B idging he Digi al Talen Gap:
Towa ds Success ul Indus y-
Uni e si y Pa ne ships
B idging he Digi al Talen Gap: Towa ds Success ul Indus y-Uni e si y Pa ne ships
Ma ch 2020
Repo p epa ed by In o ma ics Eu ope (En ico Na delli and C is ina Pe ei a) and he Rappo eu s
o he pa allel sessions in A i icial In elligence, Cybe Secu i y, and So wa e Enginee ing wi h he
suppo o he Eu opean Commission, Di ec o a e‑Gene al o Communica ions Ne wo ks, Con en
and Technology.
Published by:
In o ma ics Eu ope
Binzmühles asse 14
8050 Zu ich, Swi ze land
Suppo ed by:
Eu opean Commission
DG Communica ions Ne wo ks, Con en and Technology
Uni F.4: Digi al Economy and Skills
BU25 1/163
B-1049 B ussels, Belgium
© In o ma ics Eu ope, 2020
Disclaime
The in o ma ion and iews se ou in his epo a e hose o he au ho s and do no necessa ily e lec he
o icial opinion o he Eu opean Commission. The Eu opean Commission does no gua an ee he accu acy
o he da a included in his s udy. Nei he he Eu opean Commission no any pe son ac ing on he
Eu opean Commission’s behal may be held esponsible o he use which may be made o he in o ma ion
con ained he ein.
1
Fo ewo d
The apid pace o digi al ans o ma ion is changing e e y aspec o ou li es – and is also gene a ing needs
o new skills and knowledge in he wo kplace. As job p o iles e ol e, sho ages and misma ches can esul ,
bu uni e si ies may be able o help.
Looking a cu en da a, we a e conce ned ha he gap be ween he demand o ad anced digi al skills and
he supply o sui able employees is becoming en enched. The e a e cu en ly a ound nine million people
employed as ICT specialis s in he EU – wo million mo e han i e yea s ago – and, based on ma ke ends,
we expec his igu e o con inue g owing. Bu al eady oday pos s o ICT specialis s in he EU a e going
un illed. This g owing s uc u al sho age mus be add essed, in o de o p ese e he inno a ion po en ial
and u u e compe i i eness o Eu opean businesses and jobs.
Uni e si ies ha e a s ong ole o play, bu i is no always easy o hem o adap hei cu icula o apidly
changing needs, while a he same ime p o iding a solid ounda ion o hei s uden s. To conside how we
can bes add ess he si ua ion, we decided o co-o ganise he Digi al Talen Gap Wo kshop on Oc obe 2019
in Rome, whe e we b ains o med ways o boos ing collabo a ion be ween academic ins i u ions and
Indus y. The wo kshop b ough oge he ep esen a i es o uni e si ies, businesses o all sizes, and
s uden s, and ocus on A i icial In elligence, Cybe Secu i y and So wa e Enginee ing.
Pa icipan s we e encou aged o sha e hei insigh s and expe iences, wo k oge he o explo e he issues
a s ake, and co-design conc e e solu ions o he way o wa d. The esul s o his e ile discussion can be
ound in his epo , which will eed in o he cu en deba e on u u e policies, including p og ammes a
Eu opean le el like he Digi al Eu ope p og amme.
Fab izia Benini, Eu opean Commission and En ico Na delli, In o ma ics Eu ope
2
Table o Con en s
Fo ewo d ........................................................................................................................................................... 1
Execu i e Summa y ........................................................................................................................................... 3
1 In oduc ion .................................................................................................................................................... 5
2 A i icial In elligence ....................................................................................................................................... 6
2.1. Me hodology and P ocess ...................................................................................................................... 6
Issue 1. Talen Compe i ion ....................................................................................................................... 7
Issue 2. Cu icula ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Issue 3. Pla o m ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Issue 4. E hics and legal conside a ions .................................................................................................... 9
2.2. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 11
3 Cybe Secu i y ............................................................................................................................................... 12
3.1. Scene Se e .......................................................................................................................................... 12
3.2. Me hodology and P ocess .................................................................................................................... 12
Issue 1. Demand and Supply o Cybe Secu i y Talen s and Skills ........................................................... 13
Issue 2. Upskilling he labou o ce ......................................................................................................... 15
Issue 3. Building a pipeline o alen ........................................................................................................ 15
3.3. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 16
4 So wa e Enginee ing ................................................................................................................................... 17
4.1. Scene Se e .......................................................................................................................................... 17
4.2. Me hodology and P ocess .................................................................................................................... 18
4.3. Iden i ica ion o Challenges and Solu ion Ideas ................................................................................... 18
I e a ion 1. Collec ing challenges and clus e ing hem ........................................................................... 18
Topic 1: he inside iew o So wa e Enginee ing ................................................................................... 18
Topic 2: he ou side iew o So wa e Enginee ing ................................................................................. 19
Topic 3: he in e ela ion o Academia and Indus y .............................................................................. 19
I e a ion 2. Iden i ica ion o solu ion ideas and ecommenda ions ....................................................... 19
Topic 1: he inside iew o So wa e Enginee ing ................................................................................... 19
Topic 2: he ou side iew o So wa e Enginee ing ................................................................................. 21
Topic 3: he in e ela ion o Academia and Indus y .............................................................................. 22
4.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 23
5 O e all Conclusions and Recommenda ions ................................................................................................ 24
3
Execu i e Summa y
This epo p esen s he esul s o he discussions held du ing he wo kshop B idging he Digi al Talen Gap:
Towa ds Success ul Indus y-Uni e si y Pa ne ships o ganized by In o ma ics Eu ope and he Eu opean
Commission’s Di ec o a e-Gene al o Communica ions Ne wo ks, Con en and Technology (DG CONNECT)
in Rome on Oc obe 2019.
The main goal o he wo kshop was o b ing oge he Academia, Indus y and Policy o an open dialogue in
he sea ch o solu ions o he widesp ead p oblem o he digi al alen gap in Eu ope. Cu en ly, he EU is
acing a sys emic gap in e ms o digi al compe ences, including he mos ad anced. Almos all Membe
S a es ace sho ages o digi al expe s in all a eas o ICT. I no u gen ly add essed his digi al alen gap will
consis in a se ious h ea o he u u e economic de elopmen o Eu ope.
Taking ad an age o hei b oad ne wo ks in highe educa ion and Indus y, In o ma ics Eu ope and DG
CONNECT joined o ces and b ough oge he a dis inc g oup o people o b ains o m and p opose solu ions
o his challenging p oblem in pa icula o he a eas o A i icial In elligence, Cybe Secu i y and So wa e
Enginee ing. Each a ea was he cen al heme o i e-hou pa allel sessions, whe e pa icipan s joined
oge he o deba e he main challenges and s akeholde s, and p opose solu ions and ecommenda ions.
Recommenda ions o A i icial In elligence:
• Uni e si ies need o de elop mo e speci ic mas e cou ses in he a ea.
• Uni e si ies need o de elop cu icula ha a e accessible o s uden s wi hou a specialized In o ma ics
backg ound ( o suppo he c ea ion o basic expe ise in A i icial In elligence also o expe s in o he
disciplines).
• Uni e si ies need o include in he A i icial In elligence cu icula con en s ha speci ically add ess
e hical and socie al issues.
• The educa ion sys em needs o be mo e p oduc i e, insis ing mo e on he inc ease o he numbe o
skilled g adua es in A i icial In elligence, also including PhDs, which seems a a he iable solu ion o
gi e EU small companies be e chances o ec ui alen ed A i icial In elligence expe s.
• Mo e e ec i e collabo a ion be ween Academia and Indus y should exis a he s age o design and
shaping o new cu icula, also as pa o “Na ional s a egies o A i icial In elligence”, which mus gi e
p io i y o ac ions ha suppo his collabo a ion.
• The c ea ion o an EU ins i u e o AI, as a pe manen s uc u e, ha can suppo he de elopmen o
EU ools and pla o ms o esea ch and de elopmen in AI. This ins i u e would a ou agg ega ion o
esea che s, suppo he dissemina ion o EU ools in hi d-le el educa ion and p o ide companies wi h
a echnically compe i i e basis o de elop AI-based solu ions.
Recommenda ions o Cybe Secu i y:
• C ea e a common unde s anding abou he se o knowledge and skills needed o quali y Cybe Secu i y
expe s.
• Explo e new ways o s eng hen collabo a ion and c ea e pe meabili y be ween businesses and
uni e si y, dialogue and cons an exchange, allowing expe s om Indus y o con ibu e o eaching
and ice e sa. This collabo a ion is c ucial o imp o ing he ma ch be ween supply and demand o
Cybe Secu i y skills, bu also o ensu ing mu ual lea ning, pooling esou ces and o e coming
cons ain s.
4
• Enhance and expand he o e o Uni e si ies and o he highe educa ion ins i u ions, which should
adop mo e lexible app oaches and, o example, design lexible lea ning pa hways ha allow s uden s
o combine academic assignmen s wi h hands-on expe ience in businesses.
• Ex end he each o Uni e si ies and o he highe educa ion ins i u ions, which should p o ide mo e
op ions, o example, o s uden s om o he disciplines who wan o u n owa ds ICT ela ed s udies,
d op-ou s o p o essionals in sea ch o a ca ee change o upskilling oppo uni ies.
• Build a pipeline o Cybe Secu i y alen s by combining ac ions a di e en le els. Al eady in p ima y and
seconda y schools, i is necessa y o s eng hen he unde s anding o secu i y isks posed by digi al
echnologies and aise awa eness o he main mechanisms o p o ec one's own digi al de ices and da a.
Recommenda ions o So wa e Enginee ing:
• Imp o e he image o So wa e Enginee ing and a b oad public unde s anding o i s bene i s. This migh
be achie ed by a much close coope a ion be ween Academia and Indus y.
• Mode n So wa e Enginee ing cu icula should bene i om such a close collabo a ion. This migh
happen by dual s udy p og ams, whe e ealis ic indus ial case s udies a e closely coupled wi h
concep ual and undamen al aspec s augh wi hin he academic So wa e Enginee ing s udy p og am.
As a base, con incing indus ial examples showing he bene i s o So wa e Enginee ing should be
collec ed and should be made accessible in open-access eposi o ies.
• Mode n So wa e Enginee ing cu icula should comp ise mul idisciplina y p ojec s whe e s uden s lea n
o coope a e wi h s akeholde s om possible applica ion domains.
• Ce i ica ion p og ams o he So wa e Enginee ing p o ession as well as educa ional up-skilling
p og ams in Indus y should be de eloped. This will allow o cla i y and imp o e he ole and image o a
So wa e Enginee in indus ial p ojec s o de eloping complex sys ems.
• All hese ecommenda ions should be u he elabo a ed and dissemina ed by a wo king g oup a
Eu opean le el whe e s akeholde s om uni e si ies and companies join ly de elop guidelines and
ecommenda ions on how o close he gap be ween a esea ch-o ien ed educa ion and indus ial needs.
In o ma ics Eu ope could b ing i s b oad ne wo k o academic ins i u ions and indus ial esea ch labs
in suppo o ini ia e and lead such a wo king g oup.
All pa allel sessions ha e acknowledged ha Eu ope needs a mo e open coope a ion be ween Indus y and
Uni e si y and ha he Eu opean Commission and Eu opean associa ions in ICT ha e a key ole in nu u ing
and os e ing his coope a ion. The challenges iden i ied du ing he wo kshop equally a ec all Membe
S a es, independen ly om hei size and hei indus ial p o ile, and add essing hem equi es high le els o
p i a e and public in es men . These challenges ha e o be ackled collec i ely, by pooling esou ces and
expe ise ac oss Eu ope and encou aging Uni e si ies, esea ch ins i u ions and businesses o coope a e,
inc ease he ele an aining o e and con ibu e o c ea e digi al ecosys ems able o a ac , ain and
e ain digi al alen . The o hcoming Digi al Eu ope P og amme (DEP) will be a key ins umen o igge he
digi al ans o ma ion o he Eu opean economy and socie y. Among i s ac ions, DEP will suppo he
de elopmen and deli e y o specialised Mas e ’s p og ammes in ad anced digi al echnologies, sho e m
aining cou ses and job placemen s, by b inging oge he Academia, Resea ch and Indus y. Join ac ion by
all s akeholde s ac oss he Eu opean Union is c ucial o inc easing ou alen pool and making su e ha
Eu ope and i s Membe S a es de elop and p og ess oge he .
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1 In oduc ion
Technologies ha e always o e ed oppo uni ies o compe i i eness, inno a ion and socie al imp o emen s.
Indus ial machines, by empowe ing he physical s eng h o people ha e helped o inc ease p oduc i i y,
deli e ing mo e p oduc s and be e se ices wi h less e o and a lowe cos s. The quali y o li e has s eadily
imp o ed in he pas ou cen u ies, due o his indus ial e olu ion. S a ing om he second hal o he XX
cen u y a new b eed o machines appea ed, he “digi al sys ems”. La gely imma e ial, being based on so wa e,
hey con ain knowledge like books. Howe e , di e en ly om books, hei s is “ac ionable knowledge”, ha can
be pu in o ac ion a ou will
1
. They a e he e o e d ama ically di e en om indus ial machines, since hey
ampli y he cogni i e capabili ies o humankind.
Digi al sys ems o e g ea oppo uni ies o Eu ope o s ay compe i i e, inc ease i s po en ial o inno a ion and
emain an inclusi e socie y. Today’s mos success ul businesses a e hose ha use digi al echnology no jus o
boos p oduc i i y and imp o e in e nal p ocesses, bu as a means o ein en ing hemsel es: hei ope a ional
models, hei alue chains and hei cus ome ela ionships. Digi al ans o ma ion is he e m used: in o de o
i o ma e ialise, people wi h p ope scien i ic and enginee ing knowledge and skills o c ea e, de elop, oll-ou ,
and use hese digi al sys ems a e a necessa y condi ion. This implies sa is ying he g owing demand o specialis s
in digi al echnologies, as well as up-skilling he EU's ci izens and wo k o ce in he con ex o apid digi alisa ion.
Cu en ly, he EU is acing a sys emic gap in e ms o digi al compe ences, including he mos ad anced. While
digi al expe s a e among he mos demanded p o essionals, almos all Membe S a es ace sho ages in key a eas,
such as so wa e de elopmen and analyses as well as da abase and ne wo ks. 53% pe cen o companies who
ied o ec ui digi al specialis s epo inding i di icul
2
. The limi ed a ailabili y o p ope knowledge and skills
is he mos equen ly ci ed obs acle o in es men ac oss he EU (exp essed by 77% o companies)
3
. The demand
o ad anced digi al compe ences has been ising s ongly o e he pas decade, wi h an a e age g ow h in he
numbe o ICT specialis s in employmen o almos 4% a yea , o e he las 10 yea s
4
. Howe e , supply is no
keeping up wi h demand and he EU al eady lacks a ound 1 million ICT specialis s.
An impo an elemen o conside in his scena io is he ension be ween he need o uni e si ies o p o ide solid
ounda ions o hei s uden s, and he apid change in compe ences demanded by business, de i ing om he as
pace o echnology. This si ua ion is mo e acu e in exponen ially bu geoning ields such as A i icial In elligence,
Cybe Secu i y and High-Pe o mance Compu ing. In addi ion o ha , he ield has complex mul i ac o ial
ing ained p oblems ha need o be add essed o Eu ope o each a highe o e o highly skilled p o essionals.
The mos elemen a y being: (i) he low numbe o school pupils deciding o a highe educa ion deg ee in
In o ma ics
5
( esul ing, among o he ac o s, om he lack o p ope eaching o he discipline in schools and he
e y low p opo ion o women among he incoming s uden s) and (ii) he low g adua ion a es (a signi ican
numbe o s uden s en ol, bu do no comple e hei s udies) in In o ma ics Bachelo p og ams.
In o ma ics Eu ope and DG CONNECT joined o ces o o ganize a wo kshop
6
in Rome, in Oc obe 2019, in ended
o deba e and p opose conc e e solu ions on possible ways o inc easing he specialised educa ional o e in he
a eas o A i icial In elligence, Cybe Secu i y and So wa e Enginee ing. The main goals we e o discuss how
coope a ion among uni e si ies and business pa ne s de eloping and deploying digi al echnologies could
con ibu e o alle ia e he p oblem o he digi al alen gap. Each a ea was he opic o a pa allel session lead by a
acili a o and a appo eu . In he ollowing sec ions, we p esen he epo wi h main indings and
ecommenda ions d a ed by each session’s appo eu s.
1
E. Na delli. In o ma ics: he hi d “powe e olu ion” and i s consequences, Ap il 2017.
2
Eu opean Commission, Digi al Economy and Socie y Index (DESI) 2019, based on Eu os a da a (isoc_ci_eu_en2).
3
Eu opean In es men Bank, EIB In es men Su ey 2018.
4
Calcula ion based on Eu os a da a (isoc_sks_i sp ).
5
We use he e m In o ma ics, which depending on he coun y o sou ce can also be e e ed as Compu e Science, Compu ing, IT, ICT, Compu e
Enginee ing).
6
h ps://www.in o ma ics-eu ope.o g/ecss/abou /pas -summi s/ecss-2019/ alen -gap-wo kshop.h ml
6
2 A i icial In elligence
Rappo eu : Daniele Na di, "Sapienza" Uni e si y o Rome, I aly
Facili a o : Tanya Sua ez, BluSpecs, Spain
2.1. Me hodology and P ocess
The session on A i icial In elligence (AI) was a anged a ound he ollowing ou main speci ic issues:
1. Compe i ion o alen om la ge mul ina ionals could be p e en ing deep skills om being
de eloped and inhibi ing he g ow h o AI esea ch g oups and SMEs/S a ups.
2. To espond o he apidly changing na u e o AI and he espec i e ma ke s, mo e inno a i e cu icula
a e equi ed a hi d-le el educa ion.
3. Cu en skills and lea ning a e ocused on exis ing non-Eu opean echnology pla o ms and s acks.
4. While he echnical skills o AI a e being de eloped, de elope s mus also unde s and he e hical
and legal implica ions o AI adop ion.
The me hodology chosen o un he wo kshop, as sugges ed by he acili a o s, was de eloped in wo phases,
ha we e p eceded by a quick gene al in oduc ion o he ield (Daniele Na di) and o he ma ke needs
(Tanya Sua ez). A e he in oduc ion, i e g oups we e o med spon aneously, wi h wo g oups ocusing on
he inno a ion o he cu icula, gi en he numbe o in e es ed a endees.
Phase 1 aimed a iden i ying a se o ideas, h ough a p io analysis o Causes, S akeholde s and Simila
Solu ions. The i s phase was held in he mo ning a e he in oduc ion and was concluded by a b ie
p esen a ion o each o he i e g oups.
Phase 2 aimed a de eloping one o wo ideas eme ged in he i s phase, h ough he de ini ion o
Objec i es, Impac , Key Phases, Resou ces. The second phase was held a e he lunch b eak and i s ou comes
ha e been syn hesized and p esen ed o he gene al audience in he inal session o he wo kshop by he
appo eu (Daniele Na di).
The p og am was undoub edly ex emely ambi ious o p o ide well-a icula ed conclusions; howe e , he
goal o eaching use ul e lec ions and conc e e sugges ions o possible u u e ac ions has been o a la ge
ex en achie ed.
The ou comes o his session a e summa ized below, which includes ou sec ions, one o each o he ou
abo e highligh ed speci ic issues. Fo b e i y, we will e e o hem as: (1) Talen Compe i ion, (2) Cu iculum,
(3) Pla o m, (4) Legal and E hics.
We close his chap e wi h some inal ema ks.
7
Issue 1. Talen Compe i ion
Compe i ion o alen om la ge mul ina ionals could be p e en ing deep skills om being de eloped and
inhibi ing he g ow h o AI esea ch g oups and SMEs/S a ups.
Acco ding o a s udy by PwC
7
, he po en ial global gain in GDP a ibu able o AI could each $15.7 illion by
2030. Much o his gain is likely o come om companies ha did no exis h ee yea s ago.
A p esen , Eu ope is home o 1,600 AI ea ly s age S a ups, wi h nine in en ocusing on he business- o-
business (B2B) ma ke , de eloping and selling solu ions o o he companies
Acco ding o MMC en u es, in 2018 one in wel e S a ups is an AI company, bu only one o he op 10
global AI unico ns is Eu opean. In ac , i is om he UK
8
.
Phase 1:
Causes: he g oup in many ways poin ed ou he clea lack (o unbalance) o esou ces o be commi ed by
Eu opean esea ch g oups and S a ups in hi ing alen s in AI. Ano he ele an cause was iden i ied in he
unsa is ac o y ela ionship be ween academic cu icula and Indus y, as in e nships and s onge
collabo a ions may indeed be ega ded as a missed oppo uni y a leas o he SMEs/S a ups. Finally, i
was highligh ed ha he a ac i eness o big companies is also due o he la ge da a esou ces ha hey
al eady own.
S akeholde s: he iden i ica ion o he s akeholde s highligh ed no only he expec ed iangle Academy-
Indus y-S uden s, bu also go e nmen , agencies, acili a o s and ecosys ems, p o ing ha he issue is no
con ined o echnical aspec s, bu i in ol es socie y a la ge.
Simila solu ions: e y ew simila solu ions we e iden i ied, and hey ange om c ea ing new specialis s o
specialized hi ing o ma s.
Ideas: he esul ing ideas we e la gely ocused on he c ea ion o mo e cu icula, wi h mo e unding o he
hi d-le el educa ion sys em and he aim o imp o ing he a ac i eness o he ield (no men ioned, bu
also ele an o gende issues). In addi ion, he e we e p oposals o c ea ing speci ic o ms o collabo a ion
be ween Indus y and Academy, o example co- unding academic posi ions and in ol ing men o s in
collabo a ions Academy-Indus y.
Phase 2:
In he second phase o he wo k, he g oup ocused on he idea: “Inc ease he numbe o skilled people”.
The objec i es ha a e sugges ed o he de elopmen o his idea a e: inc ease o numbe s (s uden s, s a ,
…) and imp o e he ela ionship wi h companies. The pu sui o hese objec i es is expec ed o b ing an
impac by enabling mas e and PhD s uden s o wo k on «indus ial» p oblems. In his way, s uden s a e
mo e in e es ed by he wo k in EU companies and, a he same ime, companies ge access o s a e-o - he
a knowledge and echnical solu ions. The means o de elop he p oposed ideas a e iden i ied in he
“Na ional S a egies o AI”, which mus gi e p io i y o he solu ion o he issues add essed he e.
As inal ema k, he g oup poin ed ou ha b idging he gap in he alen compe i ion is also a ques ion o
esou ces and he abo e p oposed ini ia i es can educe he gap, while eally b idging i may equi e o
mobilize a g ea amoun o esou ces.
7
Sizing he p ize. Wha ’s he eal alue o AI o you business and how can you capi alise? PWC, 2017
8
The S a e o AI 2019: Di e gence, MMC Ven u es, 2019.
14
di e en a ge s and people wi h di e en backg ounds. Skilled la e al en an s, aged enginee s, o alen ed
p e ious d op-ou s need o be engaged and conside ed.
Challenge 1.2: a clea axonomy o compe ences and mapping o he cu en o e is needed.
Challenge: s ic ly ela ed o he p e ious challenge, he e is he need o unde s and wha Cybe Secu i y
skills mean, which dis inc i e a eas o skills exis and wha is he cu en educa ion o e . While conside ing
he amewo k o e ed by he US Na ional Ins i u e o S anda ds and Technology (NIST), he Associa ion o
Compu ing Machine y (ACM) Body o Knowledge, ECSO WG5 and e o s by ou pilo p ojec s unded by he
Eu opean Commission (ECHO, CONCORDIA, Cybe Sec4Eu ope, SPARTA), a ha monized axonomy o Cybe
Secu i y jobs and skills is clea ly necessa y.
Solu ion ideas: he Eu opean Union Agency o Cybe Secu i y (ENISA) o he p oposed Cybe Secu i y
Compe ence Cen e and Ne wo k o Na ional Coo dina ion Cen es (CCCN) may lead he de ini ion o a
ha monized amewo k, nex o he mapping o he cu en educa ion o e and specialised cen es o
Cybe Secu i y. This endea ou could build on ongoing p ojec s and ini ia i es a he EU le el, such as:
• The axonomy de eloped by he Join Resea ch Cen e in 2017 as pa o he impac assessmen o
he egula ion o he cybe compe ence cen es. By end o 2019, a second e sion o he Cybe
Secu i y axonomy will be published.
• The Cybe Secu i y educa ion map p epa ed by ENISA (cu en ly being upda ed), iden i ying he
di e en uni e si ies and he ype o Cybe Secu i y p og ams and cou ses hey o e .
• The Cybe Secu i y A las de eloped by he Eu opean Commission, iden i ying a ound 660 Cen es in
Eu ope.
Challenge 1.3: lack o a comp ehensi e mapping o supply and demand o Cybe Secu i y jobs, including a
egional le el.
Challenge: skill needs and supply and demand o Cybe Secu i y jobs di e om egion o egion, because
o di e se economic specialisa ions. The e o e, a mapping o skill needs and demand-supply issues should be
pe o med a egional and local le el, o a mo e g anula ision.
Solu ion ideas: a Eu opean Obse a o y building on exis ing e o s in skills in elligence (e.g. by CEDEFOP)
could lead a comp ehensi e mapping o bo h he demand and supply o Cybe Secu i y jobs a egional and
local le el. Fo he mapping o he supply side, syne gies wi h he Eu opean Commission Cybe Secu i y A las
could be sough . This ini ia i e would help shape s a egic discussions and design ailo ed s a egies,
in ol ing all he ele an playe s in a gi en geog aphical a ea.
Challenge 1.4: need o mains eaming o Cybe Secu i y skills in o he a eas.
Challenge: he e is a subs an ial numbe o jobs ha a e no “Cybe Secu i y jobs” bu equi e Cybe Secu i y
skills. Thus, Cybe Secu i y p og ams combined wi h domain speci ic knowledge a e needed, bo h o digi al
specialis s and o he p o essionals using digi al sys ems in hei wo k (e.g. secu e code p og ams o
de elope s, da a p i acy and p o ec ion p og ams o heal h ca e p o ide s, e c.).
Solu ion ideas: awa eness should be aised as ega ds he need o include Cybe Secu i y skills in
p og ammes o jobs o a di e en na u e. Hence, he solu ion p oposed is o build p og ammes combining
c oss-cu ing Cybe Secu i y compe ences wi h specialized domain-speci ic ones, based on guidelines and
incen i es, o example by he Eu opean Commission.
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Issue 2. Upskilling he labou o ce
The educa ion sys em has o p o ide s uden s and he exis ing labou o ce wi h he skills and knowledge
needed on he labou ma ke .
Challenge 2.1: lack o sui able esou ces, acili ies, p og ammes
Challenge: he e a e no enough sui able aining esou ces, cybe labs, aine s and eache aining.
Solu ion ideas: esou ces and acili ies o aining and lea ning need o combine an academic o ien a ion
and a se up ele an o businesses. A good example men ioned was he F aunho e Cybe Secu i y lab in
Ge many. This would also allow mo e SMEs o be in ol ed in Cybe Secu i y p og ammes.
The lack o eaching esou ces needs o be add essed by c ea ing mo e pe meabili y among highe
educa ion, businesses and he public sec o . P o essionals need o be incen i ized o sha e hei knowledge
and expe ience wi h s uden s, an ac ion ha would also con ibu e o make skills acqui ed a he Uni e si y
mo e ele an o businesses’ needs.
Challenge 2.2: uni e si y lea e s
Challenge: o en, s uden s lea e uni e si y wi h only basic knowledge, do no comple e he s udies o s op
a he bachelo deg ee (because hey a e lu ed away by a ac i e jobs). The challenge is wo old: i s , o
c ea e oppo uni ies o uni e si y d op ou s who ha e use ul skills o companies; secondly, o c ea e
incen i es o s uden s o con inue s udying and ge a mas e ’s deg ee whils wo king.
Solu ion ideas: special cou ses could be c ea ed o d op-ou s and ca ee shi e s. To keep s uden s a e a
bachelo deg ee, he e is a need o mo e “dual deg ee” lexible MSc cou ses, combining pa ime wo k in
he Indus y and s udy a he Uni e si y, modelled along exis ing good p ac ices in a numbe o Membe
S a es. This combina ion would help s uden o implemen hei Cybe Secu i y skills and o be e
unde s and eal-li e secu i y issues. In pa allel, by o e ing mo e lexibili y, hese hyb id cou ses could
con ibu e o e ain s uden s in educa ion.
Challenge 2.3: SMEs unawa e o o unable o ap in o aining
Challenge: mos SMEs ha e a local each and do no ha e in o ma ion abou o he means o pa icipa e in
EU p og ammes de o ed o SMEs.
Solu ion ideas: in o de o suppo SMEs, i is necessa y o c ea e an app op ia e collabo a ion wi h SME
associa ions, and p omo e ne wo king h ough Cybe Secu i y clus e s and specialised egional inno a ion
hubs.
Issue 3. Building a pipeline o alen
Building a pipeline o alen means a ac ing enough s uden s in his ield. These e o s need o s a in
school and need o be suppo ed by all s akeholde s.
Challenge 3.1: a ac ing s uden s
Challenge: a majo issue is o a ac enough s uden s o uni e si y cou ses in Cybe Secu i y, including
women. Howe e , nex o he lack o cla i y on he skills needed in o de o quali y as a Cybe Secu i y expe ,
he e is also a low awa eness abou cybe isks and he need o be p o ec ed.
Solu ion ideas: building awa eness o he impo ance o Cybe Secu i y, and he implica ions o cybe isks,
is a i s s ep owa ds he c ea ion o in e es in his ield and he a ac ion o s uden s. Communica ion and
awa eness aising should s a wi h pupils in p ima y school, and be con inued in seconda y schools, o
16
inc ease in e es in hese echnical opics and acili a e he selec ion o a deg ee in In o ma ics o Cybe
Secu i y la e on.
Secondly, i is impo an o communica e abou he job oppo uni ies o e ed by an educa ion in Cybe
Secu i y, he quali y o hese jobs, he possibili ies o expand in o he a eas and he o e all socie al
implica ions. Young people a e mo i a ed by he challenge o making he wo ld a be e place. Con incing
hem ha digi al echnology is an essen ial ool o achie e his will a ac mo e o hem o en e in o hese
deg ees and p o essions. S uden associa ions may play a majo ole in his espec .
Challenge 3.2: ans e o knowledge
Challenge: aising awa eness abou In o ma ics as a discipline a school is aluable, bu he e needs o be
collabo a ion be ween highe educa ion, companies and schools ha , cu en ly, a ely exis s.
Solu ion ideas: o add ess his issue, i is necessa y o empowe s uden s o build a so o cascade sys em,
wi h he suppo o s akeholde s (businesses, cybe law en o cemen agencies, highe educa ion). The idea
is o c ea e a cascade o us o ans e Cybe Secu i y knowledge and expe ience and aise in e es .
S uden s a e he key connec o s in his chain, so ha knowledge is ans e ed om uni e si y o seconda y
school pupils, and down o p ima y school. Teache s and pa en s should ge in ol ed along his chain wi h
an ac i e ole on Cybe Secu i y awa eness aising.
3.3. Conclusion
The wo kshop session ep esen ed an oppo uni y o discuss a numbe o issues and p o ided se e al
sugges ions ha can be u he de eloped in he con ex o EU policies. A his s age, some gene al e lec ions
can be made.
Fi s , he e is a need o build a common unde s anding o he se o knowledge and skills needed o a
pe son o be quali ied as a Cybe Secu i y expe . Such e o could build on and b ing oge he he wo k
al eady ongoing a he EU and in e na ional le el.
Secondly, explo ing new ways o s eng hen collabo a ion and c ea ing pe meabili y be ween businesses
and uni e si y eme ged as an impo an unde lying opic. Dialogue and cons an exchange be ween
educa ion ins i u ions and businesses a e c ucial o imp o ing he ma ch be ween supply and demand o
Cybe Secu i y skills, bu also o ensu ing mu ual lea ning, pooling esou ces and o e coming cons ain s. In
his iew, new models a e equi ed, allowing expe s om Indus y o con ibu e o eaching and ice e sa,
s uden s and academic s a o de elop expe ience in Indus y.
S ic ly linked o he poin abo e, ano he message eme ged be ween he lines: Uni e si ies and o he highe
educa ion ins i u ions a e called o adop mo e lexible app oaches and expand hei o e , in o de o
emain ele an and espond o a apidly changing con ex and Indus y needs. On he one hand, his means
designing lexible lea ning pa hways, allowing s uden s o combine academic assignmen s wi h hands-on
expe ience in businesses. On he o he hand, highe educa ion ins i u ions should p o ide mo e op ions and
ex end hei each o, o example, s uden s om o he disciplines who wan o u n owa ds In o ma ics
s udies, d op-ou s o p o essionals in sea ch o a ca ee change o upskilling oppo uni ies.
Finally, al hough he ocus o he wo kshop was on highe educa ion, a pipeline o Cybe Secu i y alen s can
only be buil by a combina ion o ac ions a di e en le els. In o he wo ds, al eady in p ima y and seconda y
schools, i is necessa y o s eng hen he unde s anding o secu i y isks posed by digi al echnologies and
aise awa eness o he main mechanisms o p o ec one's own digi al de ices and da a.
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4 So wa e Enginee ing
Rappo eu : G ego Engels, Uni e si y o Pade bo n, Ge many
Facili a o : Alessand o Bogliolo, Uni e si y o U bino, I aly
4.1. Scene Se e
So wa e is a key ac o o any inno a ion o oday. Ad ances in mobile da a ne wo ks and embedded sys ems
ha e enabled he ad en o he so wa e-e e ywhe e e a, whe e compu a ional esou ces a e a ailable in
cloud, as well as in mobile and IoT de ices. Thus, he de elopmen o new so wa e as well as he mig a ion,
e olu ion and adap a ion o exis ing so wa e, due o changed equi emen s, is a he co e o new p oduc s
o se ices in any applica ion domain. This is pai ed wi h a highly inc eased complexi y o nowadays so wa e
as well as s eadily dec eased ime- o-ma ke demands. Also, he ole o humans as use s o so wa e has
changed, as use s a e nowadays mo e demanding and expec sys ems ha a e easy o use and
unde s andable. Thus, i is expec ed ha sys ems adap hemsel es (bo h in hei use in e ace and
beha io ) o he needs o indi iduals o gain app op ia e accep ance. Las ly, so wa e has no only o comply
wi h s anda d quali y cha ac e is ics, bu also o obey social, legal, mo al and e hical alues.
All his has no only lead o an eno mous demand o so wa e enginee s du ing he las decade, bu in
pa icula o highly-skilled people who a e able o cope wi h he no el challenges o human-cen ic,
in elligen so wa e sys ems deploying no el echnologies, while equi emen s and con ex s a e changing
con inuously.
Mode n so wa e enginee s need o ha e mul i ace ed skills. They ha e o unde s and applica ion domains
and be able o speak o domain expe s wi h an educa ion in ano he discipline. They ha e o mas e agile
de elopmen echniques, o deploy no el echnologies and ools, o inco po a e algo i hmic se ices based
on AI and machine lea ning echniques. They ha e o unde s and he ole o humans as use s and p osume s,
hey ha e o unde s and he po en ial o new ne wo k models and connec ed de ices, o be able o exploi
amewo ks o enhance p oduc i i y, and o cope wi h he igh choice o alues.
The e ha e been a ious in e na ional ini ia i es in he pas , o come o a uni o m iew on wha So wa e
Enginee ing is and wha is an app op ia e cu iculum o an academic deg ee p og am in So wa e
Enginee ing.
The mos p ominen ini ia i es a e, i s , he SWEBOK, he Guide o he So wa e Enginee ing Body o
Knowledge (SWEBOK Guide). I desc ibes gene ally accep ed knowledge abou So wa e Enginee ing. I s 15
knowledge a eas summa ize basic concep s and include a e e ence lis poin ing o mo e de ailed
in o ma ion. The SWEBOK Guide has also gained in e na ional ecogni ion as ISO Technical Repo 19759.
Second, he IEEE/ACM 2014 Cu iculum Guidelines p o ide de ailed in o ma ion on an app op ia e
cu iculum con en o unde g adua e deg ee p og ams in So wa e Enginee ing.
While hese documen s p o ide excellen in o ma ion abou So wa e Enginee ing as a subjec , as well as
app op ia e cu icula, i is a ma e o ac ha he e is a huge sho age o so wa e enginee s in Indus y.
And due o he e y low numbe s o In o ma ics s uden s in academic s udies, his sho age will end o
inc ease in he u u e. All his will se iously hinde a su ely desi ed socio-economic g ow h in Eu ope.
Thus, he main ques ions add essed du ing he pa allel session we e:
1. Wha a e he equi ed skills o mode n so wa e enginee s in Indus y?
2. Wha can we do o inc ease he numbe o mode n so wa e enginee s in Eu ope?
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3. Wha can we do o p o ide on- he-job lea ning and quali ica ion p ocesses o so wa e enginee s in
Indus y?
4. Wha can we do o a ac mo e s uden s o become a mode n so wa e enginee ?
5. How can we inco po a e So wa e Enginee ing concep s in s udies o o he disciplines?
4.2. Me hodology and P ocess
These ques ions we e discussed by a ound 30 ep esen a i es om Indus y, Academia, and Policy a he
So wa e Enginee ing pa allel session o he Talen Gap Wo kshop in Rome. The session was o ganized as a
highly in e ac i e e en . I consis ed o wo i e a ions o 125 and 85 minu es, espec i ely. The i s i e a ion
s a ed wi h a plena y b ains o ming on explo ing challenges and discussing ideas o educing he size o
he alen gap. Each pa icipan con ibu ed wi h se e al pos -i s naming possible challenges. A he end, he
men ioned challenges we e clus e ed by iden i ying h ee main hema ic opics:
1. The inside iew o So wa e Enginee ing
2. The ou side iew o So wa e Enginee ing
3. The in e ela ion o Academia and Indus y
Following, in he second i e a ion, he whole g oup was spli in o h ee subg oups acco ding o he h ee
iden i ied hema ic opics. Each o hem ocused on and e ined one hema ic opic and came up wi h
iden i ica ion o challenges, de i ed solu ion ideas and ecommenda ions which can be implemen ed in
sho - e m. The whole p ocess was guided by he acili a o o he pa allel session, while he appo eu ook
no es and ga he ed he esul s.
4.3. Iden i ica ion o Challenges and Solu ion Ideas
I e a ion 1. Collec ing challenges and clus e ing hem
The ou come o he i s i e a ion was a clus e ing o challenges named by pa icipan s in o h ee hema ic
opics. Fo each hema ic opic, we lis some o he men ioned challenges.
Topic 1: he inside iew o So wa e Enginee ing
The inside iew o So wa e Enginee ing deals wi h a ho ough unde s anding o wha So wa e Enginee ing
should co e hema ically. This should di ec ly be e lec ed in he design o app op ia e So wa e Enginee ing
cu icula.
While he e a e s anda dized desc ip ions o wha So wa e Enginee ing is (e.g. SWEBOK) and how a s anda d
cu iculum should look like (e.g. ACM/IEEE Guidelines), i became ob ious in he discussion ha hose
documen s we e no well-known by he pa icipan s. Thus, he ou come was indeed a b oad lis o pe sonal
opinions abou wha So wa e Enginee ing is. Besides s anda d opics, he ole o human ac o s, so and
communica ion skills, as well as social aspec s and c ea i i y in So wa e Enginee ing we e s essed. The e
was also an ag eemen ha he e is a cul u al shi om p og amming o model-d i en de elopmen .
Conce ning lea ning and eaching So wa e Enginee ing, i was ag eed ha he e is a need o each mo e
e ec i ely, o le he s uden s “ eel” he need o So wa e Enginee ing echniques in comme cial so wa e
19
de elopmen . Li e-long lea ning and mass educa ion, as well as new o ms o agile eaching, a e key in
So wa e Enginee ing.
Finally, i was ag eed ha , o a ac mo e alen , he ac ha So wa e Enginee ing p o ides a g ea
oppo uni y o sol e and con ibu e o he 17 sus ainable de elopmen goals de ined by he UN should be
men ioned o young people wi h a possible in e es in he domain.
Topic 2: he ou side iew o So wa e Enginee ing
The ou side iew o So wa e Enginee ing deals wi h he image o So wa e Enginee ing as i is unde s ood
by s akeholde s in Academia and Indus y. A ealis ic unde s anding o wha So wa e Enginee ing is, migh
help o make he p o ession o so wa e de elopmen mo e a ac i e, as well as o p e en
misconcep ions o p ospec i e s uden s looking and deciding o he igh s udy p og am.
The ou come was, also in his case, a b oad lis o sugges ions o wha migh help o imp o e he image o
So wa e Enginee ing. Impo an sugges ions we e e.g. o clea ly de ine wha So wa e Enginee ing is, o
cla i y and alo ize he ole o a so wa e enginee , and o unde s and how we can o e a much be e
pe cep ion o wha we a e as so wa e enginee s. This migh e en end-up in a new a ac i e name o
So wa e Enginee ing ha encompasses much be e i s close links o many o he disciplines, and i s social
and c ea i e aspec s.
Topic 3: he in e ela ion o Academia and Indus y
Besides an academic iew on So wa e Enginee ing and an academic unde s anding o wha a e he igh
opics o a So wa e Enginee ing cu iculum, i is impo an o cla i y he needs o companies o de ine he
igh skills o so wa e enginee s.
The ou come o he discussion was ha a close coope a ion be ween uni e si ies and po en ial employe s
in he co-design o mode n So wa e Enginee ing cu icula migh help. This migh end up in a So wa e
Enginee ing skills ca alogue om an indus ial iewpoin , which exp esses ha companies need p oblem
sol e s and applica ion enginee s wi h So wa e Enginee ing skills. In addi ion, uni e si y deg ees migh be
coupled wi h uni e si y-led ce i ica ions, and a So wa e Enginee ing ce i ica ion scheme acknowledged
by he Indus y migh be se up.
I e a ion 2. Iden i ica ion o solu ion ideas and ecommenda ions
In he second i e a ion, he h ee subg oups ocused on and e ined he hema ic opics o iden i y
challenges, s akeholde s, causes, solu ion ideas, ecommenda ions and needed esou ces, which migh be
ins alled in he sho e m.
Topic 1: he inside iew o So wa e Enginee ing
Challenges: he main challenge is ela ed o gaining an unde s anding o So wa e Enginee ing eaching a
all le els o a Uni e si y s udy p og ams, as well as in he con ex o e- aining and upskilling o
p o essionals. In addi ion, i was s essed again ha he e is need o a be e unde s anding on how o
a ac mo e s uden s aiming a becoming a so wa e enginee , in pa icula mo e emale s uden s. All his
20
should be e lec ed in he design o app op ia e So wa e Enginee ing cu icula and aining p og ams o
hese di e se g oups.
S akeholde s: Designing app op ia e So wa e Enginee ing cu icula and aining p og ams in ol es many
di e en s akeholde s. They ange om p o esso s and eaching s a membe s o s uden s on he uni e si y
side, bu also om ICT p o essionals o po en ial use s o ICT sys ems on he indus ial side.
Causes: The pa icipan s ag eed ha he e seems o be a s ong misconcep ion, by many s akeholde s, o
wha a so wa e enginee is. I seems no o be b oadly known ha he e a e di e en oles in So wa e
Enginee ing, anging om equi emen s enginee s, a chi ec s, designe s, code s o main enance people as
well as o p ojec manage s, me hod enginee s, mas e s o agile me hods and so on. An unde s andable
de ini ion o he mission o a so wa e enginee is missing, some hing ha young people can hink o and
decide o pu sue, which includes also social skills and alues.
Solu ion Ideas: The e was a s ong ag eemen ha al eady in he design o app op ia e So wa e
Enginee ing cu icula and aining p og ams all po en ial in e es ed g oups should be in ol ed. I has o be
con eyed ha So wa e Enginee ing is abou c ea ing us wo hy, dependable so wa e sys ems o
suppo all aspec s o human li e and socie y. This does no mean p og amming and coding only, bu also
unde s anding he p oblem domain and de ine he bounda ies be ween his domain and he so wa e
sys em, o iden i y and e alua e a ious di e en al e na i e solu ions, o plan o and de elop a solu ion,
and o e i y and ce i y i .
Nowadays sys ems a e complex sys ems, which ha e o be de eloped in a mul idisciplina y way. Thus,
s uden s’ pa icipa ion in mul idisciplina y p ojec s – ac oss acul ies a uni e si ies – has o be os e ed.
The e should also exis a much be e s o y- elling o wha So wa e Enginee ing is. This migh be done by
a kind o So wa e Enginee ing mani es o, which includes examples om AI/Machine Lea ning and
In o ma ics.
Las ly, i should be shown mo e explici ly how So wa e Enginee ing can con ibu e o he 17 sus ainable
de elopmen goals de ined by he UN.
Recommenda ions: mode n So wa e Enginee ing cu icula should bene i om a close collabo a ion
be ween uni e si ies and companies.
This migh happen by dual s udy p og ams, whe e s uden s ocus on concep ual and heo e ical aspec s a
uni e si ies and on p ac ical ones a companies. The s udy con en a uni e si ies could be imp o ed e.g. by
ideos o webina s p o ided by indus ial pa ne s whe e ealis ic, indus ial equi emen s analysis ac i i ies
a e shown o he s uden s. Also, companies migh open in e nal p ojec managemen mee ings o s uden s
as isi o s o illus a e ealis ic case s udies.
On he o he side, guidelines should be de eloped o uni e si ies on how o in ol e s uden s in
mul idisciplina y p ojec s du ing hei In o ma ics s udy.
On he indus ial side, ce i ica ion p og ams o he p o ession o a so wa e enginee should be
de eloped. This will allow o cla i y and imp o e he ole and image o a so wa e enginee in indus ial
p ojec s o de eloping complex sys ems.
All hese ecommenda ions should be u he elabo a ed by a wo king g oup a he Eu opean le el whe e
s akeholde s om uni e si ies and companies join ly de elop guidelines and ecommenda ions on how o
close he gap be ween a esea ch-o ien ed educa ion and indus ial needs.
21
The esul s o he wo king g oup should be dissemina ed by an app op ia e communica ion campaign in a
b oad way a all Eu opean uni e si ies and companies who deal wi h he de elopmen o complex so wa e
sys ems o he u u e.
Resou ces: he in ended wo king g oup as well as he planned communica ion campaign needs addi ional
inancial suppo o b ing oge he expe s, o conduc app op ia e empi ical s udies, o de elop dedica ed
guidelines, and o dissemina e hem. To suppo hese ac ions, addi ional esou ces a e needed. In o ma ics
Eu ope could b ing i s b oad ne wo k o academic ins i u ions and indus ial esea ch labs in suppo o
ini ia e and lead such a wo king g oup and o dissemina e i s esul s.
Topic 2: he ou side iew o So wa e Enginee ing
Challenges: he ou side iew o So wa e Enginee ing deals wi h a ede ini ion o i s image in and o he
socie y. As said abo e he e seems o be s ong misconcep ion by many s akeholde s o wha So wa e
Enginee ing is. This hinde s he a ac ion o mo e so wa e enginee s as s uden s and as u u e employees.
In addi ion, his issue does no incen i ize exis ing p og amme s in Indus y o pa icipa e in upskilling
p og ams o become a mode n so wa e enginee .
S akeholde s: a be e unde s anding o he bene i s o high-quali y So wa e Enginee ing a ec s many
di e en s akeholde s. This anges om cus ome s and po en ial u u e use s o so wa e sys ems o
so wa e de elope s and p og amme s on he indus ial side, bu also o esea che s and eaching s a
membe s on he uni e si y side.
Causes: he bene i s o applying igo ous So wa e Enginee ing echniques a e a a i s glance in angible.
Thus, cus ome s a e qui e o en no willing o pay a huge amoun o deploying So wa e Enginee ing
echniques as hey do no see any immedia e impac on he quali y o so wa e. They do no unde s and ha
in ensi e e o s in e.g. elici ing equi emen s, in designing ex ensible so wa e a chi ec u es, o conduc ing
an ex ensi e es ing ha e an impac on so wa e de elopmen cos s on he longe un. In gene al, an
unde s anding o he economical ewa d o So wa e Enginee ing is missing.
Solu ion Ideas: So wa e Enginee ing as a discipline has g own up o be well es ablished wi hin he las 50
yea s. Howe e , socie y s ill lacks an app op ia e unde s anding o wha So wa e Enginee ing is and wha
so wa e enginee s a e doing. A communica ion campaign migh enhance his unde s anding, by p esen ing
eal-li e examples and demons a ing he p ac ical impac o So wa e Enginee ing on ou socie y and he
li e o indi iduals.
Also, he image o he p o ession should be s eng hened. This migh be ealized by in oducing
in e na ionally ecognized So wa e Enginee ing ce i ica ions o p o essionals which allows o check and
s a e dedica ed skills o a So wa e Enginee . Syne gies can be exploi ed wi h exis ing awa eness- aising
campaigns aimed a b idging digi al skill gaps.
Recommenda ions: measu es a e needed o communica e he ole and bene i s o deploying So wa e
Enginee ing echniques o a b oad audience in socie y. Communica ion expe s should be engaged o
dissemina e he cha ac e is ics o So wa e Enginee ing. Mode n dissemina ion echniques like blogs,
webina s and maybe e en a dedica ed TV soap migh be used. Also, exis ing so wa e enginee s in Indus y
migh be ained as ambassado s.
As a base, con incing indus ial examples showing he bene i s o So wa e Enginee ing should be collec ed
and should be made accessible in open-access eposi o ies. Al oge he , he discussion on he image and
de ini ion o So wa e Enginee ing should be enewed.
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Resou ces: addi ional esou ces a e needed o he planned communica ion campaign, o building he
open-access eposi o y o bes p ac ices and o a wo king g oup o enewing he de ini ion o mode n
So wa e Enginee ing. Success ul communica ion/awa eness- aising/li e acy campaigns can be aken as a
model and possibly le e aged o expand he ou each and he impac . In o ma ics Eu ope could o e an
excellen en i onmen o ini ia e such a communica ion campaign, o se -up a eposi o y o bes p ac ices
and o lead he men ioned wo king g oup and o dissemina e i s esul s.
Topic 3: he in e ela ion o Academia and Indus y
Challenges: So wa e Enginee ing is an enginee ing discipline wi h close links be ween esea ch-based
concep s and echniques and hei applica ions in an indus ial con ex . I is a discipline whe e bo h sides –
Academia and Indus y – can bene i o each o he , and whe e each side needs he o he one o imp o e.
Resea ch elies on conc e e expe iences wi h applying me hods and ools in an indus ial con ex , while
Indus y deploys esea ch ou comes o imp o e e iciency and e ec i eness o so wa e de elopmen .
Measu es a e needed o a be e exploi a ion o esea ch esul s in Indus y as well as a be e use o
indus ial expe iences in an academic So wa e Enginee ing educa ion.
Causes: he amoun o indus ial so wa e de elopmen has d ama ically inc eased du ing he las decades.
Thus, due o he insu icien a ailabili y o ained p o essional so wa e de elope s, ca ee change s we e
employed o wo k on so wa e sys ems. In addi ion, due o he s eadily inc easing ime- o-ma ke p essu e,
so wa e de elopmen ocus qui e o en on a as implemen a ion by coding in a p og amming language, and
spending less ime on ac i i ies like a deep equi emen s elici a ion o su icien es ing. Thus, he e was
insu icien capaci y and skills a ailable on he indus ial side o dissemina e success ully esea ch esul s in
So wa e Enginee ing o indus ial applica ions. On he o he side, ad anced indus ial ICT companies
de eloped hei own dedica ed So wa e Enginee ing echniques as academic esea che s did no always
add ess he eal needs o indus ial so wa e de elopmen . Al oge he , he gap be ween academic So wa e
Enginee ing esea ch and indus ial usage o So wa e Enginee ing echniques inc eased du ing he las
decades.
Solu ion Ideas: in o de o make So wa e Enginee ing esea ch esul s deployable in indus ial applica ions
and in o de o le So wa e Enginee ing esea ch unde s and he eal needs o indus ial so wa e
de elopmen , he gap be ween hese wo sides has o be dec eased. Flexible academic s udy p og ams a e
needed ha eac o he dynamism o indus ial So wa e Enginee ing ad ances in a imely manne . This
migh be ealized by p omo ing dual p og ams whe e companies and uni e si y closely coope a e. In o de
o upskill indus ial so wa e de elope s including ca ee change s, speci ic p og ams and measu es should
be es ablished.
Recommenda ions: speci ic p ojec s on coope a i e p og ams mus be ini ia ed, whe e bo h uni e si ies
and companies ha e o be ac i e playe s. Those p ojec s migh ange om coope a i e p ojec s whe e
expe iences and bes p ac ices o So wa e Enginee ing a e mu ually exchanged o educa ional up-skilling
p og ams. Mechanisms migh be ound o ease he pa icipa ion o p o essionals in academic p og ams. This
anges om academic cou se ma e ials which a e made a ailable o hose who a e al eady wo king in
Indus y o in ol ing indus ial p o essionals in academic eaching p og ams.
Resou ces: addi ional unding is needed o ealize abo e men ioned measu es. As his is o high ele ance
o bo h Indus y and Academia, a combina ion o public and p i a e unding migh be aimed a , especially
o hose ac i i ies in ol ing up-skilling p og ams. In o ma ics Eu ope could b ing i s b oad ne wo k o
academic ins i u ions and indus ial esea ch labs in suppo o ini ia e and coo dina e hose coope a i e
p ojec s whe e Academia and Indus y a e in ol ed.
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4.4 Conclusion
As so wa e is e e ywhe e and so wa e is he key o any inno a ion nowadays, e ec i e and e icien
So wa e Enginee ing echniques a e u gen ly needed o a heal hy g ow o he Eu opean economy and
socie y. The discussions wi hin his pa allel session on So wa e Enginee ing ha e shown ha he e is a s ong
need in inc easing he numbe o high-quali y so wa e enginee s in Indus y. Discussed measu es a e ha
he numbe o en olled s uden s as well as g adua es in So wa e Enginee ing ha e o be d ama ically
inc eased. Also, he numbe o upskilled employees in Indus y has o be inc eased. Fu he mo e, he image
o So wa e Enginee ing and a b oad public unde s anding o i s bene i s ha e o be imp o ed. All his can
only be achie ed by a much close coope a ion be ween Academia and Indus y, as mode n So wa e
Enginee ing echniques ely on he in e play o academic esea ch esul s and indus ial deploymen and
expe iences. To achie e his, addi ional esou ces a e needed o coope a i e measu es. In o ma ics Eu ope
could o e an excellen en i onmen o ini ia e and coo dina e hose coope a i e measu es on So wa e
Enginee ing opics whe e Academia and Indus y a e in ol ed.
