One important area of research for INSEAD eLab is the area of e-Competences,

competitiveness and employability. Today, most organizations – whether or not they are in the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) sector - rely on ICTs to operate and innovate. Consequently, e-competent managers – i.e., managers who are competent in both information technology and business management- are critical to success and competitiveness. However, many organizations are struggling to define and meet their demand for e-competences.

In past research, INSEAD eLab has found that continuously fostering a portfolio of skills is essential to sustained economic growth. To help government and business leaders identify and address their national skills weaknesses, we developed the INSEAD eLab Skills Pyramid in 2008. The three-tier pyramid consists of three types of skills – literacy and basic skills; occupational skills; and global knowledge economy skills. Initially focused on Europe, our research led to the publication of two distinct reports, namely ‘Who cares? Who dares? - Providing the skills for an innovative and sustainable Europe’ (presented at the European Business Summit), and ‘Strengthening e-skills for innovation in Europe’ (at the request of the European Commission 2009). A core component of our research is an attempt to benchmark a country’s supply of skills critical for competitiveness and innovation. It is based on a selection of data related to education, R&D spending, and the overall ecosystem of innovation and knowledge management.

Visit our website: www.insead.edu/elabskillsreport

Download the report

To help put Europe back on track we have taken its pulse by surveying over 250 chief executive officers (CEOs) and engaging with dozens of public and private-sector leaders on a variety of key economic aspects. This report consists of their insights on the challenges and ways forward on topics such as climate change and green technologies, small and medium-sized enterprises, global trade, skills and knowledge-based industries. It has been prepared to inform the 2010 European Business Summit, a key platform for business leaders and decision makers to debate how to build a more competitive and sustainable European Union.

Visit our website: www.insead.edu/events/european_business_summit

Download the report

To remain a world-wide leader in innovation, Europe needs to make the most of information and communication technology (ICT) and to build its talent pool of ICT professionals and of managers who are both IT and business savvy (i.e., managers who are e-competent). At the request of the European Commission, INSEAD eLab has conducted research (e.g., surveys and interviews of CIOs and universities) and developed a set of actions ("guidelines") for enhancing European curricula for building e-competences and strengthening the role of European universities in supplying ICT practitioners and e-competent managers in Europe.

To learn more about this project, please visit the project's website:

www.insead.edu/ecompetences

Please download the report

This project is an initiative of : 

To lean more about the EU e-Skills strategy, please visit the European Commission website:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/ict/e-skills/index_en.htm

“Who cares? Who dares?  Providing the skills for an innovative and sustainable Europe”
Background paper prepared for the European Business Summit 2009

Without prompt and significant action to generate the required skills, much of Europe’s stimulus packages and past investment could be wasted. Skills are the critical success factor for competing in the knowledge economy. Without skills, investments in other resources, such as new technologies and infrastructure, collapse. Europe's supply of skills was already under threat before the financial crisis struck the region. Now, as governments and businesses scramble to cut costs, skills are under even greater threat.

Based on INSEAD eLab research, the purpose of "Who Cares? Who Dares?" is two-fold:

1. To call the attention of Europe’s government and business leaders to the vital importance of strengthening Europe's skills; and
2. To recommend a set of practical actions, organized around the theme of a ‘European Skills Pact’ (ESP).

Download the report