Europe’s ambitious goals for climate neutrality and technological leadership demand a workforce equipped with cutting-edge skills. From maintaining sprawling wind farms to pioneering hydrogen infrastructure and leading the charge in deep tech innovation, the need for skilled labor and a pipeline of innovators has never been more critical.
As Europe’s policies and ambitions push the envelope in climate and tech, the labor force has to play catch-up. A recent EIC Scaling Club report highlights that 70% of EU deep tech startups struggle to find engineers with the experience to scale their ventures. This shortage extends beyond startups, impacting industries crucial for achieving the bloc's goals.
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is tackling this challenge head-on through its flagship EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative – a dynamic ecosystem designed to cultivate a robust pool of deep tech expertise across the continent. Launched in 2022, the Initiative has swiftly become a cornerstone of Europe’s strategy to bridge the skills gap.
Recently, the Initiative announced a landmark achievement: over one million talents trained in crucial deep tech fields. In a rapidly evolving labor landscape, programmes like EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative are critical for bringing the right deep tech skills for present and future jobs – and you can be part of this evolution, too.
The Initiative at a glance
The EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative is a first-of-its-kind programme that sets out a goal to upskill one million people within deep tech fields by 2025. It’s part of the broader New European Innovation Agenda, which aims to position Europe at the forefront of the new wave of deep tech innovation and start-ups.
The programme mobilizes universities, companies, national institutions, NGOs, and other Pledgers, to participate in cultivating the next crop of European deep tech talent. The Initiative offers funding to develop and scale up new or existing curricula in deep tech, while the Pledgers run their own deep tech programmes or support the cause by giving visibility to deep tech training across their networks.
Willem van Valkenburg, Executive Director TU Delft Extension School for Continuing Education, shares why they’ve taken the Pledge and how the Initiative benefits TU Delft and its learners:
Joining the Pledge offered TU Delft valuable opportunities within an ecosystem that bolster our commitment to equipping adult learners with deep tech skills. We share a vision for inclusive education that drives impact, recognizing that meaningful change requires collaboration with industry, governments, and innovators. This initiative enhances the exposure and reach of our training offer while providing early access to calls for funding and connecting us with like-minded parties. By engaging in this hub, we can share knowledge and best practices that enrich our programmes, better serve diverse adult learners, and promote Europe as a partner for investment and innovation.
The nexus of the project is the Initiative’s platform, offering a course catalog with courses from Pledgers, and featuring a talent community which brings together learners and offers them a personalised training offer through an AI-powered course search tool. Since its launch in October 2022, the platform has amassed an impressive portfolio with over 600 partners contributing to one million talents trained through more than 200 high-quality courses and various activities, covering 15 deep tech areas.
Among the projects funded by the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative in 2024 is QuLearnLabs’ quantum computing programme. QuLearnLabs’ Lead LX and Product, and Coordinator Andreea Moga shares how they have benefited from the Initiative: “The EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative has been instrumental in helping QuLearnLabs develop training that meets the demands of today’s fast-evolving tech landscape. With young developers using GenAI tools to learn independently and education systems struggling to keep up, there’s a clear need for new learning models. In Europe, while quantum research thrives, commercialization lags due to a shortage of application-driven talent. Addressing this is critical for Europe’s innovation capacity. Our AI-SEQ course (AI-assisted Software Engineering for Quantum Computing and Post-Quantum Cryptography) received 544+ applications and launched globally from day 1 – attracting learners from 61+ countries”.
Who are these one million talents and what have they learned?
While the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative has helped train deep tech talent in every corner of Europe and beyond, some countries have been more keen to embrace the offered opportunities, with the top 5 being represented by Norway, Austria, Greece, Ukraine, and France.
The Initiative has also made significant strides in promoting inclusivity within traditionally male-dominated fields. A strong emphasis has been placed on encouraging women's participation, and the results are encouraging. Women now represent 36% of the total number of talents reported by Pledgers, exceeding the initial target by 6%. There is still progress to be made, but this demonstrates a positive shift towards a more diverse and representative deep tech workforce.
In terms of topics, it should come as no surprise that artificial intelligence stands out as the most popular deep tech field with every fifth course – 41 total – falling into this category. The top five deep tech fields are:
- Artificial intelligence & machine learning (including Big data)
- Advanced computing/quantum computing
- Innovation and entrepreneurship in deep tech
- Advanced materials Advanced manufacturing
While these are the most common fields, the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative’s course offering extends well beyond just the top five, providing access to education in everything from aerospace solution commercialization to cutting-edge cybersecurity programmes like those from Ukraine’s SET University. As Iryna Volnytska, the President of SET University, puts it:
A cyberattack strikes every 39 seconds, and the world faces this with a shortage of over 4 million cybersecurity professionals. Meanwhile Europe’s digital future depends on its ability to defend it. Ukraine, the most targeted country by state-sponsored cyberattacks, has become a global hub of cyber resilience — with unique, real-world expertise unmatched anywhere else in the world. At SET University, we’re transforming this frontline expertise into exportable education. Through our partnership started with YourScience EDU in the context of the EIT Deep Tech Talent, we’re scaling proven, high-pressure strategies into Europe’s classrooms, equipping the next generation with tools to stay ahead of them.
Of all the courses, one in four are specifically targeted at professional development (think reskilling) while about 15% are aimed at life-long learners (think upskilling).
Here’s where you come in
The EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative is ongoing, and the opportunity to contribute to Europe’s deep tech training remains wide open. Whether you’re an education institution or organisation with invaluable expertise to share or a forward-thinking company eager to connect with Europe’s burgeoning talent pool, now is the time to take the Pledge and become a vital part of this ecosystem.
Similarly, individuals looking to enhance their skillset or embark on a new career path in a high-demand field will find a wealth of opportunities within the Initiative’s comprehensive course catalogue.
Joining the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative also presents a unique opportunity to become a part of Europe’s thriving deep tech ecosystem and be first in line to benefit from future initiatives. EIT will continue leveraging its unparalleled network, impressive portfolio of skilling programmes, and unique position at the heart of European deep tech to prepare the future workforce of Europe and nurture researchers to become entrepreneurs.
Learn more and take part in the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative at www.eitdeeptechtalent.eu.
Would you like to write the first comment?
Login to post comments