Europe’s top AI innovators combine tech expertise with sector-specific and ‘soft’ multidisciplinary skills – outperforming those reliant on only general tech and computing skills.

This is according to research from EIT Health and EIT Digital Health, both part of the EU’s European Institute of Innovation and Technology, which analysed the largest live dataset of AI startup talent in Europe, examining the skill profiles of over 23,000 professionals across 3,600 AI-focused startups.

While technical skills related to coding, programming and machine learning are common, AI startups that combine them with sector expertise – such as in healthcare, engineering or manufacturing – and broader soft skills like project management and communication are linked to stronger regional innovation output. In contrast, regions relying only on general IT skills are falling behind.

The findings are sourced using EIT Health’s SkillSync platform, a tool designed to benchmark and forecast the skills needed to drive Europe’s AI economy.

The report cross-references these skill profiles with the European Innovation Scoreboard to highlight which workforce capabilities are most strongly linked to innovation performance.

“Competence in general IT skills alone does not drive innovation. To truly unlock AI’s potential, we need to go beyond just digital skills and cultivate advanced, interdisciplinary capabilities that reflect the real-world needs and opportunities of each sector,” said Dr Magí Lluch-Ariet, Data Manager at EIT Health.

The report comes as the European Commission strengthens its AI leadership ambitions, with the AI Continent Action Plan launching a raft of AI-focused initiatives. In January, the UK government has launched its own AI Opportunities Action Plan with an emphasis on AI skills and talent.

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The report suggests how local skills gaps could be addressed to drive innovation. For example, start-ups in Eastern Europe could benefit from a focus on multi-disciplinary ‘soft’ skills and sector-specific skills.

This would allow them to build on their extremely solid base of skills, such as in ICT, which are extremely prevalent in AI start-ups, even if not correlated with regional innovation output on their own.