UPGRADE

This service contract for the European Commission carried out an analysis and a benchmarking of public policies and public-private partnerships, and made recommendations for scaling up best practices and re-focusing funding programmes and incentives in Europe specifically related to the acquisition of high-tech skills. At the same time it mobilised a large number of stakeholders and Member States contributing to the success of the EU high-tech skills strategy and efforts to facilitate the uptake of digital and key enabling technologies by European enterprises, especially SMEs and start-ups. The results were developed to inform policy-makers and business and social leaders regarding more effective policies, partnerships, funding programmes and incentives to increase the high-tech talent pool, employment and the competitiveness of the European economy and to contribute to the further evolution and improvement of European and national initiatives on high-tech skills. The results are documented on a website www.leadership2019.eu and their development was supported through an informal expert groups of more than 100 stakeholders. The work included the identification and analysis of around 270 initiatives, policies and funding programmes, documenting these and selecting and reporting of around 50 best practices, organisation and operation of two online surveys, organisation of four international workshops and a large-scale European conference, the development of policy recommendations and a roadmap for implementation addressed to different target groups. Throughout the duration of the service contract, empirica was supported by national correspondents from the ENIR network www.enir.org in the different European countries.