Europe’s future prosperity hinges on the technologies driving our economy, from artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing to cleantech and cybersecurity. However, compared to other global economies, Europe faces a growing innovation and talent gap, and current data paints a concerning picture:
- Only 13% of EU companies use AI
- The cybersecurity sector is short nearly 300,000 professionals
- Over 110,000 students graduate in tech-related fields each year, but quantum-ready talent remains scarce.
Although the EU is laying a strong legislative and technical groundwork, addressing this challenge is essential for ensuring future prosperity.
Across the two days of the recent EIT Education and Skills Days 2025, two key messages emerged:
Skills shortages undermine growth
Startups are key to EU competitiveness, but they need better access to skilled individuals with entrepreneurial mindsets to thrive. But a major barrier to innovation and growth is the persistent mismatch between what is being taught to students, from schools to professional training programmes, and what the job markets demand, particularly in tech-driven sectors. This means that strong cooperation between education and business is crucial to ensure Europe has the talent and innovation capacity it needs for the future
By launching the Union of Skills, the EU has placed education and skills at the core of its economic and social agenda, which is also supported by a Strategic Plan for STEM Education. However, gender diversity and inclusion must be embedded in all education and innovation efforts to unlock Europe’s full talent potential.
In today’s competitive world, talent follows opportunity, so Europe must offer the best conditions to attract and retain top minds. Early results from recent initiatives, including funding for talent attraction, show early promise with a surge in applications to EU research programs, showing strong international interest.
The EIT is Europe’s skills and education powerhouse
Entrepreneurship is the DNA of EIT education. There is no innovation without education, likewise there is no innovation without entrepreneurial education. And it’s this mindset that enables learners to create startups, spin-offs, and scalable ideas, that keeps Europe’s innovation pipeline dynamic and alive, and is what differentiates the EIT model from traditional approaches to education.
The EIT connects the three pillars of the knowledge triangle; academia, research, and industry, which is what makes innovation happen. However, the EIT does more than educate, it creates ecosystems to align talent and skills development with real-world needs across critical sectors.
From upskilling and reskilling, to building innovation capacity in universities, the EIT has already trained over 1.3 million learners across Europe, with the goal of reaching 2 million more by 2028.
The EIT Skills Academies are a strong model for aligning education with job market needs. They deliver hands-on training and specialised skills in strategic sectors like clean tech, energy, advanced manufacturing, and defence, and are driving Europe’s industrial transformation by equipping people with the expertise needed for resilient and future-ready value chains. A new academy focused on advanced materials was announced at the event.
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