EU launches three new digital skills academies
The Digital Europe Programme helps the EU expand specialised digital skills across Member States.
The European Commission has launched three new Digital Skills Academies focused on AI, quantum technologies and virtual worlds.
The academies were announced during Digital Skills EU Days, an annual event bringing together digital skills projects, national coalitions, policymakers, industry representatives and education organisations from across the EU.
Funded under the Digital Europe Programme, the academies are intended to establish specialised training in critical technology areas and help the EU meet its Digital Decade targets.
The Commission said Europe’s competitiveness and leadership depend on digital talent, linking the initiative to the Union of Skills, the AI Continent Action Plan, the Apply AI Strategy and the Digital Decade Policy Programme.
The new academies add to wider Digital Europe Programme investments in skilling, upskilling and reskilling. The programme has invested more than €294 million in the EU digital skills initiatives covering areas such as data, cloud, cybersecurity and AI.
During the event, the Commission also presented the 2026 European Digital Skills Awards, recognising projects focused on AI literacy, cybersecurity education, digital inclusion, research data management and women’s participation in ICT.
Why does it matter?
The new academies show that the EU is treating digital skills as part of its strategic technology agenda, alongside regulation, infrastructure and industrial policy. AI, quantum technologies and virtual worlds all require specialised expertise, and shortages in these areas could slow deployment across businesses, research institutions and public services. The initiative also supports the EU’s broader goal of strengthening technological competitiveness and reducing dependence on external talent and capabilities.
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