Sectoral digital skills academies: Virtual Worlds Skills Academy

Overview

Objectives

Virtual worlds blend physical and digital worlds in real-time for a variety of purposes such as designing new prototypes, virtualising entire cities or for different types of simulations. Virtual worlds are a fast-evolving technology, gaining ground in more and more areas of our lives. The recently adopted “EU initiative on Web 4.0 and virtual worlds: a head start in the next technological transition” presents all the various opportunities virtual worlds can bring to many industrial and societal sectors and citizens in their daily lives.

The Virtual Worlds Skills Academy will reinforce the talent pool needed to achieve the aspirations of the EU to pioneer the development of the various building blocks of virtual worlds, such as extended reality, 3D graphics, content creation, computer vision, AI, interactive media, modelling and industrial applications (digital twins), digital identity, data privacy and big data.

Activities/actions supported

Virtual worlds require a highly interdisciplinary approach, bringing together various technologies and disciplines. In order to generate high-level expertise, one focus of the academy will be to cover education and trainings that encompass all necessary technological blocks of virtual worlds (such as extended reality, blockchain, AI, data, edge computing, high-performance computing, 3D graphics, interactive media, content creation, computer vision, modelling and industrial applications (digital twins), digital identity, data privacy and big data) as well as creative designs and/or other related disciplines (law, ethics, design, etc.).

 In addition, the academy will offer training for sector specialists (e.g. in the automotive industry, healthcare, education, cultural and creative sectors and industries) to equip them with the necessary knowledge to deploy virtual worlds in their sectors and realise its benefits. Furthermore, the Virtual Worlds Academy will also develop training for the basic understanding of virtual worlds technologies to empower citizens and raise awareness of the opportunities and risks of virtual worlds in daily life.

Anticipated outcomes

Expected deliverables include:

• Comprehensive academic curricula designed across different levels and for different target groups.
• Modular short-term training curricula for sector specialists designed and piloted trough relevant training courses at regional or local levels, including targeted training for SMEs and public sector.
• Partnerships and collaboration frameworks established between academia, industry (including SMEs) and research institutions to facilitate and promote the large-scale European-wide roll-out of the academic programmes and short-term trainings. Facilitated joint (practical) educational initiatives and events with industry and research institutions, such as on-the-job experiences in companies’ premises, and laboratories, mentorship schemes, internship programmes, summer schools, bootcamps, visits to facilities, career days.
• Support, integration, and visibility schemes implemented, with particular attention aimed at the participation of female students and female professionals as well as young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with disabilities.
• Training initiatives addressing teaching staff, such as “Teach-the-teacher” training modules targeted at university, VET and secondary-education teachers.
• Communication and awareness-raising activities.

Institution providing the funding

European Commission

Size of funding

EUR 10,000,000

Conditions

Overview of eligibility criteria

To be eligible, applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in one of the eligible countries(i.e. EU Member States, non-EU countries, listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme).

Overview of award criteria

The award criteria for this call are as follows:

1. Relevance 

• Alignment with the objectives and activities as described in section 2 of the call document
• Contribution to long-term policy objectives, relevant policies and strategies, and synergies with activities at European and national level
• Extent to which the project would reinforce and secure the digital technology supply chain in the EU (may not be applicable to all topics - see section 2 of the call document)
• Extent to which the project can overcome financial obstacles such as the lack of market finance (may not be applicable to all topics - see section 2 of the call document)

2. Implementation

• Maturity of the project
• Soundness of the implementation plan and efficient use of resources
• Capacity of the applicants, and when applicable the consortium as a whole, to carry out the proposed work

3. Impact

• Extent to which the project will achieve the expected outcomes and deliverables referred to in the call for proposals and, where relevant, the plans to disseminate and communicate project achievements
• Extent to which the project will strengthen competitiveness and bringimportant benefits for society
• Extent to which the project addresses environmental sustainability and the European Green Deal goals, in terms of direct effects and/or inawareness of environmental effects (may not be applicable to all topics - see section 2 of the call document)

Procedures

Application procedures

All proposals must be submitted directly online via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper applications are NOT accepted.

Application support available

Please consult the call documents for more information.

Non-IT related questions should be sent to the following address: https://european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/write-us_en. Please indicate clearly the reference of the call and topic to which your question relates.

Useful links

Link to funding opportunity

Link to the programme for more info