XiA at the European Employment and Social Rights Forum 2026: Building Skills for Europe’s Future
The XiA project was invited to present this week at the European Employment and Social Rights Forum in Brussels, a flagship policy event organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL).
The forum gathers ministers, European institutions, policymakers, industry leaders, and major European organisations to discuss the future of skills, employment and social policy in Europe.
This year’s edition placed a strong emphasis on skills development as a key driver of Europe’s digital, green and societal transformation. The event featured a keynote address by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, followed by interventions from ministers and senior political leaders across the European Union.
XiA among the selected Pact for Skills flagship initiatives
Within this high-level setting, XiA was selected as one of only two flagship initiatives from the Pact for Skills to be presented during the forum, alongside the BeWell project coordinated by EHMA.
The Pact for Skills is one of the European Commission’s major initiatives to strengthen workforce capabilities across key sectors of the economy. Being selected to represent the Pact at such a prominent forum highlights the strategic importance of the XiA project in the European skills ecosystem.
Presenting XiA at this level of political dialogue only one year after the project’s launch is a strong signal of the project’s credibility, relevance and growing visibility within the European policy landscape.
Addressing Europe’s digital health skills gap
XiA — Xpanding Innovative Alliance — is a European Erasmus+ project dedicated to strengthening interoperability skills in the healthcare sector, particularly in preparation for the European Health Data Space (EHDS).
As the EHDS framework develops, healthcare systems across Europe will increasingly rely on advanced interoperability standards such as HL7 FHIR, IHE profiles, SNOMED CT, and the European Electronic Health Record Exchange Format (EEHRxF).
However, the successful implementation of these standards does not depend only on technology or regulation. It requires a workforce capable of understanding, implementing, and operating interoperable digital health systems in practice.
XiA directly addresses this challenge by developing educational programmes, training resources, and learning pathways designed to build operational skills in digital health interoperability across Europe.
Building the skills ecosystem for the EHDS
The project brings together universities, healthcare providers, industry partners, standards organisations and digital health experts from across Europe to create a new generation of professionals equipped to work with interoperable health systems.
Through its activities, XiA aims to:
- develop structured educational content on interoperability standards
- pilot innovative learning formats such as educathons and micro-credential programmes
- support healthcare organisations and technology providers in adopting interoperability standards
- contribute to the emergence of a European community of practice around digital health interoperability
By strengthening these capabilities, XiA contributes directly to one of Europe’s major policy objectives: ensuring that the European Health Data Space can be implemented in a practical and sustainable way.
A recognition of the project’s strategic relevance
The invitation to present XiA at the European Employment and Social Rights Forum demonstrates the increasing recognition that skills are a critical component of Europe’s digital health transformation.
As Europe prepares for the deployment of the EHDS, initiatives such as XiA help ensure that healthcare professionals, developers, policymakers and organisations have the knowledge and competencies needed to translate regulatory frameworks into real-world solutions.
Participation in the forum also reflects XiA’s role within the broader European skills agenda, where digital health interoperability is increasingly recognised as a strategic capability for the future of healthcare systems.
📸 Official photos from the forum are available here:
https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/european-employment-and-social-rights-forum_en