MERIT’s contribution to Europe’s long-term digital skills ecosystem

The Digital Skills and Jobs Platform (DSJP) has highlighted MERIT as one of the Digital Europe Programme (DEP) projects contributing to a more connected European digital skills ecosystem. The article 5 years of DSJP: DEP projects building a connected skills ecosystem, published to mark the fifth anniversary of DSJP, includes a testimonial from Darja Bubnova of Riga Technical University (RTU), representing the MERIT project. 

Launched five years ago, DSJP has become a central European hub for increasing the visibility of digital skills initiatives, encouraging collaboration and connecting learners, educators, organisations and projects across countries. 

In the article, MERIT is presented as a project that connects talent, education and industry across Europe while helping professionals develop practical, future-ready digital skills. 

Strengthening MERIT’s visibility and European connections 

Darja Bubnova explains how DSJP has helped MERIT reach a broader European community: 

“Through DSJP, our short-term course gained visibility among a diverse European audience of learners, educators, and organisations. The platform enabled us to connect with new partners and participants beyond Latvia, strengthening cross-border collaboration.” 

According to Darja, this exposure has also helped position MERIT as an active contributor to the European digital skills ecosystem. 

Her testimonial underlines the importance of platforms such as DSJP at a time when digital transformation is accelerating and skills challenges increasingly require collaboration between countries, sectors and organisations. By facilitating knowledge sharing, access to educational opportunities and alignment with European priorities, DSJP helps projects such as MERIT extend the reach and relevance of its activities, reach new audiences, establish cross-border connections and contribute collectively to addressing Europe’s advanced digital skills needs. 

MERIT and DSJP: contributing to a connected digital skills ecosystem 

MERIT’s presence on DSJP reflects the shared ambition of both initiatives to strengthen cooperation and make digital education and training opportunities more visible and accessible across Europe. Through the platform, MERIT has been able to share its training offer with learners, educators and organisations beyond its immediate project network and connect its activities with the wider European digital skills community.  

The MERIT project aims to strengthen advanced digital skills in three key domains, including Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Through close collaboration among its consortium partners, it has developed new master’s and training programmes at UPC, RTU-RBS, TalTech and VILNIUS TECH, shaped by technological market trends and aligned with industry needs, with students already benefiting from these opportunities. 

MERIT also supports innovative educational and engagement activities, including training sessions, seminars, short courses, industry workshops and MERIThONs, to prepare students, professionals and organisations for the rapidly evolving digital landscape. 

Approaching the final stage of the MERIT project 

MERIT approaches the final stage of its implementation. The project will conclude in September 2026, after four years of collaboration among universities, innovation organisations, companies and other digital skills stakeholders. 

As the project moves towards completion, visibility through European platforms such as DSJP is important for sharing its educational resources, experiences and results with the wider digital skills ecosystem and supporting their continued use beyond the project’s lifetime.