This month, the European Commission called together a high-level EdTech dialogue meeting, emphasising their commitment to strengthening EdTech cooperations and acting more strategically and stressing the fact that Education is at the heart of European competitiveness. At the same time, this month, we see one of the longest standing independent European EdTech testbeds, Swedish Edtest, closing its doors.
During the European Commission meeting, Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen stated that “education is the cornerstone of Europe’s success”. In fact, across Europe education is no longer seen only as a social policy domain, but rather as a strategic foundation for digital sovereignty, economic resilience and democratic stability. Expectations of EdTech are rising accordingly: from supporting skills development to strengthening Europe’s capacity to act independently and ensure sovereignty in a rapidly shifting global landscape.
Yet the structures needed to support, evaluate and scale EdTech across Europe aren’t sustainably in place. There is no shared definition of what constitutes EdTech, data is not reliably comparable across Member States, there are limited sustainable testing and trialling environments, and there are no clearly defined exchange and dialogue structures ensuring governance and strategy models for digital education are built on the strengths of the whole ecosystem, and not just following a top-down approach.
As Executive Vice President Roxana Minzatu stated: “The risk of not doing anything is huge”. It will need continued structured, nuanced, and balanced dialogue between all partners so that what gets done meaningfully contributes to the Education ecosystem. We are committed to furthering these discussions.
Beth Havinga
Managing Director, European EdTech Alliance
High-Level European Commission EdTech Dialogue
The European EdTech Alliance participated in the High-Level European EdTech Dialogue convened by the European Commission, bringing together industry representatives with Executive Vice Presidents Roxana Mînzatu and Henna Virkkunen.
The discussion positioned EdTech within a broader European agenda around competitiveness, digital sovereignty and the future of education. A strong emphasis was placed on the role of education in shaping Europe’s long-term resilience, and on the importance of engaging the EdTech sector as a strategic partner in this process. The dialogue also provides input to the Commission’s upcoming Education Package and wider work on digital education towards 2030.
A key issue raised by the EEA was the absence of a shared definition of EdTech across Member States. This fragmentation limits the development of a functioning Single Market, constrains cross-border scaling, and weakens the quality of data used for policy, funding and investment decisions. The EEA also emphasised that barriers to growth extend well beyond company formation. For EdTech, scaling depends on access to sustained R&D pathways, research partnerships, testing and validation environments, clearer evidence expectations, and structured cooperation between public and private actors.
The Alliance proposed several areas for further action, including support for definitional work, EU-wide reporting mechanisms, research on EdTech impact at scale, governance sandboxes, and structured dialogue models across Member States.
Photos courtesy of the European Commission
UNESCO Global Education Coalition
The EEA is a proud member of UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition and the Digital Transformation Collaborative. At the Annual Meeting last month, discussions reinforced a clear message: progress towards more inclusive, equitable and future-ready education systems will depend on sustained collaboration across governments, international organisations, academia, civil society and industry. Taking place at a moment when global actors are beginning to look beyond 2030, the meeting highlighted that no single actor can drive this transformation alone; system change requires coordination, shared priorities and structures for meaningful public-private cooperation.
Several developments reflected this direction. The newly launched Global EdTech Alliance of Alliances was presented as a mechanism for more structured international collaboration, while UNICEF opened the final feedback round on Version 2.0 of its EdTech for Good Framework, signalling growing demand for clearer global reference points on quality and evidence. Across sessions, there was a strong emphasis on aligning digital transformation with country priorities, strengthening governance and public ownership, and ensuring that teachers are engaged as active contributors to implementation and change.
Photos courtesy of Cyril Bailleul, UNESCO
Strengthening dialogue across the German education ecosystem to drive the digital transformation
On 14 April 2026, stakeholders from education, policy, administration, and industry came together in Hanau, Germany, for an EdTech Policy Lab dialogue led by the EEA and hosted by the Heraeus Bildungsstiftung.
The session focused on how dialogue spaces in Germany can move beyond exchange to actually drive digital transformation. While many formats already exist, participants explored in detail what is currently missing to make them effective, looking also at international models for inspiration. The insights will feed into a practical playbook on designing impactful, sustainable dialogue structures that better connect stakeholders and support real decision-making as part of the EdTech Policy Lab project in Germany. Read more about the policy lab here.
SETT
The Nordic Track at the SETT conference in Stockholm highlighted the urgent need for digital resilience in education, focusing on equipping young people to navigate digital spaces, counter disinformation, and use AI responsibly. Speakers, including Ivo Visak from Estonia’s AI Leap initiative, stressed teacher professional development and exposed a leadership gap, with limited national guidance on legal and ethical frameworks. As responsibility shifts to municipalities and school leaders, and with students adopting AI faster than adults, it is clear that digital resilience is now a core task for education systems seeking to protect learning, democracy, and equal opportunity in an AI-driven world.
AI Learn Project Launch
The European EdTech Alliance has joined AI LEARN, a major Research Council of Norway-funded initiative bringing together 35 partners across academia, industry and the public sector to explore how AI can be developed and implemented in ways that align with human values and societal needs. Launched at its kick-off meeting in Bergen (10-11 March 2026), the project focuses on human-AI interaction, governance, and capacity building, with a strong emphasis on participatory approaches to ensure that AI is integrated into education and wider society in a responsible, inclusive and human-centred way. Find out more here!
🇪🇺 EU Inc.: Simplifying Startup Formation
The European Commission’s EU Inc. proposal aims to reduce legal fragmentation and make it easier to start and scale companies across the Single Market. Proposed measures include fast-track digital company formation, standardised templates, more flexible share structures, and improved ESOP taxation. 🔗 Read more
While these changes address long-standing friction at the point of company creation, key challenges for sectors such as EdTech remain further downstream, including fragmented procurement systems, regulatory differences, access to funding, and alignment around trust and evidence. The extent to which EU Inc. enables scaling will depend on how these broader ecosystem constraints are addressed.
📱 EU Age Verification App: Strengthening Online Protection Frameworks
The European Commission has introduced a new age verification app aimed at supporting the enforcement of rules designed to protect minors online. The initiative is part of a broader effort to operationalise requirements under the Digital Services Act and strengthen safeguards around access to age-restricted content.
For EdTech and digital service providers, this signals increasing expectations around age assurance, user verification and child protection mechanisms, particularly as regulatory focus shifts from principles to implementation. 🔗 Read more
🤖 AI Act: Delays and Implementation Adjustments
Recent developments indicate adjustments to the timeline and implementation approach of the EU AI Act, reflecting the complexity of operationalising its requirements across Member States and sectors.
While the overall regulatory direction remains unchanged, these delays highlight ongoing challenges around readiness, guidance and enforcement capacity. For EdTech providers, this reinforces the need to monitor evolving timelines closely and continue preparing for compliance, particularly in areas such as high-risk classification, transparency and governance. 🔗 Read more
📚EU Guidelines on Digital Education Content and Ethical AI
The European Commission has published the Guidelines on Making Informed Choices on Digital Education Content, designed to support teachers and educators in evaluating digital tools. Dedicated webinars on this will be offered by the European Commission. The EEA contributed to the development of the guidelines through Beth Havinga (EEA), Pierre Laborde (AFINEF) and Albena Spasova (EdTech Bulgaria) as members of the expert group.
The European Commission has updated their guidelines on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and data in teaching and learning.
Visibility Learning Lab: Core
🗓️ 27. May
⏱️ 9am - 13:00pm Central European Time
📍 Online
The EEA has launched the Visibility Learning Lab (VLL), a programme for EdTech founders and communication leads focused on aligning pedagogical and market-facing communication.
The first cohort has completed its core session, developing structured approaches to organisational storytelling and practical tools to strengthen consistency and credibility. The programme now continues with a Design Clinic phase offering targeted 1:1 support. Applications are open for the next cohort starting 27 May.
European EdTech Fellowship - Applications open next week!
Applications for the European EdTech Fellowship 2026 cohort open 20 April 2026. Built on the foundations of the Female EdTech Fellowship, this new programme expands the lens and goes deeper into the forces that determine whether EdTech actually works in the real world. Not just how to build a company, but how to navigate the procurement cycles, trust frameworks, regulatory landscapes, and deeply localised dynamics that define education systems across Europe.
Over six months — June through December 2026 — Fellows will work through a curated, intensive curriculum covering everything from stakeholder mapping and evidence-based innovation to digital sovereignty, public tender readiness, sustainability and cross-border scaling.
Register your interest and get first access to the application!
Needs-Based Evidence Mapping Dialogue Templates
As part of its Needs-Based Evidence Mapping report, the EEA has introduced tools to support evidence translation across stakeholders with differing needs and perspectives. These include a dialogue template with structured prompts to clarify the purpose, origin, and meaning of evidence, and a mapping tool to identify how evidence is used, by whom, and where misalignment may occur. Stakeholders across the ecosystem are invited to explore and apply these templates and share feedback to support further refinement.
Launch of the Global EdTech Alliance of Alliances
The Global EdTech Alliance of Alliances had it’s constitutional meeting during UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition with representatives from over 50 countries present. Designed as a global collaborative platform connecting alliances of education innovation ecosystems from around the world, the Alliance’s objective is to strengthen collaboration between established and emerging ecosystems, share knowledge, and co-develop initiatives that support sustainable, inclusive digital education systems. Read more about the launch here.
We are grateful for the support of UNESCO who has given the Global EdTech Alliance of Alliances a home at the Global Education Coalition. Follow the Global EdTech Alliance on LinkedIn here
Creating resources that help you - complete the survey!
The European EdTech Alliance Working Group on Data and Privacy is gathering input from EdTech founders and teams on:
how AI and data are being used in products today
where compliance is unclear or difficult
what support would actually make a difference
Our goal is to build resources for EdTech founders and developers that are grounded in real needs. Take 5 minutes and share your perspective here.
Swedish Edtest closes it doors- resources available
Swedish Edtest opens up its methodology and resources for teachers and EdTech companies as they close their platform. The work will inform the quality portfolio for edtech that Swedish Edtech is developing. Find the resources from Edtest (In Swedish) here.
Technology Readiness Council - Strategic Partner
We are delighted to welcome Technology Readiness Council (TRC) as a strategic partner of the European EdTech Alliance. TRC brings a strong focus on the intersection of education, technology, and policy, particularly in areas such as AI governance and responsible innovation in schools. Their work aligns closely with the EEA’s mission to support a more connected and forward-thinking EdTech ecosystem.
Is Sweden Really Giving Up on Digital Learning?
A growing narrative portraying EdTech as harmful is gaining traction, often driven by simplified claims and sensational headlines that risk shaping policy discussions without a full understanding of the context or ecosystem realities.
As Jonathan Viner reports, however, Sweden hasn’t “given up” on digital learning or EdTech. Although the narrative is politically compelling, the evidence behind it is far more ambiguous and is actually related to a shift of policy led by a right-wing coalition interpreting PISA scores out of context and conflating general screen-related distraction with educational technology use. Read more here!
Recommended Reading
UNESCO-UNICEF-ITU Charter for Public Digital Learning Platforms
AI in Education in Europe and Central Asia: Tools, Gaps and Opportunities
Digital skills among young Swedes is declining, and the gap starts in school
A roadmap to ensure education potential is realised in Germany
The Scottish Government released guidelines for AI in schools
European School Education Platform: “Mobile phone bans in schools across the EU.”
EEA Weekly TLDR
Make sure you check out the EEA LinkedIn page each Friday for our TLDR summary of what’s moving in European EdTech that week!
Save the Date!
🇬🇧 London Edtech Week | 15-19 June | London, UK
London EdTech Week returns 15–19 June 2026, bringing together 1,500+ global attendees for a week-long, community-led celebration of the EdTech ecosystem in London. Across five days, the programme features conferences with leading voices, hackathons driving innovation, curated networking dinners, start-up summits, and awards recognising the best in education technology. Register here.
🇳🇴 Nordic EdTech Summit 2026 | 9 September | Oslo, Norway
This year, and for the first time in Norway, join 250 senior EdTech leaders for a focused, high-level gathering exploring how to build and scale sustainable, impactful EdTech.
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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.