Mar 03 2023
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In January 2023, the European EAGLE project has started, in which DIHBU participates, and also our partners UBU (project leader) and FAE BURGOS, aimed at addressing the specific digital skills gaps faced by SMEs in Europe.

The EAGLE project, ‘CovEring the trAining Gap in digitaL skills for European SMEs manpower’, is designed to help SMEs adapt to the rapidly changing digital landscape and ensure they have the skilled workforce needed to compete and thrive in the global economy.

The project is funded by the European Union’s Digital Europe Programme.

According to recent data, more than half of European SMEs lack the digital skills needed to grow and innovate. This is a major barrier to their success, as digitisation is increasingly becoming a key driver of economic growth and business competitiveness.

To address this challenge, the EAGLE project will develop training courses to help managers, middle managers and employees of SMEs to bridge the skills gap in specific technology areas of:

  • Robotics
  • Data analytics and AI
  • Blockchain technology and blockchain in finance
  • Cybercrime, cyberthreats and cybersecurity
  • Technology and energy systems

The EAGLE project consortium includes universities, business organisations and SMEs. The project will focus on establishing sustainable links between academia and small business representatives so that European universities can respond to the challenges and needs of SMEs.

The EAGLE project will enhance the ongoing university training courses of the consortium’s academic members with a holistic approach, broader methodological support and improved training material and tools. Leveraging existing investments will allow to meet an ambitious schedule, which plans to launch 6 courses based on surveys of SME skills needs, thus providing relevant means of skills upgrading/retraining for today’s market.

They will be promoted on the EU Digital Skills & Jobs Platform and the project will develop a methodology for the identification of digital skills gaps and the design of relevant, quality assured and accredited courses.

The project also aims to facilitate female participation in the above-mentioned technological areas. The aim is to find ways to attract women into the technology sectors, and the EAGLE project is a further relevant platform for collaboration in this regard.

The project, which has just started, has a duration of three years and enrolment for the courses will open in spring 2024.

INFORMATION FOR INTERESTED PARTIES

  • Individuals interested in professional improvement/retraining opportunities can register now to receive information about the launch of the EAGLE courses and training opportunities.
  • SMEs interested in training their own employees can also register and show their interest in the EAGLE project, to participate in needs surveys, and to register their employees for the training courses and evaluation process.
  • Higher education institutions interested in developing and delivering courses to address SME skills gaps can also register with EAGLE to participate in the development and delivery of these training courses.

PROJECT CONSORTIUM

The EAGLE project is implemented by a consortium involving the following European countries: Czech Republic, Ireland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Spain, Finland and Cyprus, with partners from different universities, business organisations, centres of excellence and SMEs:

European universities participating in the project:

  • Universidad de Burgos (UBU) (Spain)
  • University Matej Bel (UMB) (Slovakia)
  • Ostrava Technical University (VSB) (Czech Republic)
  • University of Limerick (UL) (Ireland)
  • Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland)

Centres of Excellence and SMES:

  • Lithuanian Cybercrime Centre of Excellence for Training, Research and Education (L3CE) (Lithuania)
  • Vernian RTI (Cyprus)

Confederations, Associations, Business Organisations and Digital Innovation Centres:

  • Confederation of Business Associations of Burgos (FAE) (Spain)
  • Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SOPK) (Slovakia)
  • Skillnet Ireland (Ireland)
  • Digital Innovation Hub Industry 4.0 (DIHBU) (Spain)

EAGLE has a duration of 36 months, starting on 1 January 2023, and a total budget of 2.28 million euros, of which 1.28 million is funded by the European Union.

Representatives of the EAGLE consortium at the project kick-off meeting in Burgos on 1-2 February 2023.

More information:

      

EAGLE Project at DIHBU

Posted inBlog EN
Tags4.0 talent digitalization DIHBU european projects FAE Burgos smes training UBU