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The idea of digital skills academies is an important step towards ensuring EU leadership in digital and emerging technologies. Investing in advanced digital skills is a crucial driver for innovation and productivity; hence, the new initiative is responding to the demand for better cooperation and alignment with market needs. A year ago, the EU adopted a working plan for the Digital Europe Program (2025-27) and allocated €1.3 bn to strengthen digital skills, AI, cybersecurity and other key digital technologies.
Background
Delivering on the objectives set out in recent regulatory means in the digital transition, such as the Competitiveness Compass, Union of Skills, and AI Continent Action Plan, the European Commission is setting up three new digital skills academies, targeting critical talent shortages across key digital areas. To assist the consumers, for example a supplemental promotional visual prepared by the Commission for the Digital Skills Academies is featuring illustrated figures using digital devices, with text highlighting the focus areas: quantum, artificial intelligence, and virtual worlds.
Following are the references to recent EU-wide actions:
= On Competitiveness Compass in: https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/competitiveness-compass_en;
= On Union of Skills in: https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/union-skills_en;
= On AI Continental action plan in: https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/ai-continent_en
Each academy will function as a cornerstone in its domain, identifying skill gaps, developing state-of-the-art education and training programs, scaling up successful initiatives and creating strong ecosystems. Leveraging strategic partnerships with academia, training providers, industry, and public institutions, the academies will act as powerful catalysts for promoting digital careers, especially among women, and incentivizing the return of European talent from abroad.
For example, the new academies in Quantum Technologies, Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Worlds are complementing the existing Cybersecurity Skills Academy, and will foster a more coordinated approach to digital skills education and training in the EU.
As the legal background, the European Commission adopted in March 3, 2025 Implementing Decision on the financing of the Digital Europe Program, and on the adoption of the multi-annual work program 2025-2027.
European digital strategy
The EU-wide digital program (so-called DIGITAL) for 2025-27 aims to continue further on the EU’s goals in digital transformation as defined in the communication 2030 Digital Compass: The European way for the Digital Decade and in the Path to the Digital Decade policy programme.
The DIGITAL provides strategic funding for activities directed to resolving modern challenges, supporting projects in key capacity areas such as: supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, as well as ensuring a wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society. The program also supports industry, SMEs and public administration in their digital transformation with a reinforced network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH).
More on EU digital strategy in our EII’s publications; additionally on EDIHs in: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/edihs
New DIGITAL initiative
A new capacity area on semiconductors was added in September 2023. Under the Chips Act, DIGITAL funding was mobilized to address a semiconductor shortage by promoting capacity building through another EU idea, i.e. the Chips for Europe Initiative.
With an overall budget of over €8.1 billion, DIGITAL aims to shape the digital transformation of Europe’s society and economy, in line with EU’s goals defined in the Communication – 2030 Digital Compass: The European way for the Digital Decade and in the Policy Program – Path to the Digital Decade. The Digital Europe Program is a part of the long-term EU budget, the Multi-annual Financial Framework 2021-2027.
The DIGITAL does not address challenges in isolation. It complements the funding available through other EU programmes, such as the Horizon Europe (for research and innovation) and the Connecting Europe Facility (for digital infrastructure), the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the Structural funds, to name a few. Along with other programs, the DIGITAL is also a part of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) initiative that is designed to enhance the EU’s industrial competitiveness and reinforce European sovereignty by focusing on the development and manufacturing of critical technologies. A number of projects funded by DIGITAL are recipients of the STEP Seal, a quality label that facilitates access to other EU funding.
Thus, the digital work program for three years reflects a few new actions and responds to contemporary challenges identified in the political priorities of the new Commission around tech sovereignty, democracy and security, and linked notably to the implementation of the Chips Act, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act and the AI Innovation package communication and the objective to make Europe an AI continent thriving on development, integration and adoption of AI thanks to the forthcoming Apply AI Strategy, the EU Digital Identity Wallet, the Cyber Solidarity Act and the Cyber Resilience Act, as well as the Interoperable Europe Act.
Reference to: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/digital-programme
Three new digital academies
There three new academies oriented towards such vital digital directions as: a) Quantum Skills and Technologies Digital Academy, b) Digital Skills Academy in GenAI; and c) Virtual Worlds Skills Academy; all three will foster a more coordinated approach to digital skills education and training among the EU member states.
Each academy will function as a cornerstone in its domain, identifying skill gaps, developing state-of-the-art education and training programs, scaling up successful initiatives and creating strong ecosystems.
Leveraging strategic partnerships with other academic institutions, numerous training providers, industry and public institutions, the new “academies” will act as powerful catalysts for promoting digital careers, especially among women, and incentivizing the return of European talent from abroad.
The new academies will be funded under the recently adopted Digital Europe Work Program 2025-2027; the call for projects and submissions was published on 15 April 2025. The Commission encouraged all interested stakeholders to register for the Info Day taking place on 16 May 2025 to receive more information about how to be part of this initiative.
On the Info Day in: https://digital-skills-jobs.europa.eu/en/latest/events/info-day-digital-europe-programme-8th-call-sectoral-digital-skills-academies