Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Digital Europe Programme is the first EU programme that aims to accelerate the recovery and drive the digital transformation of Europe.
Worth €7.6 billion (in current prices), the Programme is a part of the next long-term EU budget, (the Multiannual Financial Framework), and it covers 2021 to 2027. It will provide funding for projects in five crucial areas: supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and ensuring the wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society.
The Programme is fine-tuned to fill the gap between the research of digital technologies and their deployment, and to bring the results of research to the market – for the benefit of Europe’s citizens and businesses, and in particular SMEs. Investments under the Digital Europe programme supports the Union’s twin objectives of a green transition and digital transformation and strengthens the Union’s resilience and strategic autonomy.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
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 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.
Detailed Call Description
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.
Proposals are expected to focus on the following, under the three pillars below:
Pillar 1: Knowledge, education and training
Designing, developing and handling operations in virtual worlds entail the interplay between the following sets of disciplines, corresponding to key building blocks of virtual worlds:
- innovative technologies (e.g. extended reality (XR), blockchain, AI, data, edge computing, high-performance computing, 3D graphics, interactive media, computer vision, modelling and industrial applications (digital twins), digital identity, and big data),
- creative subjects (e.g. audiovisual production, performing arts, animation, architecture, creative writing and storytelling, fashion, game design), and
- social sciences and humanities (e.g. law, ethics, geography, anthropology).
The Academy will target the following groups:
- Higher education students and young graduates wishing to specialise in the design and development of virtual worlds.
- Academic staff teaching disciplines related to virtual worlds technologies.
- Upper secondary and/or vocational education (VET) students wishing to work in the virtual worlds area.
- Upper secondary and/or VET teaching staff.
- Professionals in different sectors (e.g. health, agriculture, automotive, public administration) and institution types (e.g. SMEs, start-ups. public) who wish to upskill/reskill to be able to operate in virtual worlds.
- Citizens
Pillar 2: Building the ecosystem
The Academy will create synergies with EU-wide ongoing initiatives or schemes (e.g. Erasmus+) and maintain constant collaboration with the EU advanced digital skills umbrella action ELEVATE that will coordinate and foster collaboration among sectoral academies and initiatives, as well as with the European Advanced Digital Skills Competitions project supporting the design, managing and running of the virtual worlds competition. The academy will also build synergies and complementarities with other EU funding programmes and existing education and training initiatives such as the EIT Campus, the EIT Community AI and EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative (DTTI), the Erasmus+ European Universities Alliances, Alliances for Innovation and Centres of Vocational Excellence, and their possible follow-up initiatives, as well as the Large-Scale Partnerships under the Pact for Skills. Crossborder partnerships and collaboration frameworks among relevant EU stakeholders will be essential for good quality proposals.
Pillar 3: Measuring progress
The proposals will include a robust methodology to monitor the evolution of the labour market, and the progress achieved in closing the virtual worlds skills gap. The indicators and benchmarks will be in line with the EU measurement frameworks.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
50%
Project budget (requested grant amount): max €10 M per project
Specific cost eligibility rules for this call:
- the lump sum amount must be calculated based on estimated project budget (actual cost) and using the detailed budget table/calculator provided
- the lump sum calculation should respect the following conditions:
- for lump sums based on estimated project budgets: the estimated budget must comply with the basic eligibility conditions for EU actual cost grants
- for lump sums based on estimated project budgets: costs for financial support to third parties: can be included in the detailed budget table for grants or similar and prizes: maximum amount per third party €60.000 unless a higher amount is required because the objective of the action would otherwise be impossible or overly difficult to achieve and this is duly justified in the Application Form. The total amount of the EU contribution for financial support to third parties can be maximum 20% of the requested EU funding.
Thematic Categories
- Culture
- Education and training
- Information Technology
- New Entrepreneurship
- Public Administration
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
- non-EU countries
- listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme (list of participating countries)
Consortium composition – Proposals must be submitted by: Consortium composed of a minimum of 6 (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from a minimum of 4 different eligible countries.
Targeted stakeholders
The selected consortium must demonstrate complementary roles and an established track record in virtual-worlds technological and/or non technological building blocks, in training and education, and proven experience with the design and implementation of complex education programmes. It is highly recommended for consortia to include higher education institutions from 3 different eligible countries, a minimum of 2 industry partners with headquarters in 2 different eligible countries and at least 1 research organisations/excellence centres. The consortium is also encouraged to particularly involve small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and start-ups. For each of these partners, the proposals will explain the relevance of their participation in the project.
To facilitate the participation of Vocational Education and Training (VET) institutions in the design and delivery of advanced digital skills training opportunities and to support flexible learning pathways, it is encouraged to seek cooperation with VET providers, preferably as partners in the consortium. The proposals should outline how the proposed project will exploit the unique insights of VET into the labour market needs and its links with the industry to support the design of curricula and delivery of the programmes.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy
Directorate of Research and Innovation
Eleana Gabriel
Telephone: +357 22 691918
Email: egabriel@dmrid.gov.cy