The Essential Role of Transversal Skills in the Academic–Industry Transition

The Essential Role of Transversal Skills in the Academic–Industry Transition

For many researchers, making the transition from academia to industry is more than just a career change, it’s a challenging shift in the skill set required for success. In academia, the focus is often on becoming an expert in a narrow field, but nowadays the demands of industry are much broader. Companies are looking for professionals who can manage projects, lead interdisciplinary teams, and effectively communicate complex ideas to a wide range of audiences. These essential transversal skills, which are often underdeveloped in academic training are crucial not only for those moving into industry, but also for researchers who want to drive innovation and make a lasting impact in their academic careers. Without these transversal skills, the shift from academia to industry can feel overwhelming, featuring the need for a more holistic approach to researcher development.

But what are the transversal skills?

Transversal skills are more than just soft skills, they are essential competencies that cut across various roles and industries. The ResearchComp framework, a key tool developed by the European Commission to align with the European Research Area’s (ERA) priorities and objectives, and make it more resilient and competitive, identifies 38 crucial competencies for researchers. These include the main areas as: cognitive abilities, self-management, teamwork, research execution, research management, and the ability to create societal impact. These transversal skills are crucial in both academic and industrial settings.

 

The importance of these skills is not just theoretical. A study conducted by EY Advisory, as part of one of the Acceleration Services of CATALISI project’s, highlighted significant gaps in the skill sets of early-career researchers (R1 and R2), particularly when compared to what employers in the industrial sector expect. While these researchers are often strong in technical expertise, they tend to lack competencies in areas like interdisciplinary collaboration, project management, and the integration of open science principles. These skills are crucial for ensuring that research is not only technically good but also relevant and impactful in the real world.

 

Figure 1. Doing research competence

Figure 2. Managing research competence

 

Transversal skills aren’t just important for the researchers looking to move into industry, they are equally crucial within the academic sphere. European practices and initiatives such as the Open Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and the New European Bauhaus are redefining the role of researchers, emphasizing the need for a broad range of skills that go beyond traditional academic expertise.

Open Science is about making research more accessible, transparent, and collaborative. It encourages the sharing of data and findings with a broader audience, including policymakers, industry leaders, and the public. To succeed in this environment, researchers need to be proficient in digital tools, adept at communicating complex ideas clearly, and sensitive to ethical considerations. These are not just technical skills but transversal ones that require a holistic approach to research.

Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) highlights the integration of societal needs and ethical considerations into the research process. RRI requires researchers to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including the public, to ensure that their work aligns with societal values and contributes to sustainable development. This approach demands strong competencies in public engagement, ethical decision-making, and interdisciplinary collaboration. These transversal skills are central to the success of any research career.

The New European Bauhaus initiative, which ties the European Green Deal to our living environments, calls for innovative solutions that are sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful. This initiative requires researchers to work across disciplines, blending science, art, and social inclusion. It challenges them to think creatively, collaborate with professionals from different fields, and communicate their ideas in ways that are accessible and impactful.

Beyond these frameworks, the European Skills Agenda and the Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp) further emphasize the importance of transversal skills. The European Skills Agenda promotes lifelong learning and the development of skills that are crucial for employability and innovation. DigComp, meanwhile, focuses on the digital skills needed to work in the today’s technology-driven world, which are increasingly important for researchers as digital tools become central to research and communication.

Incorporating transversal skills into the training of young researchers is no longer optional, it’s essential. These skills form the foundation of innovation, collaboration, and societal impact, whether in academia or industry. As Europe continues to lead in research and innovation, the future will belong to those who can combine technical expertise with these crucial transversal skills.

As the demands on researchers continue to grow, mastering these competencies will be key to their success, ensuring they can contribute to solving the world’s most pressing challenges, both within and beyond the academic sphere. This is the future of the European research, where knowledge meets action, and where the ability to connect, innovate, and inspire is just as important as the research itself.

What are sister projects and why do they matter?

What are sister projects and why do they matter?

If you’ve seen the term “sister projects” pop up in our communications lately, there is a reason. CATALISI, aUPaEU, and Accelerate Future HEI have been closely collaborating to boost our impact across the European Union. But what exactly are “sister projects”, and why is this collaboration essential? 

What is a sister project?

In the context of EU-funded projects, a “sister project” refers to a related initiative funded under the same EU funding program, in our case, HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-ERA-01-51 – Acceleration Services in support of the institutional transformation of Higher Education Institutions 

Sister projects share common objectives, and target audiences under this thematic focus, and are designed to complement each other by sharing insights, methodologies, and outcomes. Sister projects work together to explore shared opportunities, prevent duplication of efforts and optimise resources, to collectively achieve their shared goal of maximizing impact. 

HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-ERA-01-51- Acceleration Services for Institutional Transformation of Higher Education Institutions

These 3 projects under the same EU program aim to enhance the role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as drivers of knowledge and innovation. This includes offering acceleration services such as: 

  1. Coaching and support  
  1. Investment strategy methodology 
  1. Monitoring mechanism  

The projects CATALISI, Accelerate Future HEI, and aUPaEU share a unified vision to  promote knowledge-sharing and collaboration among Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Each project has its unique focus, but together, we address common challenges like enhancing R&I systems, ensuring funding sustainability, and building institutional capacity. 

  • CATALISI: Enhances regional and European R&I systems and promotes sustainable funding schemes. 
  • Accelerate Future HEI: Focuses on capacity building through skills development. 
  • aUPaEU: Facilitates R&I collaboration and develops sustainable tangible technologies via the Agora platform. 

How does CATALISI work with our sister projects?

In certain calls the European Commission expects you to join forces with the projects funded under the same topic and form a cluster of projects aiming to achieve similar goals. In our case, we focused on the communication and dissemination of results to maximise our impact. This is: 

  • Communication actions with sister projects
    • Knowledge exchange events: Meetings for project partners and external stakeholders to share experiences and identify synergies. 
    • Monthly Communication meetings: To develop a joint communication campaign and amplify project impact through a unified identity: 
      • Online campaigns with a common goal 
      • Participate in each other newsletter    
      • Blog articles

  • Dissemination actions  
    • Participation in webinars and, workshops (on and offline) 
    • Joint Policy Briefs to highlight shared achievements, commonalities, and areas for improvement across the projects. 
    • Joint online repository and Zenodo Community to share documents, coordinate activities, and enhance project visibility under the community “Acceleration Services in support of the institutional transformation of HEIs“. 

These initiatives aim to enhance collaboration, use shared resources, and maximise the collective impact of the projects on the institutional transformation of HEIs within the ERA policy framework. 

Coordinating across the three projects comes with challenges like scheduling conflicts and data collection hurdles. However, we’ve tackled these with flexible planning and robust digital tools. 

Looking ahead

Together, CATALISI, Accelerate Future HEI, and aUPaEU are making strides in promoting open science, enhancing research infrastructures, and fostering innovation partnerships. Our combined efforts are part of a broader mission to transform the higher education landscape in Europe. 

We will continue with our shared efforts to drive change in the HEI sector. Over the next few months, we are already planning joint activities so stay tuned for updates.