European Edtech Alliance Update June 24
The need for active listening and connection
Against a backdrop of the recent European elections, we believe active and nuanced dialogue must be central to the European EdTech Ecosystem. A central theme across all of our activities over this past month has been that we can only truly increase trust and understanding if we are actively listening, exchanging and connecting.
To do this, it is necessary to have appropriate spaces that facilitate gathering and knowledge exchange. These could look like workshops or online community gatherings. They could also, though, look like testing environments and spaces for the co-creation and co-design of products and education methodologies. Alternatively, they could be represented through policy labs, multi-stakeholder structured dialogues, or the ability to provide feedback on important decisions being made that will effect your local education environments. This will be imperative as some of the existing testing and connection environments are facing sustainability issues and as of yet no structural, long-term support being put into developing spaces like this.
“We have seen a graveyard of EdTech platforms and marketplaces over the years. Many struggled to stick around because they didn’t really answer the questions that schools needed answers to.” - Michael Forshaw (CEO EdTech Impact)
We are grateful to be supported by project partners such as our EmpowerED consortium and the Jacobs Foundation who support us as we continue our work in informing and importantly connecting the ecosystem. Support from these partners enable us to explore fundamental concepts and possibilities for a stronger innovation ecosystem- aiming to address and understand the needs and requirements of all stakeholders.
Continue reading to learn more about
EEA news: the launch of our new maps website
Policy dialogues updates
Workshop and event updates: find out more about our EdTech Strategy Lab workshops and first findings
EEA Webinars
Funding and M&A news
News from EEA members throughout Europe
and opportunities for you and your networks
-Beth Havinga
Managing Director, European Edtech Alliance
EEA news:
NEW: Edtech Map Website!
🎉 Our New Edtech Map Website is Live! 🎉
Click on www.edtechmap.eu to explore:
🌐 EdTech Organisations: over 1,500 European EdTech organisations and find their innovative products and services.
🏗 Ecosystem Builder: Discover essential investors, accelerators, incubators, and fellowships within the European EdTech ecosystem as they display themselves and their supporting work.
Not yet on one of our maps? Make sure that you add your organisation or initiative today!
Policy Dialogue:
EEA leaders called to EU Commission Stakeholder Groups
We are excited to celebrate leaders within the EEA who have been admitted to the following European Commission stakeholder groups:
European Commission Expert Group for Digital Education Content
Albena Spasova, Managing Director of Education Technology Cluster Bulgaria,
Pierre Laborde, President of AFINEF
Beth Havinga, Managing Director of the European Edtech Alliance
European Commission Expert Group for the development of guidelines on high-quality informatics
Donatella Solda, President of EdTech Italia and board member of the EEA
Digital Education Dialogues
Digital transformation in education was one of the key education priorities of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). The aim of the Presidency was to take steps forward in fostering successful digital transformation in education and training in the European Education Area. The Belgian Presidency convened the digital dialogues event in May to address this and have now provided a full overview of the discussions, presentations and outcomes of this event. Make sure to review some of the key take aways and recommendations for ongoing work!
Workshops and Events:
EdTech Strategy Lab Summer Workshop Series
Explore some of the key findings from our in-person workshops so far looking into how plays a crucial role in the development, selection and adoption of quality EdTech solutions, however, several challenges undermine this trust, including a general bias against technology and the private sector and the regulatory complexities of fragmented education systems.
Read the report from our workshop session with academics and researchers as we broke down the many different types of evaluation mechanisms, the role of research and academia and outlined some of the most important issues facing the ecosystem together.
During London EdTech Week, the EEA hosted two workshops focusing on fostering trust within the EdTech ecosystem. The first, part of the EdTech Strategy Lab series with UCL and the Jacob's Foundation, gathered around 20 researchers. The second, held at the Global Startup Mini-Summit with EmpowerED, SEK Labs, Mindcet, UCL and AWS featured numerous industry representatives. Insights from both workshops will be shared soon.
Make sure to be part of our strategy lab work by registering your interest here.
Westermann Summit - Berlin
Foto ©David Ausserhofer
Media skills, future skills, artificial intelligence (AI) - these were the key issues addressed in the third Westermann Summit at the Futurium in Berlin. In interactive formats, the participants addressed how schools must promote information literacy and media education, that schools must be open systems and expand beyond the walls of a classroom, and that spaces for creativity can be enhanced through AI.
As a keynote speaker, Beth Havinga represented the EEA and addressed the need for trust in EdTech and for a nuanced discussion in differentiating between technologies that have been explicitly developed for educational contexts, and platforms that are simply used in education environments but have no pedagogical or educational background.
EEA Webinars:
EEA meets and market discovery webinars in June:
This month was a busy one for the EEA, with our team engaging in multiple webinars to inform and share insights.
EEA meets researchers webinar: The topics of how EdTech organisations and companies can increase trust in their products and solutions as well as how they can demonstrate their impact and effectiveness were a focus of our latest EEA Meets webinar.
EEA Market Discovery Webinar -India: As part of our events partnership with Didac India, we were able to provide insights into the fastest growing market globally and outline how you can become active here, too!
EEA Market Discovery Webinar - Thailand and South East Asia: Together with the Singapore Education Network and the Messe Stuttgart, we were able to provide insights into the Thai education market, a regional overview of the South East Asian market and the opportunities related to Didacta Asia.
Member News:
Save the Date - EdTech Summit Hungary
Date: 31st of August 2024
Venue: Ludovika University of Public Service, Budapest
For the third time, the EdTech Summit Hungary - Hungarian Educational Technology Conference and Exhibition will take place on 31 August 2024 in Budapest.
The aim of the international event is to provide information on the role and status of educational technology in Hungary and on an international level, as well as on the challenges and opportunities ahead. Additionally, it aims to provide an opportunity to learn about pedagogical, methodological and technological tools and innovations related to digital education for teachers, networking opportunities for stakeholders and companies in the field of education. The mission of the event is to sustain a vivid network among the various Hungarian stakeholders and also with the existing international alliances.
The Helsinki Education Hub
The Helsinki Education Hub (HEH) is an innovation and competence centre utilising educational research and supporting EdTech solutions. The Hub will be located at The Faculty of Education, at the University of Helsinki and is co-funded by the City of Helsinki and The University of Helsinki. The ultimate goal of the Hub will be to create an Edtech Deep Tech innovation program, which is supported by the academic research done at the University, the existing Helsinki Edtech Testbed, the Department of Education at the City of Helsinki and Business Helsinki.
HEH facilitates the use of research in learning and educational technology to support the development of new learning solutions. It enhances collaboration between startups, schools, university researchers, students, and established companies. In addition, HEH aims to advance the effectiveness of digital learning methods and the improvement of digital skills among student teachers and practising educators.
Edtech Accelerator Lithuania
The Government of Lithuania (Startup Lithuania), Civitta and xEdu have come together to create an Edtech Accelerator in Lithuania. A key partner in the activity will be Edtech Lithuania. The aim is to build an international accelerator and an edtech testbed environment. The program will be open for all edtech companies. The companies that fulfil the eligibility requirements will receive an equity free grant – which means that participation will be funded. More information will be shared in autumn 2024
Funding and M&A News:
Berlin-based Bling, a mobile app that offers family-friendly digital solutions in the areas of payment, investment, and mobile communications secured 11.2m €.
Zurich-based Taskbase, secured 3.6m € for their solution to help digital learning providers offer personalised educational experiences, tailored to each learner’s need.
Upcoming Events:
9th-11th July: Digital with Purpose Global Summit in Cascais, Portugal - Agenda
18th-19th September: Learning Conference for L&D in Stockholm, Sweden - Tickets
DigiEduHack 2024: Calling all educators and organisations passionate about digital education!
Hosting a DigiEduHack is your chance to showcase your commitment to innovation and make a real impact in the education sector. Let’s imagine the future of digital education together- Join now and become a catalyst for positive change!
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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.