Flagship 4: Fostering, attracting and retaining deep tech talent

Innovation depends on the successful nurture, attraction and retention of talented individuals and a diverse array of skills. High quality education and attractive working conditions are thus key to attracting and ensuring a flow of highly skilled and talented individuals that can contribute to achieving wider policy priorities including the twin transition and a competitive edge in strategic value chains. In the light of the adopted New European Innovation Agenda, actions have been established to ensure European retain and attract talent from across Europe and beyond.

The European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT) is implementing The Deep Tech Talent Initiative by skilling one million people in deep tech fields by 2025. This pioneering talent development initiative will secure the future of Europe’s competitiveness and address the most pressing global challenges by promoting cutting-edge technologies and a sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation culture in education and training. 

Since the launch of the initiative in October 2022, approximately 150 education providers and companies have already committed to train more than 835 000 learners on deep tech fields like AI, machine learning, quantum computing, robotics, virtual reality, augmented reality, metaverse. Almost 150 000 people have already completed their training. There are over 100 available courses on the dedicated online platform. To attract new pledgers and support existing ones, the EIT awarded the Deep Tech Talent Training Prize in 2023. This award aims to recognise excellence in tackling deep tech training challenges. A dedicated DTTI call for training proposals was published on 3 April 2024 with a deadline on 20 June 2024.

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The pledge

The European Commission will continue to provide training support to Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), including European Universities Alliances, businesses and research and innovation centres through the Digital Europe programme. To support the future deployment of digital technologies across all economic sectors, education programmes and training will be provided to boost the number of ICT specialists in fields such as data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, edge computing and virtual worlds and the number of sector specialists equip with advanced digital skills (e.g. medical doctors, experts for the green transition, civil servants). Under the Digital Europe Programme additional calls for support actions were launched, the “Digital Skills and Jobs Platform”, the “Girls and women in digital” and the “Data Space for skills”.

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The digital Europe programme

The European Commission has established a working group on employees’ stock options under the EIC Forum to explore approaches to tackle the administrative barriers that currently limit the uptake of employees’ stock options across the EU. The Forum will in the first instance allow the Commission and Member States to exchange information and share best practice with a view to facilitating a coordinated approach across the EU. 

The European Commission, in partnership with the OECD, established and is developing a peer learning education and innovation practice community.  To cultivate the competencies needed to drive deep-tech innovation and foster the twin green and digital transition, this Community is contributing to more effective policymaking by spurring innovation in education. Interested stakeholders (education institutions, policymakers and businesses) reflect on a holistic approach towards three strands of work: (i) fostering innovation skills and mindsets from secondary education, (ii) supporting higher education institutions in integrating innovation in their curriculum and (iii) expanding the role of higher education institutions and adult learning providers in up- and reskilling strategies.

Over 900 active members from all EU countries and beyond joint this Community. They participate in info webinars, international knowledge exchange events, national advisory peer learning workshops, providing ideas, suggesting innovative practices through calls for case studies and interviews. For each strand of work, the Community’s activities are summarised into analytical reports and the key findings are described into the innovation bulletins.

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Register to join the EIPC network

Read the Innovation Bulletin #1

Read the Innovation Bulletin #2

Read the Innovation Bulletin #3

The Erasmus+ Alliances for Innovation foster Europe’s innovation capacity through cooperation and flow of knowledge among higher education, vocational education and training (both initial and continuous), and the broader socio-economic environment. These transnational partnerships aim at closing the gaps between academia and industry, providing new skills and innovative teaching approaches for the green and digital transitions. They also intend to support and complement the development of incubators within HEIs, in close cooperation with the entrepreneurial sector and VET, to attract and retain talent and help young innovators turn their ideas into businesses.

From 2023, deep tech skills development has been added as one of the priorities of the Erasmus+ Alliances for Innovation. For the 2023 call, 32 projects have been selected and as of January 2024 their work has kicked off in several sectors, including AI, gaming, manufacturing, and deep tech innovation.

The 2024 call for proposals was closed on 7 March 2024 and is under evaluation.

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Erasmus+ programme

At the Competitiveness Council in December 2022, following the adoption of Council Conclusions on New European Innovation Agenda (NEIA), the Commission launched a call to governments to announce actions in support of the NEIA. This announcement was based on the understanding that full support and engagement from the Member States and Associated Countries is needed to ensure the implementation of the NEIA. 

The actions were gathered through the EIC Forum, a group of Member States and Associated Countries' public authorities and bodies in charge of innovation policies and programmes, with the aim of promoting coordination and dialogue on the development of the Union's innovation ecosystem.