Collaboratorium: how to create effective spaces for learners in the Joint European Master.
Best practices Collaboratorium: how to create effective spaces for learners in the Joint European Master Users: Training providers (public), Training providers (private)| Theme: Cross-border initiatives | Action: Education programmes/courses | Beneficiaries: Learners (STEM background), Learners (non-STEM background) Euridice Euridice Emiliano Grimaldi Pietro Nunziante Et al. In this Collaboratorium approach students tackle real-world “wicked” problems and work in small interdisciplinary, and often transdisciplinary teams, in the design of socio-technical solutions, through user-centered and community-centered approaches.Students with different educational backgrounds, from different institutions, countries and cultures, collaborate in challenge-based master-level research and educational projects for societal impact. Building a community of learners is key to successful learning.The students acquire core technical and engineering knowledge and hands-on experience regarding advanced digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, conceptual modeling, digital law, ethnography, sociology, philosophy, international development, and various other subjects. These skills are trained through co-creative projects.Mobility is naturally blended into our education design via Summer Schools where all students meet in person. Read more about EURIDICE’s Collaboratorium interdisciplinary master pilot projects. The challenge? How can we build and educate young professionals to be both skilled and reflective for the Digital Society? How should these innovative curricula look like? How can we give our students a sense of belonging to a group, in an international, digitally connected context? How can we avoid that every student is working together while being alone behind their computer screen? Our solution Our proposed solution was coined: Collaboratorium. This is both a hybrid digital/physical interconnected workspace, and an educational concept. It combines onsite in-presence classrooms and workspaces, connected via digital collaboration bridges. Outcomes The programme’s success has seen it be shortlisted in the Best Master’s degree category at the Irish Higher Education Awards. We have successfully graduated two cohorts of students who previously had found the capstone project as a barrier to progression. This might be for time poverty or company IP reasons. Particularly in the SME case, the release of IP in the form of a project can be a particular issue. The flexible nature of this masters degree programme has also proven attractive to women who are returning to the workforce. The gender breakdown thus far has been 60:40 Female:Male, which s unusual in the Science and Engineering faculties. Key takeaways Virtual education is efficient to train people remotely, however, presential collaboration is important for human well-being and enhances learning capacity and creativity. We advise to design your education such that groups are together in one space, while virtually communicating with other groups who are remote. Learn more here Master theses digital society Master theses digital society
Accreditation process in the Digital4Business project
Best practices Accredition process in the Digital4Business project Users: Training providers (public), Training providers (private), Policymakers (EU), Policymakers (Member states | Theme: Accreditation and certification | Action: Education programmes/courses | Beneficiaries: Training providers (public), Training providers (private) Digital4BusinessDigital4Business Sophie Schultz The aim of the Digital4Business project is the conception and development of a joint Master’s degree program by four (originally six) European universities from Ireland, Portugal, Italy and Sweden in collaboration with partners from industry. One of the milestones in the project is the accreditation of the Master’s program. Here, the consortium opted for an accreditation procedure under the European Approach, an accreditation methodology developed specifically for joint programs to facilitate external quality assurance through the application of common standards and guidelines. Otherwise, all four (originally six) universities would have had to carry out individual national accreditation procedures, which would have resulted in significantly more time and effort as well as higher costs. The challenge? The consortium faced two challenges during the accreditation process: First, the consortium learned in the preparation phase that the European Approach was not implemented at national level in Italy and Sweden, which means that a European Approach accreditation is not possible at HEIs from these countries. Second, the consortium had to compensate for the loss of two of the six universities in the middle of the accreditation process. One of the two had decided to withdraw from the consortium and only remain as an associated partner, while the other one could longer participate in the project as an academic partner as it was lacking official recognition as a university by the state/ministry. Our solution First, the fact that the European Approach is not available in all countries was solved by the decision that only the two universities from Ireland and Portugal (countries where the European Approach was implemented) will be degree-awarding institutions. The other two universities from Sweden and Italy are still fully and actively engaged in the design, implementation and delivery of the program but only act as providing (i.e. non-awarding) institutions. Second, the loss of the two academic partners meant that the modules that had been developed by these two had to be redistributed among the four remaining universities. However, the redistribution worked smoothly and served as an opportunity to revise and update the module content. Outcomes The master’s program was accredited with requirements by a European registered accreditation agency (applying the European Approach). The conception, development and delivery of all modules was ensured by the successful redistribution of modules among the remaining academic partners. Key takeaways HEIs should inform themselves about the national accreditation requirements at an early stage (possibly even before a proposal is submitted). The status of HEIs, i.e. whether or not they are officially recognized in their contries, should be reviewed at an early stage (possibly even before a proposal is submitted). All (academic) partners should have a certain degree of flexibility (e.g. with regard to internal resource and budget allocation) in order to be able to react to unexpected problems or changing conditions. Learn more here
Bringing Industry to the Classroom: Expert Conferences Connecting Students with Digital Twin Innovation
Best practices Bringing Industry to the Classroom: Expert Conferences Connecting Students with Digital Twin Innovation Users: SMEs, Training providers (public), Training providers (private), Industry | Theme: Indsustry Engagement | Action: Education programmes/courses | Beneficiaries: SMEs | Labour force (employed) DIGITWIN4CIUEDIGITWIN4CIUE Beatriz Martin Bautista Cerro DIGITWIN4CIUE, through the European Center of Excellence in Digitalization of Infrastructures and Cities, offers an Executive Master’s in Digital Twins for Infrastructures and Cities. This program features a flexible academic structure, attracting professionals from various disciplines in the built environment industry.Designed for professionals and engineers passionate about digital transformation in civil engineering, smart cities, and related fields, our program provides comprehensive training in key digital technologies for digital twins in infrastructures. It equips participants with the ability to conceive and develop digital twins to tackle specific challenges in infrastructure planning, design, construction, operation, and management, while also fostering the skills needed to identify business opportunities arising from digital twin technology.The Joint Institutional Executive Master diploma is issued by three of Europe’s top engineering universities: UPM (Spain), ENPC (France), BME (Hungary) and ITU (Turkey). The challenge? How can we ensure that students not only learn about Digital Twins in class but also engage with cutting-edge innovation, industry advancements, and real-world applications?Creating direct connections between students, researchers, and professionals is key to fostering career opportunities, expanding networks, and shaping a future-ready workforce. Our solution To bridge this gap, we established a structured series of expert-led conferences throughout the academic year. These sessions take place every two weeks in both online and in-person formats and are hosted across the five partner universities delivering the master’s program.Through this initiative, students benefit from continuous exposure to industry leaders, researchers, and professionals, allowing them to:• Engage directly with key players in the field• Gain insights into the latest advancements in Digital Twin technology• Participate in discussions that link academic learning with real industry needs Outcomes This initiative fosters a growth-focused learning environment, where students exchange knowledge beyond exams and assessments—driven by curiosity and professional development.Additionally, the in-person conferences enhance networking opportunities, giving students the chance to interact first-hand with guest speakers during dedicated networking sessions. These moments are crucial for establishing connections, exploring career paths, and sparking future collaborations in the rapidly evolving Digital Twin ecosystem. Key takeaways ‘Structured & Recurring Industry Engagement: Organizing expert-led conferences every two weeks ensures continuous exposure to industry leaders and real-world applications, keeping students engaged with cutting-edge advancements.Bridging Academia & Industry: Direct interaction with industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers aligns academic learning with market needs, enhancing career readiness and professional development.Networking & Career Development: Dedicated networking sessions provide students with valuable opportunities to connect with professionals, explore career paths, and foster collaborations in the Digital Twin ecosystem. Learn more here
Codesign for Cutting-Edge Digital Skills – The ACHIEVE Model
Best practices Codesign for Cutting-Edge Digital Skills – The ACHIEVE Model Users: Training Providers (Public), Training Providers (Private) | Theme: Industry Engagement | Action: Education Programmes/Courses | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Public), Training Providers (Private), Industry, SMEs, Learners (STEM background), Labour force (employed) Achieve Achieve Andrea Biancini, Salvatore Moccia A large share of European companies and particularly SMEs report significant difficulty in finding and hiring quality candidates with a sufficient level of advanced digital skills. This problem reflects not only the general lack of ICT graduates and professionals in Europe, but also a mismatch of skills demand and supply, even among professionals with ICT-related backgrounds. Oftentimes, the available academic curricula do not effectively prepare learners for the workforce or equip them with the advanced digital skills required by the industry.The ACHIEVE project serves as a best practice example of how collaborative codesign between academia and industry can revolutionize digital education. By integrating real-world market needs into the curriculum development process, ACHIEVE ensures that learners gain job-ready skills while companies benefit from a highly skilled workforce. The challenge? The rapid evolution of cloud computing, networking infrastructure, and HPC has outpaced the ability of higher education institutions to update curricula, creating a skills gap between graduates and industry needs.Universities tend to emphasise theoretical learning while industry needs practical, hands-on skills. Oftentimes, there is also limited interaction between universities and industry, which leads to curricula missing out on what skills are truly in demand, leaving graduates less prepared for the workplace. Our solution ACHIEVE pioneers a transformative approach to developing next-generation cloud and networking infrastructure education by shifting from a traditional design model to a co-design methodology. By engaging leading academic institutions, industrial partners, and research centers from the outset, the project ensures that its educational programs align with the real-world demands of industry and research. A central pillar of ACHIEVE is its deep integration of academic excellence with industrial expertise. The program establishes strong ties with HPC providers, cloud infrastructure companies, telecom firms, and research institutions, ensuring that students gain both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience. The curriculum incorporates real-world case studies, industry-led challenges, and applied research projects, enabling students to develop competencies that are immediately applicable in high-demand job markets. Outcomes: Industry-Aligned Education: The curriculum was designed in collaboration with leading cloud providers, telecom companies, and HPC research centers, ensuring graduates acquire in-demand technical skills in AI-driven networking, cloud security, and HPC architectures. Faster Curriculum Adaptation: By engaging industry experts early, the program streamlined the approval process across different national accreditation frameworks, reducing delays and aligning with market needs more effectively. Stronger Industry Participation: Over 30 SMEs and enterprises actively contributed through guest lectures, mentorship, and internship placements, enhancing hands-on training and employability. Increased Student Engagement: The program attracted 250+ students across multiple EU countries, with 85% securing industry placements or research roles within six months of completion. Scalable Certification Model: Introduced stackable micro-credentials in cloud security, AI-driven networking, and HPC optimization, allowing professionals to upskill flexibly while maintaining workforce engagement. Key takeaways Co-design education programs with industry to ensure graduates have the right skills for the job market. Collaborate with companies and SMEs to incorporate and offer internships and real-world projects as part of the curriculum, improving students’ employability. Consider providing modular learning paths and micro-credentials: their flexibility allows for alignment with industry needs and makes upskilling more accessible. Leverage your consortium’s industry connections across countries: cross-border collaboration strengthens knowledge exchange and scalability. Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.
A Joint European Degree label in Engineering to facilitate accreditation
Best practices A Joint European Degree label in EngIneering to facilitate accreditation Users: Policymakers (EU), Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Accreditation & Certification | Action: Framework/Methodology | Beneficiaries:Training Providers (Private), Training Providers (Public) JEDI jedilabel Lucía Linares, Project Manager, UPMRamón Martínez, Project Coordinator, UPM The JEDI project, coordinated by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), brought together sixteen educational institutions from eleven countries to explore and develop a European label for joint degree programmes in engineering. As student mobility and such types of degrees are on the rise, there is a need to refine common assessment criteria. In collaboration with accreditation agencies, ministries, and employers, JEDI explores the feasibility and impact of this label and promotes innovative learning methodologies that highlight European values in joint programmes. The challenge? The JEDI project was tasked with developing a label under which recognised joint degrees could be delivered across Europe. This included acceptance by employers, as well as compatibility with national legislations. However, the lack of harmonised regulations for joint degrees created obstacles in their recognition across different countries. National engineering professional associations were also hesitant to recognise foreign programmes, making it difficult to integrate these degrees into the broader European engineering, technology, and science sectors. Our solution JEDI established a structured framework to guarantee consistency and quality, align curricula in terms of learning outomes, and establish quality assurance and accreditation criteria. It then developed a prototype label based on common criteria and made the label widely accepted and credible at the European level. JEDI tested the prototype label on selected joint degree programmes and gathered feedback from students, academic institutions, and employers to assess its impact and refine its applicability and effectiveness. Key takeaways Stakeholder-Driven Evaluation Process: Actively collect feedback from universities, employers, and accreditation bodies to ensure the joint degree label meets both academic and industry needs, ensuring relevance and sustainablity. Leveraging Existing Accreditation Frameworks: Incorporate insights from established accreditation systems such as EUR-ACE, aligning joint degrees with industry standards and ensuring they meet the specific requirements of European engineering and technology programmes. Learn more here
SME engagement for master curriculum co-creation and joint R&D initiatives
Best practices SME engagement for master curriculum co-creation and joint R&D initiatives Users: Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Industry Engagement | Action: Education Programmes/Courses | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Public), Industry, SMEs CyberSecPro cybersecpro-project.eu Kitty Kioskli, CEO & Cofounder, Trustilio CyberSecPro develops cutting-edge education and training materials available online across the EU. It aims to prepare new workforce generations and up-skill existing professionals to address cybersecurity challenges. To address its diverse target group, the project involves actors from academia and industry. In particular, it includes the establishment of a unique learning factory, to create an environment where innovation, research, industry, academia and SME support are linked, so that cybersecurity training remains relevant and responsive to industry needs. The challenge? Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face constraints in terms of budget, personnel, and time, which makes it challenging for them to engage in cybersecurity education and training. Designing master programmes that are tailored to their specific needs while also allowing for scalability across different countries adds complexity. Additionally, maintaining SME engagement throughout the programme is difficult due to shifting market conditions and changing business priorities. Ensuring long-term commitment requires a clear value proposition, practical and industry-relevant course content, and dedicated support mechanisms that align with their continuously changing needs. Our solution CyberSecPro implemented a co-creation approach, actively involving SMEs in the development of a Cybersecurity Master’s Curriculum. By collaborating with SMEs, the programme ensured that the curriculum integrated industry demands, practical skills, and real-world business scenarios. CyberSecPro implemented joint R&D initiatives between higher education institutions (HEIs) and SMEs. These partnerships aligned academic research with the technological and market-driven needs of SMEs, facilitating knowledge transfer and enhancing the practical application of cybersecurity solutions. By bridging academia and industry, this collaboration generated mutual benefits, ensuring that SME engagement remained strong and that cybersecurity training was relevant. Key takeaways Flexible Engagement Models: Implement adaptable participation structures that allow SMEs to engage at varying levels based on their resource availability. This will increase accessibility and encourage long-term involvement. Customisable, SME-Centric Curriculum: Design tailored training programmes that align with the specific needs of SMEs, ensuring content is relevant, practical, and directly applicable to their business contexts. Ongoing Engagement & Feedback: Establish regular check-ins and feedback loops to maintain SME involvement, allowing training programmes to respond to shifting industry demands and business priorities. Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.
Aligning master’s curricula to national and institutional cultures across EU countries
Best practices Aligning master’s curricula to national and institutional cultures across EU countries Users: Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Cross-Border Initiatives | Action: Education Programmes/Courses | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Public) HCAIM humancentered-ai.eu Barry Feeney, Technical University Dublin HCAIM is dedicated to developing a unique Human-Centred AI Master’s programme that combines ethical, technical, and practical education in AI. By creating specialised educational materials, the consortium ensures a consistent learning experience across partner institutions in Hungary, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands. While the programmes vary slightly depending on the resources and cultural contexts of participating universities, the diverse elective courses offer students the flexibility to build a personalised HCAIM portfolio aligned with their specific interests in AI. The challenge? The HCAIM consortium faced challenges in ensuring programme requirements across different countries and institutions were aligned, which complicated the standardisation of curricula and learning outcomes. Additionally, aligning the programme with the academic cultures of each university proved difficult, particularly when balancing an applied versus technological approach to AI education. Some partner universities prioritised practical, hands-on learning, while others focused on a theoretical, research-driven approach. This required a flexible yet consistent framework that ensured all students, regardless of location, received an industry-relevant AI education. Our solution HCAIM organised panels, learning events, and expert-led workshops, leveraging the collective expertise of all partners involved. These events contributed to the development of standardised study materials and provided students with valuable interdisciplinary insights. It created a shared knowledge framework in collaboration with industry experts and research centres, which ensured that the programme remained aligned with current AI trends, industry practices, and ethical considerations while maintaining academic flexibility. To ensure core consistency in the Masters degrees an agreed Body of Knowledge of 60 credits was adopted by University partners. This was then customised into each local Masters by the partner universities. Key takeaways When delivering programmes across institutions, it is important to standardise processes and contents. A BoK is the complete set of concepts, terms and activities that make up a professional domain. Tailor the BoK to meet national accreditation standards, ensuring that it aligns with the educational and regulatory frameworks of each participating country. Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.
SME engagement for master programme design – ManagiDiTH
Best practices SME engagement for master programme design Users: Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Skills Data | Action: Education Programmes/Courses | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Public), Industry, SMEs ManagiDiTH managidith.eu Rosália Rodrigues, Whymob ManagiDiTH has brought together a multi-stakeholder consortium to develop a 1,5 year master’s programme for digital transformation in healthcare. The industry and academic expertise gathered from the respective partners allows the programme to equip professionals from healthcare, digital technologies, and management with the skills needed to plan and implement digital health services.Well-defining these skills is high-priority for the project. That said ManagiDiTH’s consortium offers a unique mix and thus a solid understanding of the needs and particularities of industry, and particularly SMEs. The challenge? ManagiDiTH has had to conduct a comprehensive ecosystem mapping and digital skills needs assessment to ensure the curriculum aligns with industry demands. This involves identifying key stakeholders across local and European healthcare and digital ecosystems, including healthcare institutions, technology providers, policymakers, and academic organisations. Additionally, an in-depth analysis of upcoming technological trends was necessary to understand the evolving landscape of digital health solutions. A key aspect of this challenge has been evaluating the current and future digital competencies required by healthcare professionals, ensuring that the programme equips graduates with the skills needed to lead digital transformation in the sector. Our solution ManagiDiTH integrated social skills training with specialised modules in data science and interoperability, ensuring graduates were equipped with both technical and interpersonal skills for digital healthcare transformation. It established a coherent curriculum with well-defined modules, clear learning outcomes and assessment methods. A dedicated digital learning platform was also implemented to enhance accessibility and engagement for students. Secured accreditation across multiple countries and institutions: The programme’s recognition and credibility within the European healthcare sector was ensured, which facilitated widespread adoption and long-term impact. Key takeaways Industry-Led Guest Lectures & Workshops: SMEs deliver guest lectures and workshops, providing students with real-world insights, case studies, and practical applications of digital healthcare solutions. Project-Based Learning with SME Collaboration: SMEs actively participate in designing and executing project-based learning modules, ensuring students gain hands-on experience in solving industry-specific challenges. Internships & Work Placements: Students have access to internships and work placements with SMEs, allowing them to apply their skills in professional environments Advisory Board Participation: SMEs contribute to advisory boards, ensuring continuous alignment of the curriculum with evolving industry needs, trends, and technological advancements. Collaborative Research & Innovation: SMEs engage in research initiatives, both locally and through multi-partner hybrid projects, allowing cross-sector knowledge exchange. Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.
SME involvment in master’s programme design: development of engagement models
Best practices SME involvment in master’s programme design: development of engagement models Users: Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Industry Engagement | Action: Education Programmes/Courses | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Public), Training Providers (Private) AI and Health aiandhealth.eu Baran Bayindir, CEO, Smart Lab Partner AI and Health offers a double master’s degree across France, Spain, Italy, and Sweden, integrating AI technologies into healthcare, biology and medicine. To ensure the quality and relevance of the content in such a dynamic field requires the involvement of domain experts and key industry actors. These actors can provide links to the latest advancements in the field and real-life use case that can be incorporated in the curriculum. The challenge? A key challenge in the AI and Health programme was ensuring the early involvement of skilled talent and SMEs in the programme design. Delays in engaging industry actors hindered the ability to establish necessary operational steps and align academic content with real-world industry needs. Without early planning, maintaining SME participation and ensuring long-term programme effectiveness became difficult. Our solution Hands-on Training with Industry Experts: SMEs were actively involved in course creation, and industry professionals were integrated into the training staff, ensuring that content remained relevant to real-world applications in AI and healthcare. Integrated Micro-Credentials & Digital Certification: The programme was designed around micro-credentials and digital certification systems, enhancing industry recognition and promoting professional participation. Key takeaways Raise Awareness Through Events: Regularly host collaborative events bringing together academia and industry, in order to promote cross-sector engagement and help align academic programmes with industry needs. Prepare Engagement Models in Advance: Develop structured SME engagement models that introduce companies to study courses early. Allowing for better integration of industry requirements into the programme. Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.
Leveraging flexible approaches and platforms for SME engagement in master’s programme design
Best practices Leveraging flexible approaches and platforms for SME engagement in master’s programme design Users: Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Industry Engagement | Action: Education Programmes/Courses | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Public), Industry, SMEs DIGITWIN4CIEU digitwin4ciue.eu Ignacio González Tejada – Center of Excellence Director, UPM Rocío López Espinosa – Project Coordinator, UPM Beatriz Martín Bautista-Cerro – Project Manager, UPM DIGITWIN4CIEU offers a master’s degree across Spain, France, Hungary, and Turkey, equiping civil engineers with digital skill’s for the industry’s transformation. The quality and relevance of the content is largely ensured due to the industry and academic experts from SMEs and universities that have collaborated in the development of this masters. The challenge? Convincing SMEs in manufacturing to embrace the virtualization of infrastructures proves challenging, as they are already struggling to adapt to industry-specific requirements such as developing Building Information Modelings (BIM). Additionally, SMEs are hesitant to invest in sponsoring students and face limited availability of employees to participate in the preparation stages of the Master’s programme due to professional projects and deadlines that they must adhere to. Our solution DIGITWIN4CIUE offers an Executive Master’s in Digital Twins for Infrastructures and Cities, featuring an academic programme designed with flexibility. To attract professionals from different disciplines in the built environment industry, flexible scheduling options such as evening or recorded classes have been implemented. DIGITWIN4CIUE is developing tailor-made training, including long-term courses and MOOC programs, with specialized content designed to meet industry needs. This continuous generation of technical content aims to shape the mindset of SME managers and highlight the importance of adapting to technological advancements. DIGITWIN4CIUE has established a European Centre of Excellence, which serves as the primary platform for engaging with SMEs. It acts as a hub for innovative research, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing, bringing together experts from academia, industry, and government. Key takeaways A network of contacts to generate impact: Create a technical contents team, that will generate weekly communications of interest to persuade SMEs managers on the need to anticipate the future of the construction sector, in order to be competitive with larger entities. Regular publications on social media: Publish posts on a mix of channels, including LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube etc. to keep stakeholders engaged in the goal of the project. Sign collaboration agreements with SME associations (e.g. ANCI, Tecniberia) to mobilise participation in programme development and deployment. Learn more here Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.