Skills for smart industrial specialisation and digital transformation : interim report

On behalf of the European Commission (the Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs), the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) has launched a two-year project aimed at developing a common vision towards 2030 and supporting actions in the form of a toolbox boosting high-tech skills development for smart industrial specialisation and digital transformation. Professionals with high-tech skills have the potential to serve the growing needs created by smart industrial specialisation and digital transformation and to offer a solid foundation for tomorrow's worker. This 'Interim Report' provides the state of play in the EU with regard to the presence of policies, initiatives and strategies in support of smart industrial specialisation and digital transformation at city, regional and national levels, as well as those aiming to foster the development of high-tech skills and future professionals. The competitiveness of industry is highly dependent on the knowledge, skills, competencies and creativity of its workforce. It is widely recognised in industry that potential shortages and gaps in skills development, combined with mismatches between labour supply and demand, directly harm job creation. The Fourth Industrial Revolution brings major disruption to the scale at which upskilling and reskilling efforts currently take place, and is therefore likely to widen these potential gaps. Moreover, it is likely that advanced economies characterised by large consumer markets, such as the European Union (EU), will be confronted with the highest skills mismatches.