Our Rationale

Europe face an urgent productivity and skill crisis

EU productivity growth has trended downward for decades and now hovers below 1%.

• 60–80% of employers report difficulty accessing critical talent.

• Education systems lag labour market needs.

• The region trails the US and China in AI investment and innovation by roughly 40–50%.

The scale of AI-driven job disruption remains

This crisis creates a destructive cycle affecting everyone:

Citizens face job volatility, insecurity, and lower job quality

• Governments struggle with shrinking tax base and rising welfare demands

• Society experiences rising social strain as vulnerable groups fall behind

• Businesses suffer from low productivity and growth barriers

The good news: We know what works:

• Focus on critical needs: Address urgent skills gaps systematically

• Adopt ecosystem approach: Collaborate across sectors and stakeholders.

• Make engagement easy and valuable: Ensure initiatives deliver real impact!

Success stories exist—and we need more. That is what BRIGHT is here to deliver.

The question is not whether we can solve this challenge—it is whether we will act with the urgency it demands.