On 17 June, Antonio Rueda, director of VASS University and the VASS Foundation, moderated the webinar "Universities and companies: a shared challenge to boost the digital talent of the new generation".The event, in which representatives from academia, institutions and business reflected on how to strengthen collaboration in order to respond to the growing demand for digital profiles in Spain.
During the session, Carla Galbarriatu (Director General of Digital Services at the Ministry of Digital Transformation), Iván Manzanares (Director of CAITEC - Support Centre for Innovation and Knowledge Transfer - of the FUAM), Gustavo Romanillos (Professor at the Complutense University of Madrid and co-director of the Diploma in Sustainability and Digitalisation of the VASS Foundation), Gustavo Romanillos (Professor at the Complutense University of Madrid and co-director of the Diploma in Sustainability and Digitalisation at the VASS Foundation) and Federico Caro (Professor at VASS University and co-director of the Expert Diploma in Generative AI at the CEU San Pablo University) shared their perspectives and experiences around a key question: How to align training efforts with the real needs of a market in full technological transformation.
Digital talent, an urgent and shared challenge
From the outset, the speakers agreed on the seriousness of the existing gap between the skills offered by the university system and those required by companies to address their digital challenges. As highlighted by Carla GalbarriatuThis is not a new phenomenon, but the speed at which technologies, especially artificial intelligence, are evolving has made this disconnect deeper and harder to ignore.
In Spain, more than 32 % of companies admit to having difficulties in recruiting ICT specialists. This mismatch is especially critical in areas such as cybersecurity, where demand is twice as high as supply. Added to this is the growing international competition: remote work has turned talent recruitment into a global challenge.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation leads the National Digital Skills Plan, a strategic investment of more than 3 billion euros to strengthen digital training at all levels. Spain has made steady progress: it already exceeds the European average in basic digital skills and the number of ICT professionals is increasing every year. Even so, there is still an urgent need to train specialised talent. To this end, the government is committed to initiatives such as the Red.es scholarships and the reskillingwith an inclusive and cross-cutting approach.
The university, key to knowledge transfer
Iván Manzanares offered a different vision of the university, not as a distant or rigid institution, but as a dynamic actor that has been networking with the business and social fabric for years. Beyond formal education, universities do research, generate knowledge and transfer it through multiple channels. The Autonomous University of MadridThe EU, for example, has more than 3,000 researchers active in this work.
Although official degrees do not always manage to adapt to the pace of change in the market, universities are responding with agile solutions such as their own master's degrees, short courses, micro-credentials and tailor-made training for companies. This ability to adapt, coupled with the rigour of research, makes universities strategic allies. Manzanares also underlined the role of the teaching staff as a real source of talent: professionals with decades of experience who not only train, but also build relevant solutions for the productive sectors.
Comprehensive training: beyond technical skills
From their academic experience, Gustavo Romanillos He argued for the value of an education that combines conceptual soundness, critical thinking and technological mastery. In his speech, he argued that universities should go beyond mere practical learning and prepare students to understand the why of tools, not just the how. To illustrate this, he shared an anecdote and analogy: a drone can provide a precise image of the terrain, but drawing it by hand allows us to understand its spatial logic. That difference - between operating and understanding - is key in university education.
The Complutense University, like many others, is already reformulating its training offer with master's degrees in AI, big data or smart cities. In addition, it promotes early collaboration with companies through external internships and real projects such as the Article 60 agreements, which allow students to participate in work for public institutions or private companies. Initiatives such as the diploma in sustainability and digitalisation of the VASS Foundation also respond to new demands: quality training, with a practical approach and compatible with working life.
Companies that train, collaborate and learn
Federico Caro provided a perspective from the business environment, in which he highlighted a significant evolution: companies are no longer limited to looking for talent at the university, but are building a joint training model with it. The diploma in Generative AI promoted by VASS University and CEU San Pablo University is a clear example. Lecturers who are also working professionals deal with real cases with the students, which allows the training experience to be aligned with the specific challenges of the productive sectors.
Caro also pointed out other success stories, such as the agreement with the Carlos III University, focused on artificial intelligence, mobility and data analysis. This type of collaboration demonstrates that it is possible to bring together technical-academic knowledge with business domain knowledge to generate shared value. Quoting Satya Nadella, he recalled that in any sustainable relationship there must be a balance between what is given and what is received.
He also drew attention to two fundamental aspects: on the one hand, the need to improve the working conditions of research staff in universities, especially doctoral students; and on the other hand, the urgency of strengthening European investment in technology, science and infrastructure to ensure a competitive position on the international scene.
Conclusion: a collaborative ecosystem for transforming talent
The webinar made it clear that closing the digital talent gap is not the responsibility of a single actor, but a shared effort. Universities, companies and public institutions have to work together, with common objectives and sustainable cooperation mechanisms. It is not only about training the professionals of tomorrow, but doing so with an eye on the challenges of today.
Making the role of universities in the generation of knowledge more visible, facilitating the connection between students and companies, and guaranteeing continuous, accessible and quality training are fundamental steps towards progress. Citizens need to understand that science, education and innovation are not abstract concepts: they are already shaping our daily lives.
Ultimately, building a strong digital ecosystem requires real bridges between those who train, those who hire and those who shape the policies of the future. Only then can we ensure that talent - our most valuable resource - is developed, retained and translated into progress for all.
