Launch of Horizon Europe: Link4Skills research project, coordinated in Warsaw, implemented as part of the largest research and innovation program in the history of the European Union
Horizon Europe, a key European Union program for funding research and innovation, will carry out work whose results will support the fight against climate change, the achievement of sustainable development goals and economic growth in the European Union. Kozminski University, as scientific coordinator of the Horizon Europe: Link4Skills research project, has announced the official launch of the project. The project is planned for 3 years (2024-2026), covers 4 continents (Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas) and focuses on the challenges of skills shortage and flow.
The original Link4Skills project will address the global flow of talent and skills between third countries and the EU. The work of the global consortium will be led by Prof. Izabela Grabowska of Kozminski University, together with a team from the Center for Research on Social Change and Mobility (CRASH). Leon Kozminski Academy's partners in the project are twelve universities and institutions from around the world: Internationales Institut Für Angewandte Systemanalyse (Austria), Toronto Metropolitan University (Canada) in cooperation with India, Universität Osnabrück (Germany), Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (Netherlands), Association Migration Internationale - AMI (Morocco), University of Ghana, Scalabrini Migration Center Inc. (Philippines), Ukrainian Catholic University, International Center for Migration Policy Development (Austria), and us, Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology. The consortium will also be supported by two business companies: ITTI (Poland) and SPIA UG (Germany).
Project as a response to Europe's challenges
The European Union's rapidly aging and shrinking population, slowing economic growth, inflationary crisis, changing levels of education, insufficient impact of lifelong learning programs, and the sudden influx of migrants with different skills have once again raised key questions about the sustainability and resilience of the EU economy in terms of human capital. The issue of skilled labor shortages comes up in public discourse every time there is a "labor shortage" in an industry.
– On the one hand, there is a need for specialized knowledge regarding skills shortages; on the other hand, we must ensure that existing skill gaps do not hinder development, that people are equipped with the skills enabling them to adapt to changes and use modern technologies, and that the flow of skills between markets is balanced, efficient, and fair, without draining the labor markets of sending countries – emphasizes Prof. Grabowska, scientific coordinator of the Horizon Europe project: Link4Skills. – We are extremely pleased that as a Polish academy we can lead a global project that will allow us to acquire the necessary scientific knowledge and develop practical solutions and recommendations for various partners: employers as well as local, national, and European officials.
As part of the Link4Skills project, researchers will identify current and future "required skills". They will look for ways in which the European Union should respond to current and future skilled workforce shortages. They will also examine how to acquire key competencies by utilizing existing human resources, modern technologies, and other markets. Researchers will work on identifying and analyzing migration corridors through which qualifications and skills flow, and on creating the AI-supported Link4Skills Navigator, which will help employers and officials make knowledge-based decisions – on how to take actions, recruitments, programs, and partnerships leading to a balanced flow of talent and skills between third countries and the EU.
Funding amount
2 999 350,00 EUR
Duration
01.01.2024 – 31.12.2026
Detailed information about the project can be found in the EU CORDIS database: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101132476
Link4Skills has received funding from the European Union Horizon Europe project HORIZON-CL2-2023-TRANSFORMATIONS-01 grant agreement 101132476.
