Between Promise and Pragmatism
European EdTech Alliance Briefing, July '25
Between Promise and Pragmatism
Each September, the start of the European academic year invites reflection on the direction of digital education in Europe. This year’s UNESCO Digital Learning Week, themed "AI and the Future of Education: Disruptions, Dilemmas and Directions" has offered both alignment and friction, ambition and hesitation.
Governments presented a broad range of priorities: from the UK’s significant investment in EdTech validation to evolving national curricula and teacher training systems. But beyond the policies, deeper tensions surfaced. Some academics raised sharp critiques: from algorithmic bias and hallucinations to concerns over outsourcing pedagogy to commercial platforms. Their focus was less on rejecting technology, and more on safeguarding civic trust and pedagogical agency.
Philosopher Bayo Akomolafe challenged the dominant mindset, urging us to “abandon the illusion of control” and act not as designers of learning systems, but as embedded participants in complex, evolving ecosystems.
And while much of the narrative focused on systems and strategies, an underlying human reality surfaced repeatedly: many teachers are concerned. Not about AI as a concept, but its implications for their relevance, role, and autonomy in the learning process.
In contrast, the OECD provided a more grounded take, outlining consistent themes emerging across countries: the need for socio-emotional relevance, human-in-the-loop design, and a shift from outputs to measurable impact.
What was missing, notably, was a strong EdTech presence in the room. Absent from most of the panels, the sector was not positioned as a partner in shaping the future, but too often as a passive recipient of regulation or suspicion.
As Akomolafe concluded: "The time for snorkeling with oxygen tanks is over. We need to become fishes." It’s a call to go deeper, beyond adoption cycles and pilot programs, into a long-term, relational, evidence-based, and collaborative approach to digital education in Europe.
Donatella Solda
Board member, European EdTech Alliance
The European EdTech Map has relaunched!
This month, the European EdTech Alliance relaunched the European EdTech Map. The map is Europe’s most comprehensive public directory of EdTech organisations. With more than 1,600 organisations already listed, the new platform has been rebuilt to make it easier for organisations to be found, connected, and supported across the continent.
The redesigned Map introduces:
A simpler 5-minute onboarding process
Improved navigation and smarter filters
Verified profiles to strengthen trust and credibility
Integrated access to additional resources, including funding and investment tools
This initiative is part of EmpowerED, a project funded by the European Union.
The EdTech Funding Database is now Unlocked for Everyone
With the relaunch of the European EdTech Map, the EdTech Funding Database is now unlocked and open to everyone.
This curated, growing resource brings together grants and public funding opportunities from across Europe to support EdTech organisations of all sizes. Previously available only to mapped organisations, the database is now a public tool for the entire ecosystem.
Use it to:
Discover funding opportunities for your organisation
Save time with curated, regularly updated listings
Support the community by submitting new opportunities from your region
👉 Submit a funding opportunity!
This resource is made possible through the generous support of the Jacobs Foundation, and it will continue to grow with input from across the community.
Early Bird Registration for the AI Learning Lab Ends 12 September
As AI reshapes education, the AI Learning Lab by the European EdTech Alliance is your opportunity to stay informed. This two-day, online program (October 3-4) equips EdTech founders, product managers, and education innovators with the practical knowledge and tools to:
Navigate the EU AI Act with confidence
Embed ethical AI design principles
Prepare for procurement and tenders
Map the policy landscape
Early Bird Offer – Secure Your Spot Before 12 September - Seats are limited and we encourage you to take that opportunity and join this leading initiative.
🔗 Learn more about the Learning Labs
👉 Sign up for AI Learning Lab
Empowering European EdTech Summit - Join us in Sofia!
4 November 2025 | Grand Hotel Millennium, Sofia, Bulgaria
View the full programme and register here
The Empowering European EdTech Summit will bring together over 150 innovators, educators, policymakers, and investors from across Europe for a one-day event focused on the future of education technology on the continent.
Organised by EdTech Bulgaria with the support of the Human Resource Development Centre (Bulgaria’s national Erasmus+ agency), the EmpowerED project, and the European Edtech Alliance, the summit will:
Present outcomes and insights from the EmpowerED project
Highlight strategies to align national and European EdTech efforts
Facilitate cross-sector dialogue between practitioners, policymakers, and funders
This event also marks the closing chapter of the EU-funded EmpowerED initiative, supported by DG CNECT, and will serve as a space for reflecting on lessons learned, sharing tools and research, and identifying priorities for future collaboration.
“I click therefore I am” - Educa25
Educa’s annual symposium this year took on the challenges of how to both define ourselves in the digital world and understand the effects that digital identities can have within education.
In her plenary discussion, Beth Havinga explored what makes up a digital identity, some of the initiatives globally that are seeking to capture this information, and security measures necessary to ensure not only safety and adherence to ethics, but also the fundamental rights of children are not being exploited.
Images courtesy of Educa and Roman Bruegger
Help shape the future of EdTech policy
As part of the EmpowerED Project, the European Edtech Alliance is preparing a final policy report to be shared with decision-makers across Europe. This report will address some of the biggest structural challenges facing the EdTech sector today:
Funding gaps
Fragmented procurement systems
Limited access to real-world testbeds
Lack of reliable and transparent data
Your insights are essential — these quick surveys give you a direct channel to influence future EU-level policy and support frameworks.
📝 5-minute survey on funding realities
🔍 4-minute survey on testing and evaluation
📦 3-minute survey on procurement and scaling
And if you missed it, read our latest post on why a common definition of EdTech is so important!
🇫🇮 Member Spotlight: EdTech Finland
Finland continues to position itself as a hub for ethical, research-driven EdTech. With deep roots in pedagogy and public trust, the national ecosystem combines a strong startup culture with world-renowned education values.
Highlights:
A clear commitment to evidence-based design and ethical AI
Close collaboration between EdTech developers and teachers
Strong public frameworks supporting innovation, testing and export
“Finnish EdTech must lead by aligning AI-powered innovation with pedagogical purpose. True impact comes not from scale alone, but from trust, in teachers, in research, and in the ethical use of technology.”
Dr. Federico Malpica Basurto, CEO of Sinapsia Group Finland & Board Member, EdTech Finland
Ecosystem Opportunities
NextEdu 2025: Call now open
Applications are now open for the third edition of NextEdu, the European acceleration programme for EdTech startups, developed by xEdu, Fondazione Sviluppo e Crescita CRT and OGR Torino. The programme supports 10 startups with high-impact, pedagogically grounded solutions to join an intensive 4-month programme hosted at OGR Tech in Torino, including coaching, mentoring, bootcamps, and global visibility.
📅 Deadline: 22 September 2025 | Apply directly here
Save the Date!
🇸🇪 Nordic EdTech Summit | 10 September | Malmö, Sweden
Bringing together educators, entrepreneurs, and policymakers from across the region to explore the future of learning, innovation, and impact in Nordic education. Register here >
🇩🇪 Konferenz Bildung Digitalisierung | 24 - 25 September | Berlin, Germany
Organised by Forum Bildung Digitalisierung, KonfBD25 brings together stakeholders from education, policy, and civil society across DACH to discuss digital transformation in schools. Topics include digital sovereignty, democratic education, personalised learning, and governance. Register here >
🇫🇷 Council of Europe: 3rd Working Conference on AIED | 8 - 9 October | Strasbourg, France
The event will launch the Compass for AI and Education, a new policy tool to guide the integration of AI in education in line with democratic values and the right to quality education. Find more information here >
🇺🇦 All-Ukrainian Conference on Educational and Technological Innovations | Oct 22 | UNIT City, Kyiv
EdTech Ukraine is celebrating the first anniversary of its association with a landmark event: the All-Ukrainian Conference on Educational and Technological Innovations. The event will bring together leading voices from government, business, and international organizations to showcase Ukraine’s innovative EdTech potential. Find more information and registration details here.
🇧🇪 EIT EdTech Conference | 30 October | Brussels, Belgium
The EIT EdTech Conference overarching goal is to support the European EdTech ecosystem and contribute to make EdTech the next European success story. The EEA will contribute to the design and development of the one-day conference. Register your interest to attend here >
Check out our members’ newsletters
Follow us on LinkedIn - Follow us on Instagram
This newsletter is written and produced by the European Edtech Alliance. The European Edtech Alliance is a consortium of national trade associations and clusters working with founders and providers of education technology (EdTech), to support the domestic and international growth of these businesses and the innovations they represent. European EdTech News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.