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In conversation with yourscienceEDU: There can be no conscious innovation without the transfer of enabling knowledge

In the second of our series of interviews with our EIT Education and Skills Days sponsors, EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative Pledger, yourscienceEDU (YSedu) spoke to us about the opportunities in deep tech and the importance of skills that can get things done.

 

YSedu believe in creating an innovation community in Europe, and is the only scientific training and consulting company in Italy specialising in frontier technologies, whose mission is to empower SMEs with cutting-edge technologies to become stronger and more innovative. To this end, they partner with companies across all industries to turn challenges into tangible benefits, fostering internal skills development and preparing organisations to excel in an ever-changing marketplace.

This is the second time YSedu has sponsored an EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative event, because they believe events like this truly show what it means to be European. The EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative also represents a simple idea which underpins their project that real innovation can’t happen unless knowledge is shared. And they believe that because this process is cross-sectional by nature, it works best if it spans diverse sectors with different technological and market needs.

For YSedu, the most urgent skills gaps in deep tech lie not in today’s challenges, but in yesterday’s missed opportunities — they believe that rather than chasing current needs, we must anticipate the future by exploring the possibilities technology unlocks, envisioning new scenarios, and shaping the market with forward-looking skills and a strategic vision.

Additionally, in terms of skills required, YSedu consider it a mistake to separate hard and soft skills into two distinct categories. They feel that anyone working in technology needs ‘implementative’ skills, a set of skills, held together by scientific knowledge and vision, that can get things done. Technology itself can be thought of as a state of knowledge; a strong, focused combination of knowledge, opportunities, vision, analysis, and creativity. In their research and teaching, YSedu work very much like a lab and create together.

“True creation isn’t possible without these skills”

 

YSedu believe that technology is a value, however, see too many players focus on business opportunities and too few working on research and creating powerful new technology. The need for strong technology is essential, especially as humans still need access to the basic needs; food, water, health and safety, that were once taken for granted. While technology has the potential to make these needs more accessible, fair and sustainable, it’s important to focus on real technology rather than marketplaces.

This will require better collaboration between industry, educators, and policymakers to improve the shape of talent development. Currently, YSedu see huge differences within Europe.

“For example, we can’t help but notice that many Eastern European countries have recruited very young professionals with great vision and expertise to top positions, many of whom we discovered by attending EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative events.”

 

YSedu feel that it would help everyone to find a unified European approach to talent management and development, and hope that, in the long run, the path created by the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative will be nurtured and developed.

YSedu is the same ‘age’ as the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative and are able to cover the entire knowledge value chain, from the laboratory (especially thanks to the essential collaboration with CREST-ULB, which recently became an ESA ground-based facility) to integration.

“Training is the alpha and omega of the process: it triggers awareness of needs and builds the knowledge to manage innovation.”

 

This experience empowers them to speak at events like the EIT Education and Skills Days as both creators of important technologies and builders of knowledge, skills, and awareness in deep tech.

At the EIT Education and Skills Day, YSedu will also be contributing to the final Impact Story, which will detail their collaboration with SET University to co-create an Information and Cybersecurity Management program: the first collaboration of its kind in Italy to combine Ukrainian cyber resilience expertise with Italy’s innovation-driven SME ecosystem.

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