EARLALL joins STEMMING to advance green innovation and future STEM skills in Europe
11/09/2026
EARLALL has joined STEMMING- Green Innovation: Agentic AI and Quantum-Secure STEM Talent for Smart Solar Europe, a new European project bringing together 13 organisations from across Europe to strengthen STEM education, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Led by the University of L’Aquila, the consortium brings together universities, research and technology organisations, industry and European networks, including EARLALL as the European Association of Regional and Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning.
STEMMING is part of Cohort 5 of the EIT Higher Education Initiative (HEI) under EIT RawMaterials. The project focuses on developing interdisciplinary skills at the intersection of green technologies, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and software competences, with a particular focus on Europe’s smart solar ecosystem.
Building STEM talent for the green and digital transitions
On 10 September STEMMING consortium came together for its virtual kick-off meeting, marking the start of collaboration between partners and introducing the project within the wider EIT Higher Education Initiative ecosystem.
Launched in 2021 under Horizon Europe, the EIT HEI Initiative aims to strengthen higher education institutions as drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship. Its fifth cohort includes 35 projects from 49 countries and 552 organisations, creating a broad European community for collaboration, experimentation and knowledge exchange.
Within this framework, STEMMING will connect advanced STEM knowledge with entrepreneurial and transversal competences. Entrepreneurship training delivered through the project will align with the European EntreComp framework, while other European competence frameworks can complement this approach in specific technical and sustainability-related areas.
During the kick-off, partners also explored training and capacity-building opportunities available through the EIT HEI ecosystem, including support related to entrepreneurship and intellectual property, as well as resources for connecting project partners, participants and start-ups across Europe.
Connecting universities with regional ecosystems: EARLALL’s role
A key part of EARLALL’s role in STEMMING is to help ensure that the project’s impact extends beyond the participating universities and reaches regional education, skills and innovation ecosystems.
EARLALL will support connections between higher education institutions and regional stakeholders, help align STEMMING activities with regional Smart Specialisation priorities, and contribute to making the opportunities created by the project inclusive and accessible to under-represented groups.
EARLALL will also bring its experience in gender mainstreaming and inclusive regional policy. STEMMING aims for at least 35% participation by women and will monitor gender representation across participation, mentoring, internships and start-up creation.
Through its wider network of regional and local authorities, EARLALL will support the transfer and replication of successful STEMMING approaches beyond the project consortium, connecting project results with regions and lifelong learning ecosystems across Europe.
By bringing together higher education, emerging technologies, entrepreneurship and regional cooperation, STEMMING offers an opportunity to develop the talent and skills needed for Europe’s green and digital transitions while ensuring that innovation is connected to regional needs and accessible to a more diverse group of learners.