A Deep Tech Skills Initiative like no other

This morning I had the honour of joining EIT Governing Board Chair Nektarios Tavernarakis, EIT Manufacturing Supervisory Board Cecilia Warrol, EIT - European Institute of Innovation and Technology Director Martin Kern and CEO of JA Europe Salvatore Nigro at the launch of what is one of the most exciting European Tech initiatives led by Commissioner Mariya Gabriel

The European Deep Tech Talent Initiative is a programme aimed at addressing the shortage of skilled workers in the field of deep tech across Europe. The initiative is a collaboration between several European technology companies and universities, and it seeks to identify, train and connect talented individuals with the skills required to work in the deep tech industry.  It is a pioneering programme led by EIT that aims to skill 1 million people within European deep tech fields over the next three years (2023 – 2025).

In close cooperation with the European Commission, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) will roll out pan-European education programmes to develop and retain a strong deep tech talent pool across all Member States, directly addressing the gap that exists for skilled labour. The programmes will offer a range of initiatives, including training programmes, mentorship, internships, and job opportunities, to help participants develop the skills and experience necessary to succeed in the field. The programme also aims to foster collaboration between the industry and academia, encouraging the exchange of knowledge and resources.

The European Deep Tech Talent Initiative is an important step towards addressing the skills gap in the technology industry in Europe. By investing in the training and development of talented individuals, the program aims to build a strong and sustainable workforce that can support the growth of the deep tech industry in the region. The initiative’s programmes will be open to ALL training providers who can join by offering trainings in deep tech to high school pupils, university students and to adult learners from all levels of industry.

Why is it important?

’As a flagship of our New European Innovation Agenda, the EIT’s Deep Tech Talent Initiative will help put Europe at the forefront of developing the technology needed for essential elements of the green and digital transitions. The progress made in only a few months proves that the EIT is the perfect vehicle for developing the best talent development programmes, in large part because of its ability to mobilise its unmatched network of partners across Europe and beyond.’ Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth

The EU will need more talent in deep tech fields to maintain a leading position in emerging and high-growth potential sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, aerospace, blockchain and quantum computing. 

But it’s not just about being competitive, we need an adequately skilled labour force to power innovations that will ensure a sustainable future, solving global challenges in health, energy, and climate. One of the most recent and powerful examples that come to mind is the German deep-tech start-up, BioNTech. By leading the advances, with the support of public investment in biology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence, the company was able to develop the first COVID-19 vaccine, validating the use of the new technology of mRNA-based vaccines. These advances and investments in deep-tech fields transformed the science—and the business—of vaccines while solving a global problem.

A shortage of digital specialists exists within the EU market as the fragmented nature of its innovation system has held back the rollout of deep tech education programmes. Without adding sufficient new talent to keep up with the rapid new technology advances, the EU’s innovation capacity will decrease. While it has been significantly strengthened in recent years, fragmentation within Europe’s innovation ecosystem across the continent still exists, preventing the scaling and roll-out of high-quality skill development programmes across the EU, meaning that Europe still lacks sufficient capacity in specialised deep tech education programmes.

As a pan-European and sustained initiative, the Deep Tech Talent Initiative will rectify this issue by creating Europe’s first educational platform dedicated to deep tech skills development. The initiative will offer top quality education programmes to rapidly increase the labour force and encourage high-growth companies active in the deep tech fields to maintain and expand their operations in Europe. Deep tech scale-up companies and industry representatives will be involved in supervising the implementation through the initiative’s Advisory Group, ensuring that the program elements are in line with the changing labour market needs in the relevant technology areas. The result will ensure the most up to date industry-led curricula, accelerating the closure of the skills gap in these areas.

Why is the EIT best placed to implement this programme?

• As Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem, the EIT can mobilise a network of 3,200+ partners and 70 + hubs across Europe and reach out to further organisations to ensure that the best and most effective talent development programmes are developed and implemented. There is currently no other organisation in Europe or the world able to activate such a network, both in terms of volume and expertise.
• EIT’s unique approach to innovation unites business, research, and education in the form of Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), which already run education activities and programmes related to deep tech fields. Thanks to the EIT Community’s thriving partnerships, EIT already has the insights and relationships needed to map out the most effective deep tech curricula.
• The Deep Tech Talent Initiative will build on the EIT’s existing education activities, including those already targeting tech skills, among others, the EIT Label degrees that boast over 4,600 graduates and 100, 000 of trained students, the European Battery Alliance Academy, and countless others, which have trained more than 15,000 talents in 2022 alone.

What is Abodoo doing to help?

Abodoo is a proud pledger of the EIT Deep Tech initiative, and the only Irish company involved. On 28 March 2023, a first wave of pledgers joined the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) to train over 500,000 Europeans in deep tech skills, a first important milestone to reach 1 million trained talents by 2025. The Pledge unites all types of organisations in supporting the objective of training one million Europeans in deep tech skills by 2025. Pledgers can provide educational trainings and courses, in-company trainings, financial contributions, or project support.

Abodoo is a revolutionary skills platform that provides actionable insights to “bridge the digital and skills divide, empower individual lifelong learning paths, and ensure greater inclusivity for the future of work.” It will support the Deep Tech Talent Initiative by contributing its Deep Technology Leaders Training Program through the Digital Skills Passport. This four-month access from anywhere training will develop key skills around 

• AI and machine learning
• Design thinking and entrepreneurship
• Programming and web development
• Leadership 

The course will give learners a holistic perspective on the impact of technology on society and the environment. Abodoo will train and map the skills journey of 3,000 learners.

Abodoo is partnering with EIT Digital in its pledge with the Digital Skills Passport and recommended learning to give an unparalleled education experience for learners accessing curated pathways, inclusive skills to job matching and European wide skills mapping to measure the skills gap closing in real time and forecasting the future skills needs of deep tech. EIT Digital CEO Federico Menna talks about transforming learning in the Skills Newsletter Feb 2023 What I learning in Brussels on the Future of the Digital Skills Revolution

In Summary

The European deep tech initiative is an important effort to support the development and commercialisation of deep tech innovations in Europe. Deep tech refers to advanced technologies that are based on scientific research and have the potential to create significant economic and social impact.

The initiative is important because it aims to address some of the key challenges facing the European deep tech ecosystem, including access to funding, talent, and market opportunities. By providing funding and support to deep tech start-ups, the initiative can help to bridge the gap between research and commercialisation, and stimulate innovation and economic growth in Europe. Moreover, deep tech innovations have the potential to drive progress in a wide range of areas, from healthcare and sustainability to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. By promoting the development of these technologies, the initiative can contribute to addressing some of the most pressing global challenges of our time.

Overall, the European deep tech initiative is an important effort to support the growth and competitiveness of the European deep tech ecosystem, and to promote innovation and progress in critical areas of societal importance as the The European Year of Skills commences.

Thank you to Nora Locskai and Zsuzsanna Bódi for hosting a fantastic and inspiring event

By

Vanessa Tierney (CEO)

Who we are

Abodoo is a skills technology company transforming future learning and lives. 

What we do 

We provide governments and educational institutions, skills software and actionable insights that can bridge the digital divide, empower individual lifelong learning paths and ensure greater inclusivity for the future of work.

How we do this

We achieve this through mapping skills at a macro and micro level, recommending individual learning paths, providing access to unlimited educational providers, implementing an automated inclusive skills matching for marketplaces and giving actionable insights for future skills investment. All of our solutions can be integrated and provided in a white labelled capacity.

Check out: www.abodoo.com

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