The Guild publishes position paper on 'Skills and competencies for Europe's innovation'

The Guild of European Research-intensive Universities has published a position paper on 'Skills and Competencies for Innovation'. The position, which was presented on 25 February 2025, was drawn up in view of the upcoming new strategy of the European Commission on a 'Union of Skills' to address labour and skill shortages across the EU. The strategy is due to be presented on 5 March 2025.

The Guild emphasises the distinctive role of universities in this context, saying they have the responsibility to equip students and researchers with knowledge in key subject domains that require both increasing specialist depth and interdisciplinary breadth; and to truly embrace the evolving set of competencies needed in a rapidly changing world.

The Guild members identify six key challenges in delivering on this ambition – ranging from resources, regulation to knowledge valorisation – and offer recommendations for supporting students and researchers to best contribute to Europe’s future. The association's key recommendations include:

1. European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT): Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) should focus on education-related activities and move away from the present model of labelling existing education programmes towards the development of new programmes jointly with the other actors of the KICs’ local ecosystems.
2. European Innovation Council (EIC): The Guild recommends complementary measures, implemented outside the EIC, to support universities in the development of sustainable education and training programmes, in order to ensure systemic impact.
3. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA): The Guild recommends to expand the MSCA under the next Framework Programme and maintain its focus on excellent research that the Guild regards as having a clear positive impact on researchers’ skills and capacity to develop and commercialise innovation.
4. Erasmus+: The Guild recommends to continue with the current priorities of the green and digital transformation and ensure that the programme provides opportunities to develop transversal skills that can spur innovative approaches across all study fields.

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The Guild position paper: Skills and Competencies for Innovation