Digital Skills EU Days 2026 | Aligning projects, academies and policy
At the Digital Skills EU Days in Bussels, the European digital skills community moved from celebration to concrete collaboration. Building on the momentum of the European Digital Skills Awards 2026, the day focused on how ADS SO4 projects, academies and EU institutions can work more closely to strengthen Europe’s digital skills ecosystem.
Connecting projects and academies
The morning opened with a matchmaking session between ADS SO4 projects and European academies. Rehana Schwinninger‑Ladak, Head of Unit CNECT G2, and Jean‑François Junger, Deputy Head of Unit HaDEA B.2, welcomed participants and stressed the need for stronger links between projects, funding instruments and long‑term training structures. DG CNECT colleagues then presented the Digital Decade report, upcoming 2026/2027 calls and the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform, showing both the policy direction and the practical tools available to the community.
A dedicated “Chat with the academies”, moderated by Brendan Rowan from LEADSx2030, brought together representatives from the AI Skills Academies, the Quantum Academy, the Virtual Worlds Skills Academy, the EuroHPC Virtual Training Academy and the Cybersecurity Skills Academy. Their presentations highlighted the skills needs they are addressing, the challenges they face and the importance of connecting specialised training offers with the evidence, networks and lessons generated by EU projects.
Sustainability, recruitment and data
The ADS Cluster sessions then explored three building blocks for long‑term impact. Mina Isomursu (SUSA) presented the Sustainability sub‑cluster white paper on how ADS programmes can outlast individual funding cycles and become part of normal institutional practice. In parallel, Jelena Tihana (Skills4DECA) led discussion on recruitment as digital infrastructure, Horacio González‑Vélez (Digital4Business) focused on KPI design and data collection, and Harri Ketamo (LEADSx2030) demonstrated how the LEADSx2030 Data Hub can support evidence‑based planning across projects, sectors and regions.
Turning discussion into policy input
Back in plenary, Ana M. Moreno (LEADSx2030) moderated a co‑creation session in which participants proposed and shaped new sub‑clusters for emerging topics. This session showed the ADS Cluster at its best: not just as a coordination mechanism, but as a community able to adapt its agenda to new challenges and opportunities.
The afternoon turned to policy and funding, with a workshop on feedback and recommendations for upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework instruments. Participants discussed how to bring skills into the workplace, where the biggest gaps remain and what Europe is still not doing. The discussion confirmed that while the project and academy landscape is becoming stronger, more alignment is needed between policy, data, delivery and long‑term investment.
Closing
The day closed with a clear message from Rehana Schwinninger‑Ladak: there must be stronger alignment, synergies and collaboration between academies and projects, and this is a shared responsibility across the European Commission, the academies, EU‑funded projects and future initiatives such as ELEVATE.
Europe is entering a new phase in advanced digital skills, the challenge is no longer only to launch good initiatives, but to connect them, scale them and ensure they deliver lasting impact for Europe´s competitiveness and technological sovereignty.