The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has announced a series of ambitious new education and skills initiatives aimed at closing the skills gap across Europe and boosting the continent’s innovation capacity
These developments were revealed during the EIT Education and Skills Days held in Brussels on 15–16 October.
Deep tech training across Europe
One of the main announcements was the evolution of the successful Deep Tech Talent Initiative into the EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction.
This next phase will provide better training access in critical areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and cleantech. The initiative is designed to address the significant talent shortages in these fields by training and certifying at least one million individuals in STEM and deep tech by 2028.
This expanded programme will also strengthen collaboration with national skilling programmes and introduce EU-wide micro-credentials, helping learners gain portable, recognised qualifications that can be used across member states.
The next generation of women in STEM
With the success of the Girls Go Circular programme, which has already trained over 80,000 students, the EIT is introducing a new initiative called Girls Go STEM. This programme, part of the EU’s STEM Education Strategic Plan, will focus more deeply on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, while also encouraging creativity and entrepreneurship.
The goal is to train 100,000 schoolgirls and contribute to the broader EU objective of reaching one million women and girls in STEM education by 2028. Girls Go STEM will work alongside key EU programmes such as Erasmus+, European University Alliances, and the Digital Skills Academies.
Innovation in higher education
The EIT also announced a new 2025 Call under its Higher Education Initiative (HEI), which supports universities in improving their innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems. The upcoming call will focus on expanding Europe’s STEM talent pipeline and creating closer collaboration between universities and the EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities.
This initiative aligns with the EU’s target to train 200,000 students, academic staff, and non-academic staff in areas like innovation, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property (IP) management by 2028. The HEI programme has already engaged over 1,000 organisations and has contributed to startup creation, future-skills training, and stronger industry-university collaboration.
Europe’s innovation capacity
Together, these new and ongoing programmes form part of the EIT Innovation Campus, a coordinated education portfolio that aims to train 2.3 million learners by 2028.
By focusing on deep tech, STEM, and higher education capacity, the EIT is aligning its work with major EU priorities such as the Union of Skills, STEM Education Strategic Plan, and the Startup and Scale-up Strategy.
The initiative highlights how education is central to innovation and economic resilience. By investing in future-focused training and inclusive educational programmes, the EIT is helping Europe stay competitive and prepared for the technological and industrial challenges ahead.
The EIT Education & Skills Days acted as a platform for discussing how Europe can equip its citizens for the green and digital transitions. Over two days, participants explored how EIT-led initiatives like the Deep Tech Talent Initiative, Girls Go Circular, and the EIT Skills Academies are creating new learning pathways for students, educators, and professionals.
