At ANE’s Nordic STEM Summit 2025, Hanne Shapiro from HANNE SHAPIRO futures delivered a powerful message: Europe’s future competitiveness and resilience will be won—or lost—on our ability to move beyond the traditional STEM acronym and embrace real-time, cross-policy skills intelligence.
For decades, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) has shaped how we think about technical education and workforce development. But today’s global value chains, rapid technological change, and geopolitical fragmentation demand a more nuanced approach. It’s not just about producing more STEM graduates—it’s about developing the specific technical capabilities that power deep tech, clean energy, and AI adoption.
Watch Hanne Shapiro’s presentation
Key takeaways:
- STEM skills are not interchangeable: Europe’s competitive edge depends on targeted expertise in strategic sectors, not generic STEM headcounts.
- Skills needs are evolving fast: AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity are transforming what employers demand—and skills can become obsolete quickly.
- Fragmented systems hold us back: Europe’s current skills intelligence infrastructure is too slow and siloed to keep up with industry needs.
- We need coordinated action: Nordic countries have a unique opportunity to lead by building shared infrastructures for skills anticipation, modular learning, and transparent credentialing.
Download the full paper
Download ANE’s new paper, “Beyond STEM: A New North Star for European Competitiveness,” to explore the arguments, data, and recommendations that can help shape the future of European skills policy.