Brussel, Belgium (23 January 2024) – The inaugural EIT Educational Technology (EdTech) Conference 2024, hosted by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the EU, with the EIT Community and coordinated by EIT Urban Mobility took place today. The first edition of this annual event brought together more than a hundred key participants from education and innovation communities, including Higher Education Institutions, EdTech companies, and representatives of EU Institutions and national governments.
The participants and experts of the event highlighted the importance of fostering a more interconnected approach to push the untap potential of the sector, while creating a unique path that will align with European values and its higher education needs. For now, the European EdTech received €1.64 billion in investment in 2022. The EIT EdTech Conference conclusions will be drafted into a roadmap to incentivise innovation, foster collaboration, and strategically allocate resources. The aim of the roadmap is to position EdTech not just as an educational force but as a strategic asset for the European economy.
Mariya Gabriel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria: “Nurturing and retaining talent is key to tackling the most pressing challenges we face. Educational institutions, academia, businesses, and governments should continuously work together to develop a shared space where European innovators can thrive.”
Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission: ““The European Commission is pleased to support the EIT EdTech Conference. The collaboration between the EIT Community and the EdTech sector holds great promise to drive innovation in education. We need to work together to make sure that our citizens are equipped with the right skills for the challenges Europe faces. The European Commission will continue supporting this collaborative work through the EIT Community, the Erasmus+ programme and policy initiatives in the field.”
Ilaria Tagliavini, Head of Operation, EIT: “It’s no secret that Europe needs to train and retain talent if it wants to stay globally competitive. One of the main added values of the EIT’s unique innovation model is to integrate the education dimension into the innovation web, delivering talent tailored to Europe’s innovation needs. Our community – the largest innovation ecosystem in Europe – ensures a close cooperation between public education systems and private companies and is the perfect testing ground for European EdTech companies to develop their solutions.”
Maria Tsavachidis, CEO, EIT Urban Mobility: “Since the pandemic, education has seen a global innovation surge. People embraced apps and online platforms to acquire new skills. Now, with wider accessibility of AI and large language models it has become even more obvious that EdTech has vast potential to transform education and be a catalyst for economic growth. Leading this first European conference on EdTech, we, EIT Urban Mobility and the EIT Community, acknowledge the transformational role that EdTech will play in skilling talents and enable Europe to achieve its sustainability goals. “
Among the other speakers of the conference: Antoaneta Angelova-Krasteva, Director for Innovation, Digital Education and International Cooperation, DG EAC, European Commission; Milena Stoycheva Bulgarian Minister of Innovation and Growth; Beth Havinga, Managing Director, European Edtech Alliance; Salvatore Moccia, Head of Education and Skills, EIT Digital; Dr. Nady Hoyek, Scientific and Educational Advisor, French Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Innovation; and many others. More information: EIT Ed Tech Conference
