Purpose: to convert evidence from national desk research and focus groups in Austria, Croatia, France, Ireland, Italy and Spain into a concise implementation and policy agenda for responsible AI uptake in VET and SMEs.
Headline conclusion AI awareness is increasing across all six countries, but adoption remains uneven, fragmented and concentrated in better-resourced organisations. The main constraint is not access to tools alone. SMEs and VET professionals need practical competence, trusted guidance, time, mentoring, clear governance and locally accessible support structures.
The recommended direction ● Build role-based AI competence for VET professionals and SME leaders. ● Start with bounded business or learning problems and learn through guided practice. ● Translate responsible-AI requirements into clear operational procedures. ● Connect VET providers, SMEs and regional innovation actors through durable cooperation. ● Target micro-enterprises, rural areas and less digitally mature sectors explicitly. ● Monitor application and outcomes—not participation alone—and maintain open resources over time.
2. Policy and Practice Recommendations Report
This report is a comparative synthesis of national desk research and focus group findings across Austria, Croatia, France, Ireland, Italy and Spain.
Deliverable purpose:to translate the evidence collected in six national research contexts into a coherent action framework for VET providers, SMEs, business support organisations and policymakers.
