Competences and skills are critical for the future development of Europe’s cultural and creative industries (CCIs). This insight is common across many CCI sectors, as made evident through different policy labs with a focus on Artificial Intelligence in CCIs, immersive media, New European Bauhaus (NEB), crafts-led innovation, cross-innovation with performing arts and video games and inclusivity each examined the challenges and opportunities linked to skills development in their respective sectors. This report presents a synthesis of shared challenges, opportunities, and complementary approaches across different sectors, and summarises the core recommendations for EU-level policy action, adoption open innovation lenses.

These findings and recommendations are the outcome of the ekip Policy Labs process. Through the Labs, stakeholders across different CCI sectors identified shared challenges, opportunities, and priorities for policy action.

How do the ekip policy labs work?

The ekip policy labs follow a three-step approach to develop evidence-based policy recommendations for the CCIs.

Setting the baseline Each Lab begins with a contextual analysis to understand the specific needs of CCI actors and stakeholders. This phase produces data-driven scoping documents that establish a baseline for each policy area.

Co-formulation phase Stakeholders then take part in dedicated Policy Labs, contributing expertise and insights to shape proposals collaboratively.

Policy recommendations The process concludes with the drafting of prioritised, data-informed policy recommendations outlining concrete actions and prioritiy areas for future implementation.

The ekip open innovation methodology guides this process, using a set of key building blocks to address challenges across CCIs. For the broader creative ecosystems, which are: sustainable competitiveness, regulation and governance, social dimensions, investment and funding, infrastructure, research and innovation, and technological solutions.

Key challenges for Europe’s CCIs

Among the cultural and creative industries, education and skills are critical to keep pace with technological change. Challenges surrounding education and skills have been raised by many stakeholders in the cultural and creative sector. The difficulty to align skills with labour market, the scarcity of specialised talent as well as the current absence of sustainable talent pipelines limit innovation capacity and competitiveness of CCIs.  

ekip Policy Labs conducted on Artificial Intelligence in CCIs, Immersive Media, NEB, Crafts-led innovation, cross-innovation with performing arts, and Video Games and Inclusivity, shared challenges around education and skills, made evident through identified concrete experiences by CCI stakeholders. While the discussions vary across sectors, common difficulties in ensuring relevant skills, addressing gaps and mismatches, and attracting and retaining talent were pointed out. 

aligning skills with labour market needs

A common baseline acknowledged the difficulty of aligning skills provision with labour market needs.  Finding the right blend between technical profiles and creative professionals is a commonly experienced challenge, highlighting the lack of mutual understanding between developers and CCI actors. For example, in immersive media fields, stakeholders point to a mismatch between what academic institutions provide and the rapidly changing demands of the XR industry. 

scarcity of specialised talent

The scarcity of specialised talent affects many CCIs. A lack of programming skills and AI expertise within CCIs, combined with a limited talent pool, is a major barrier for the advanced use of AI. In immersive media, the sector was described as facing a critical shortage of XR skills, with 97% of companies reporting difficulties in recruitment despite rapid growth. Uneven access to quality education was an issue raised within the video gaming industry. This results in disparities in training and contributes to mismatches between training and workforce needs. 

building sustainable talent pipelines

Concerns about building sustainable talent pipelines are shared across the CCIs. Discussions highlighted the scarcity of AI-skilled professionals and the need to retrain the existing workforce to keep pace with technological developments. Participants also noted that the absence of entrepreneurial and business skills can undermine professionals’ ability to build sustainable careers and retain talent within the sector. As CCIs, such as the video games industry, increasingly compete globally for deep tech talent, participants emphasised the importance of practical measures, such as streamlined visas and mobility support, to ensure Europe remains an attractive environment for professionals.

Skills & Education Barriers 

The skills required for CCI to participate effectively in open innovation systems were examined through the lens of cross-sectoral collaboration.

Three key barriers related to skills and education emerged:

• the undervaluation of artistic expertise and methods,
• a lack of mutual understanding between sectors,
• and the absence of well-supported intermediary organisations to bridge these gaps.

Without brokers capable of aligning diverse logics and practices, collaborations remain fragmented. As such, the potential of CCIs to enrich innovation processes by combining artistic practices and perspectives with technological and scientific knowledge is largely untapped. 

There is insufficient effort to preserve and transmit cultural knowledge and skills for future generations, while balancing traditional practices with innovation creates tension across many CCI sectors. These gaps underline the need for stronger educational foundations, accessible infrastructure, and intermediary support to ensure sustainability, inclusivity, and long-term resilience of the cultural and creative industries. 

Structural challenges identified in the ekip policy labs

Beyond the shared themes identified, each lab also highlighted structural challenges that resonate across CCIs.

• For AI, participants pointed to a lack of resources, particularly for smaller actors, and to persistent diversity gaps stemming from the tech sector.
• In video games, stereotypes, structural inequalities, and a lack of role models were described as discouraging participation from underrepresented groups.
• In immersive media, the absence of mentorship opportunities, weak peer-to-peer learning structures, and accessibility barriers for underrepresented groups were emphasised.

While the specific expressions differ, these issues all relate to the difficulty of creating inclusive, well-supported ecosystems for skills development in CCIs. Taken together, the Labs highlight a set of common challenges that hinder skills development across cultural and creative sectors: 

• Misalignment between skills provision and industry needs; 
• Shortages and uneven access to specialised talent; 
• Barriers to attracting, retaining, and diversifying talent. 

Policy recommendations 

Strengthen education and training

Enhancing education and training across the CCI sector is essential to strengthen innovation capacity and economic sustainability. Beyond core creative skills, EU policy should support for learning opportunities that support the professionalisation of artistic activities. Non-formal education should complement formal pathways to enable this shift. Priority areas for development include business management, financial literacy, digital skills, intellectual property protection, cross-sectoral networking, intermediation, and entrepreneurship for sustainability and growth. Building these competencies will allow CCI to adopt digital tools, engage in collaborative and open innovation, and secure their role in diverse contexts. 

Raise awareness and improve access to emerging technologies

A second area of convergence is the call to develop education curricula and training opportunities that address skills shortages. Stakeholders emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary training, the creation of coherent skills agendas, and targeted strategies to build capacity across sectors. They also highlighted the need for specialised training programmes, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM)-oriented education, and lifelong learning opportunities, alongside ensuring that education encompasses the full range of relevant creative and business practices. 

Address skills gaps through interdisciplinary learning

Moreover, CCIs emphasised importance of demystification and awareness-raising emerged. Stakeholders underlined the need to make emerging technologies more accessible and understandable and highlighted the value of demystifying technological innovation and promoting awareness through events, workshops, and cultural initiatives. They also stressed the role of inclusivity within the workforce as a means to inspire and motivate students to pursue careers in STEAM and related fields. 

Support lifelong learning, reskilling and talent development

Finally, stakeholders underlined the importance of lifelong learning, continuous reskilling, and strong policy support. Participants highlighted the value of mapping and sharing good practices through open innovation and knowledge-exchange platforms, supported by public funding and national programme⁹. They also emphasised the relevance of micro-credentials, transversal skills training, and the development of networking and collaboration skills for students and emerging professionals. 

EU responses to skills gaps in CCIs 

At EU level, targeted measures to address skills shortages and strengthen talent pipelines across the CCIs are necessary. Specific interventions could include an expansion of cascade funding to improve access to AI and digital innovation skills, and broadening Creative Europe’s support for cross-border and interdisciplinary collaboration. To attract and retain talent, participants proposed EU-wide strategies such as mobility schemes, streamlined visas for skilled professionals, and fiscal incentives. Continued investment in European inclusive training programmes, notably Erasmus+, was seen as essential to developing a diverse and resilient creative workforce across Europe. 

These recommendations recognise that several EU initiatives strengthen skills and education across the CCIs. Flagship funding instruments such as Horizon Europe, Digital Europe and Creative Europe target critical issues including the development of market-ready products for niche sectors, expanding the talent pool to create immersive experiences, and combining resources to support the emergence of a European open innovation ecosystem. Erasmus+ remains a pivotal vehicle for education and training policy in this area. Several projects under its umbrella are directly linked CCIs such as the video games sector. As examples: GAME-EDU works on aligning curricula with industry needs; GATE develops training for using games in education and career guidance; and GRAINE integrates game design into higher education to foster creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration. The EIT KIC Culture & Creativity also places skills at the centre of its agenda, with the first call focusing on audiovisual and gaming. It seeks to address gaps in entrepreneurship and technology training, expand access to digital tools, and strengthen collaborative networks.  

At a broader level, the European Skills Agenda provides the framework for addressing skills gaps across sectors, with the CCIs now formally recognised as one of the EU’s 14 industrial ecosystems. Within this context, several initiatives target the upskilling and reskilling needs of the sector. The Creative Pact for Skills aims to strengthen the skills base of the CCIs by promoting collaboration between industry, education providers and public authorities. It focuses on developing digital, green and entrepreneurial competences, encouraging on-the-job learning, and improving the recognition of training and qualifications across Europe. Complementing this effort, alliances such as Cyanotypes (2022–2026) design new curricula for higher education and vocational training to reduce mismatches between education supply and labour market demand, while the CHARTER Alliance (2022–2025) works to equip the cultural heritage sector with the skills needed to support sustainable societies and economies. 

Finally, the Union of Skills complements sectoral initiatives by strengthening education and training across Europe. Key measures include a basic skills support scheme for young people, the promotion of STEM careers under the STEM Education Strategic Plan, and new strategies to make vocational training more attractive and inclusive. To foster lifelong learning, the EU is expanding micro-credentials, piloting a skills guarantee for workers at risk, and rolling out EU skills academies. The topic of talent attraction is supported by an EU talent pool, a new visa strategy, and the Choose Europe initiative. 

The STEM Education Strategic Plan explicitly points to shortages of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates in the creative and cultural industries.  Limited technical expertise challenges the ability of CCIs to adopt AI and emerging technologies including deep tech, limiting the potential for competitiveness and growth. To address this, the Commission has set out concrete actions, including the development of a STEM competence framework and taxonomy of skills by 2026, the piloting of STEM education centres, including VET schools, working in partnership with creative industries, and initiatives such as the STEM Tech Talent Induction and European Advanced Digital Skills Competitions to attract diverse students into STEM careers. In past years, STEAM education, STEM paired with arts and humanities and artistic competences, has gained prominence. Participants in the ekip Policy Labs stressed the necessity to take further steps in recognising the value of the arts in STEAM to respond to their labour market needs. 

The breadth of activities carried out at EU level is testament to the ample potential of European skills and education policy to support CCIs. Education and skills initiatives, including the Union of Skills and the STEM Education Strategic Plan, and programmes such as the future Erasmus+ programme should be better aligned to serve the needs of cultural and creative sectors. 

SEE related ekip policy recommendations below