI literacy, inclusion and fair access to deep tech education for all.
“What began as a local initiative has evolved into a nationwide platform for women’s empowerment in the tech sector.”
One defining illustration of BTU Georgia’s long-term impact lies in its innovative undergraduate and graduate programs in technology, most notably the Coding School for Women. From an initial small cohort of learners, the Coding School for Women has grown into a large-scale movement reaching thousands of women from rural, high-mountain and economically disadvantaged regions, providing them with high-quality training in coding, AI and digital literacy. These programmes have been made possible through the continuous support of the European Union, UNESCO, UN Women, USAID, and other key international partners.
However, the results go beyond individual success stories, this initiative has reshaped perceptions of women’s participation in the tech sector and inspired systemic change. The growing number of women pursuing technology-related education and careers has strengthened both the inclusiveness of the digital economy and the country’s innovation capacity, reflecting Europe’s broader vision of equitable and sustainable digital progress.
“To create meaningful and lasting change, equal access to learning opportunities must be a central principle of all deep tech initiatives.”
BTU Georgia understand it is vital to reach and empower underrepresented and vulnerable groups, women, refugees and learners from remote communities, to ensure that the benefits of the deep tech transition are shared by all. And its experience shows that deep tech education extends beyond the technical sphere; it is a societal project that depends on cooperation between academia, industry and public institutions. And it is by working together that these actors can build inclusive and innovation-driven ecosystems that form the basis of a knowledge-oriented, equitable economy across Europe.
Following BTU Georgia’s recognition as Trainer of the Year, it is establishing a dedicated Training Centre for STEM and Deep Tech Education, which will serve as a regional hub for advanced training, applied research and innovation-oriented programs designed for diverse audiences including young people, professionals, refugees and learners from high-mountain regions.
This next stage builds upon BTU Georgia’s extensive network of European partnerships and its strong track record in inclusive education. Its collaboration with UNICEF, focusing on vulnerable groups, and UNESCO’s official recognition of BTU Georgia’s large-scale international initiative “AI4Globe”, demonstrates the university’s growing global role in shaping the future of responsible and accessible deep tech education.
BTU Georgia’s vision for the near future is to expand the deep tech talent pipeline, strengthen cross-sectoral partnerships and contribute decisively to Europe’s ambition of building a resilient, inclusive and knowledge-driven digital future.
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