EIT Digital

In addition to a number of events and activities such as hackathons and awards, EIT Digital also organises the EIT Digital Academy programme, which consists of four different formal education structures (Master School, Industrial Doctoral School, Summer School and Professional School). All educational programmes, regardless of specialisation, combine high-level digital skills training with entrepreneurial knowledge. The EIT Master’s programme combines digital skills with digital skills in eight different specialisations, and minor skills in innovation and entrepreneurship. At doctoral level, participation is also based on a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as geographical mobility and alignment with other EIT innovation areas. The Summer Schools are aimed at professionals, Masters, PhD students and other students and focus on the EIT’s digital domains.

EIT Digital aims to achieve global impact through innovation and technology solutions developed in Europe, to foster the development of global digital talent and skills in emerging technologies, to create a test bed for innovation and to bring to market innovative solutions that can make a significant contribution to their intended sector. “EIT Digital also supports enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs to fully benefit from the impact of digital transformation in services and processes and to ensure that they are at the forefront of digital innovation;

A pan-European network of more than 200 organisations, businesses, SMEs, research institutes, universities and start-ups, EIT Digital enables students, researchers and entrepreneurs to collaborate in an open innovation environment and develop solutions that have a positive impact. The EIT ecosystem’s offshoots are: Amsterdam, Berlin, Braga, Budapest, Brussels, Brussels, Eindhoven, Edinburgh, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Nice, Paris, Rhine, Stockholm, Trento and San Francisco. Through the ARISE Europe programme, EIT Digital operates in Southern and South-Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, in order to be able to operate in regions where the organisation is not yet established.

As a pan-European initiative launched by the European Union, the impact of EIT Digital has been significant, spanning a wide range of sectors and societal groups. Skills development programmes and training promote the simultaneous development of information technology (IT) and entrepreneurial skills. EIT Digital graduates are well absorbed by the European and global labour market and are successfully securing employment. The initiative has become more successful: there is currently a high level of competition for applicants for the EIT Digital Academy places; in addition, the organisation has organised a range of courses through Coursera which are open to the general public and free of charge (for auditing), thus strengthening its outreach activities. The combination of online and face-to-face programmes further contributes to the programme’s outreach. As of 2019, EIT Digital brings together more than 270 partners and provides an easy-to-navigate website with a clear overview of learning opportunities and examples. Between 2011 and 2019, nearly 3 000 students participated in PhD and Masters programmes, and Coursera’s online capabilities have helped to reach another 100 000 learners.