SOCIOTECH EUROPE

Project Overview:

SOCIOTECH EUROPE is designed to tackle the structural bottleneck impeding Europe’s competitiveness and innovation capacity by developing a robust pipeline of interdisciplinary AI professionals. These professionals will bridge the gap between AI, social sciences, and practical applications in public administration, sustainability, the labour market, civic technology, and media ecosystems.

Our project directly aligns with the objectives of the Erasmus+ Alliances for Innovation by fostering permanent collaboration across higher education (HE), vocational education and training (VET), and enterprises. This collaboration will be institutionalised within governance frameworks, curriculum design, and qualification pathways. Our aim is to integrate AI-social data competences into accredited modules and long-term agreements across multiple EU Member States, creating a sustainable framework for developing interdisciplinary AI skills.

Key Objectives and Activities:
-Co-Creation Methodology: AI specialists, social scientists, and VET learners will co- create solutions to real-world challenges, ensuring direct enterprise involvement in curriculum design and in validating skills against operational needs.
-Cross-Country Collaboration: Spanning at least ten Programme Countries, SOCIOTECH EUROPE will validate AI competence standards and reduce fragmentation across Member States in emerging hybrid AI-related occupations.
-Institutional Integration: Over 36 months, we will create a formalised European SOCIOTECH Cooperation Framework that will be adopted by partner institutions and embedded in their strategic development plans.
- Learning and Innovation Cycles: Thirty interdisciplinary innovation teams will engage 240 learners and professionals in intensive challenge-based cycles, supported by Method Labs and enterprise-defined innovation projects.
- Curricular and Toolkits for Replication: The project will deliver validated AI-social data workflows, a European SOCIOTECH Curriculum, and a Collaboration Toolkit, enabling large-scale replication across additional institutions.

Impact:
-Long-Term Structural Reform: SOCIOTECH EUROPE will harmonise AI competence frameworks across Europe, aligning them with ESCO and EQF standards, which will contribute to reducing skills mismatches and improving AI adoption.
- Multiplied Effect: While directly benefitting 240 learners and professionals, the project will have a far-reaching multiplier impact through the integration of results into curricula and the development of open-access standards.
-Broader Ecosystem Transformation: By embedding AI-social data competencies into formal education and training pathways, SOCIOTECH will enhance cross-border labour mobility, supporting Europe’s digital and green transitions and strengthening its position in AI-enabled societal innovation.