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- Researchers and engineers: skills opportunities and challenges (2023 update)
Researchers and engineers: skills opportunities and challenges (2023 update)
Summary
Researchers and engineers, or science and engineering professionals, account for almost 4 per cent of all employment in the EU in 2021. They are engaged in conducting research that advances the frontier of current knowledge and technology across various fields, and to put these advances into practical applications utilised across all economy sectors. Many of the detailed jobs within this group can be labelled as thyroid occupations, i.e., those that are central to the achievement of the European Green Deal’s ambitions, as they are the ones developing green and sustainable technologies of various kinds.
Key facts
- More than 7 million people were employed as researchers and engineers in 2022, which accounts for almost 4 per cent of the total EU employment.
- Between 2012 and 2022 researchers’ and engineers’ employment increased by one-third, a substantial growth compared to the overall employment change.
- Employment increased by almost 800 thousand workers between 2012 and 2019.
- Between 2019 and 2020 and despite the economic lockdowns experienced across the EU, employment increased by almost 200 thousand researcher and engineer jobs. Job growth has continued in the following years also. Triggered by the unprecedented challenge of the pandemic and the need to overcome never-before-faced challenges, the demand for these roles increased dramatically. In fact, the 2019-2022 employment growth was faster than in the longer, 2012-2019 period that preceded the pandemic.
- Most researchers and engineers are employed in the professional, scientific, and technical activities sector and in the manufacturing sector.
- In 2021, the vast majority of researchers and engineers (89 per cent) have attained a qualification level of ISCED 5 or above, equivalent to the education level achieved after completing upper secondary education/ post-secondary non-tertiary education. The qualification level of the occupation is not expected to change over the period to 2035.
- Researchers and engineers are mainly men (71 per cent, 2021).
- The employment of researchers and engineers is projected to increase by 23 per cent between 2022 and 2035.
- The diffusion of technological developments across economic sectors – such as Internet of Things in automotive and BIM in construction – will require researchers and engineers to develop new skills.
Employment and job demand
Employment growth of researchers and engineers in the past decade was initially slower compared to all professional jobs but picked up quickly and then rapidly accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Figure 1: Year-to-year employment change for researchers and engineers (2013-2022)
Source: European Labour Force Survey. Employed persons by detailed occupation (ISCO-08 two-digit level) [LFSA_EGAI2D__custom_7778289]. Own calculations.
About half of researchers and engineers (45 per cent) are engaged as engineering professionals (excluding electrotechnology). They mostly come from areas of mechanical, chemical, environmental, or industrial engineering.
Slightly more than a quarter of researchers and engineers (26 per cent) are engaged as architects, planners, surveyors, and designers.
The rest of the researchers and engineers are engaged as electrotechnology engineers, life science professionals, physical and earth science professionals, mathematicians, actuaries, and statisticians.
Over time, life science professionals and architects, planners, surveyors and designers are gaining more importance within the researchers and engineers' group.
Figure 2: Employment in researchers and engineers’ jobs (in %)
Source: European Labour Force Survey. Microdata. Own calculations.
Engineering professionals outside of electrotechnology represent the largest part of the occupation’s OJAs, and their number also increases the fastest in time. Architects, planners, designers and electrotechnology engineers represent smaller, but still significant shares in OJAs.
For more details on skills demand and job openings for this occupation, please access the Cedefop’s Skills OVATE tool.
Figure 3: Online job advertisements for researchers and engineers (2022, in %)
Source: Skills in Online Job Advertisements indicator based on Cedefop’s Skills OVATE. Own calculations. Note: Online job advertisements are by definition not equivalent to job vacancies. See Beręsewicz (2021) or Napierala et al. (2022).
The majority of researchers and engineers are almost equally distributed across the professional, scientific and technical activities sector and the manufacturing sector. Small shares of researchers and engineers are also occupied within the construction, public administration and defence, and information and communication sectors.
Figure 4: The top sectors employing researchers and engineers (in %)
Source: European Labour Force Survey. Microdata. Own calculations.
The researchers’ and engineers’ share of employment is the highest in Finland, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Germany, and Ireland.
Figure 5: Researchers and engineers as a share of country employment (2021, in %)
Source: European Labour Force Survey. Microdata. Own calculations.
Note: Data for CY, EE, IS, LV and LU have lower reliability because of small sample size.
LFS data for MT are not available.
The workforce is comprised mainly of men (71 per cent in 2021). Researchers and engineers are an occupation that appears to age at a slower pace compared to the overall employment; however, share of different age groups in these jobs remains stable in time.
Figure 6: Researchers and engineers by age (in %)
Source: European Labour Force Survey. Microdata. Own calculations.
The shares of researchers and engineers reporting part-time or temporary employment are relatively lower compared to the shares across all occupations. But there is a higher share of newly hired workers than what is typical for professional categories, almost approaching all occupations average. It indicates shorter job tenures, and possibly higher amount of job vacancies.
Figure 7: Contract and hiring trends for researchers and engineers (in %)
Source: European Labour Force Survey. Microdata. Own calculations.
Skill needs and future trends
As professionals, researchers and engineers’ skill needs in literacy or innovation are very high, while digital skills - especially the knowledge of specific software or even databases – is even higher. The workers indicate the need for interpersonal skills a bit lower, close to all occupations average in many cases.
Changing skill needs also indicate higher need for further training – both overall and digital upskilling needs are higher than all occupations average.
Researchers and engineers report higher job satisfaction, but also higher job security, as only few are afraid of losing their jobs. The occupation has a very low unemployment rate and is in high demand across most countries.
Figure 8: Skills, training needs and job perception of researchers and engineers (in %)
Source: European Skills and Jobs Survey Microdata. Own calculations.
Unless stated otherwise, it is a share of people reporting that a task/skill is part of their job.
*Always or often
** Share of workers reporting these needs to a great or moderate extent.
Overall, employment for researchers and engineers is expected to increase markedly (by about 23 per cent) over the period 2022 to 2035. Future employment growth will however vary by country. Employment in 22 countries grew at rates larger than 10 per cent in the past decade and it is forecast to do so in the next decade as well, while the rest are either stable or represent the opposite trend.
Figure 9: Past and expected future employment trends of researchers and engineers
Source: European Labour Force Survey. Microdata. Cedefop Skills Forecast.
Note: Data for CY, EE, IS, LV and LU have lower reliability because of small sample size.
LFS data for MT are not available.
Most job openings are a result of people leaving them for other opportunities, or those leaving the labour market completely (retirements; parent leave and such). This replacement demand is often much more substantial, and in the case of the researchers and engineers it is estimated at 3.7 million workers, thus being more than double compared to new job creation.
Figure 10: Future job openings for researchers and engineers (000s)
Source: Future job openings indicator based on the Cedefop Skills forecast. Own calculations.
Looking forward
The skills profiles of researchers and engineers adjust to the needs and developments of the sectors/industries they work for. Each detailed profile within this occupation is at the forefront of the technological and green transitions taking place in the EU from a different standpoint. Workers like civil, chemical, environmental, electrical, and industrial engineers, architects, designers, mathematical analysts, and farm advisors will be those making these transitions happen through their innovative research work and its implementation in solving problems.
- Researchers and engineers will simultaneously be impacted by and be active agents in driving technological change. The EU’s industrial strategy consolidates development models across industrial ecosystems with the aim of fostering the digital and green transitions, while maintaining the EU’s strategic autonomy. The strategy includes support for industrial alliances between public and private stakeholders to establish research and development plans on new technologies. Such alliances already exist, for example, in solar photovoltaic, raw materials, batteries and hydrogen (European Commission, 2021a). In addition, industrial engineers will be advancing Industry 4.0, which entails profound changes to streamlining production processes and design principles across industries thanks to digitalisation. The future industrial engineers will still need in-depth knowledge of their specialisation, but also a plethora of digital skills (data management, collaborative communication in multidisciplinary teams, cybersecurity, problem-solving with digital tools). Industries such as automotive will continue to integrate technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT). Today, most vehicles are controlled by a set of microcontrollers, which will be consolidated into a single software platform, resulting in software-defined vehicles (Zimmer, 2022). Researchers and engineers in this sector will increasingly have to work with artificial intelligence as a tool of data management, design and production processes (Beuzit, 2021). In the steel industry, the Clean Steel Partnership aims to forward the green transition (i.e. zero-pollution goals, toxic free environment, and circular production models) through technological innovation and digitalisation. For instance, such innovations will include new measurement techniques and tools for monitoring and control in the new steel production processes, new predictive and dynamic models, strategic scheduling tools, and other measures to increasingly pursue clean steel production in Europe (ESTEP, 2021).
- Smart and sustainable city agendas guide urban sociotechnical innovation, whereas modern technologies allow urban planners to produce and exchange data more and faster than ever before (Karvonen et al, 2020). Fostering this agenda will open new “green” jobs in the urban administration ecosystems for researchers, architects and engineers, the skillset of which will include city planning capabilities, legal competences, soft skills and financial resource management. In addition, new technologies can be used in a variety of ways in municipalities, such as energy supply, mobility and transport, waste, and e-services to citizens. The delivery of municipal services is foreseen to integrate more digital tools like AI, blockchain, big data analytics, and online platforms. Urban planners will have a key role in developing and implementing green solutions to a variety of urban problems. Therefore, they will need to have greater knowledge of smart and green technologies (energy efficiency standards, network integration, data management and analysis, sustainable construction practices, etc) (Cedefop, 2023). The New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative seeks to precisely support the interdisciplinary thinking necessary to foster such sustainability goals in European urban governance. NEB encompasses a variety of initiatives, like funding for sustainable social housing projects, co-creation of green transition pathways for construction and textiles ecosystems, and the creation of NEB Lab to grow a community of experts who could inform policy actions.
- For architects, digitalisation presents new tools and perspectives for the planning and use of buildings, including virtual-reality enhanced concept development, robotic construction, 3D-printing and open-source templates (Rogers, 2019). Digital technologies like Building Information Modelling (BIM), collaboration tools, cloud computing and AI remain indispensable for the future architects (RIBA & Microsoft, 2018) as well as for construction engineers (Construction Blueprint, 2022). Along the same lines, the New European Bauhaus initiative supports transdisciplinary and international collaborations with the aim of creating new design solutions that will forward the EGD agenda in living environments.
- The implementation of the European Green Deal initiatives is expected to increase employment for engineers and researchers across sectors (Cedefop, 2021). Civil engineers in the construction sector will see their field of work impacted by the European Renovation Wave strategy, which aims to double renovation waves in the 2020s to ensure energy efficiency and decrease energy poverty rates. In addition, new requirements have emerged to ensure the implementation of green transition with regards to energy use of buildings. All new buildings must comply with the Zero Emission Building requirements as of 1st January 2030, while new buildings owned or occupied by public authorities must comply with this as of 1st January 2027.
- Occupations like chemical engineers are also key to promoting the EGD’s Circular Economy Action Plan. Innovations enabling the reuse and recycle of products, valorisation of waste to develop novel products, minimisation of landfill waste, and the like will be results of their research. Special focus is placed on innovations in sectors with high resource use (electronics and ICT, batteries and vehicles, packaging, plastics, textiles, construction and buildings, food, water, and nutrients). Engineers in the biotechnology industry can enable synergies between engineering and biology to find green solutions for the circular economy. Biotechnology is used in various ways to assist the greening of European economy, for instance in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and industrial processes and manufacturing. Sustainability goals directing manufacturing in Industry 4.0 will also necessitate multi-skilled labour force that is able to handle the challenges of the twin transition – combining technical, social and green skills (Akyazi et al, 2022).
- Recent Eurostat analysis shows that the extreme events related to climate change have caused over 145 bn € in economic losses in the EU in the past decade. Environmental engineers play a crucial role in the study and mitigation of climate change risks by developing and implementing strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to respond to extreme climate events, or how to anticipate such events. As the Sixth IPCC report (2023) on climate change shows, climate change mitigation and adaptation pathways have not been used to their fullest potential, exacerbating the climate urgency. Amongst other barriers, the ‘limited research and/or slow and low uptake of adaptation science’ is cited (IPCC, 2023).
- The work of electrical engineers is also affected by the shift to more sustainable means of power, be it in the production of electricity or its use in powering buildings. According to a report of the ECOSLIGHT project, the most demanded job profiles in the construction sector include lighting professionals with engineering background, lighting designers with artistic background, and electrical R&D engineers and scientists. The skills most required for electrical job profiles in the construction sector relate to the use of new technologies (e.g., smart lighting), digital skills related to safety and digital problem solving, and green competences (e.g., knowledge of new sustainable lighting techniques, ability for sustainability assessment of lighting systems and solutions, and the ability to integrate sustainability criteria in the lighting design process). Innovations will also be needed to lower the cost of solar and wind power generation technologies, while digital solutions such as smart grids facilitate better management of the energy transmission networks.
- Mathematicians and statisticians will be simultaneously developing new methods of working (such as, Big Data, AI, cloud computing, programming skills etc) as well as working with them. Such technologies will increase the demand for their analytical skills with the rapid spread of data analytics in all spheres of life. At the same time, the working methods of mathematicians and statisticians will be constantly developing with the rapid innovation models of new digital technologies (World Economic Forum, 2020).
- Life science professionals, working in agriculture and having expertise amongst others in enhancing crop production, biodiversity, and ecology, will also see significant qualitative changes to their work due to technological changes and the green transition. The EGD includes a commitment to invest in research and innovation to support the transition to a sustainable economy, which will create new job opportunities in developing innovative technologies and strategies for sustainable agriculture and resource management. Fostering sustainability in European agriculture includes a substantial change in skillsets of all stakeholders, for instance such as the reshaping of the role of the farmer from a mere producer of food and commodities to a ’wise manager of natural capital’ (Erasmus FIELDS). Projects such as the FIELDS deal with identifying sectoral skills gaps and future strategies in agricultural, food industry and forestry sector. Integration of technologies like IoT, drones, big data, AI and blockchain will be increasingly integrated in agriculture (FIELDS, 2021)
- Considering the challenges that Europe is facing, researchers and engineers are likely to increasingly participate in interdisciplinary research. The SHAPE-ID (Shaping Interdisciplinary Practices in Europe) project established in 2019 has concluded that European research will be able to remain globally competitive, and find solutions to complex problems by intensifying interdisciplinary research between science and humanities disciplines (O’Rafferty, 2022). Interdisciplinary approaches are increasingly promoted in emerging research projects and related funding, such as Horizon 2020 (Makszimov, 2021). Considering the promotion of collaboration between disciplines, researchers and engineers will not only need to combine the knowledge and skillset of their specific field with soft skills like communication, collaboration and creativity.
The skill challenges of these professionals depend largely on their specific job and industry of work. However, in the context of global megatrends, common approaches to education and training can be identified. Researchers and engineers will typically have completed between three and six years of higher education. Therefore, the initial digital, green, and interdisciplinary professional competences will be acquired by the completion of higher education programmes.
Interdisciplinary research is promoted, for example, in the diverse catalogue of Erasmus Mundus masters’ programmes, which combine perspectives of a variety of academic fields in addressing complex challenges. For instance, the meta4.0 master’s programme focusses on manufacturing processes by using intelligent and sustainable technologies, while the FAMEAIS master’s programme combines advanced materials engineering with the use of artificial intelligence in a sustainability framework (see box below).
Erasmus Mundus programmes in STEM Meta4.0 (France, Italy, Slovenia, Norway, Germany) Becoming “greener” is expected to create more than 1 million jobs by 2030, while there are already currently 1 million vacancies in Europe for digital technology experts. Today, 70% of companies report that they cannot find the people with the right skills. Meta4.0 has been designed to respond to the needs of society and the labour market. Graduates will become the future manufacturing experts that will work worldwide and upgrade the skills in the current industry to fill the gaps. During two years of studies spent at different universities of the consortium, students will be taught:
FAMEAIS (France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium)\ The FAMEAIS master programme (Functional Advanced Materials Engineering with Artificial Intelligence for Sustainability) is based on an existing Erasmus Mundus Joint Master FAME+ (Functional Advanced Materials and Engineering). It has been running since 15 years and has granted more than 300 graduates, coming from the major countries around the world. The new FAMEAIS programme aims to provide high-level graduates for European research and industry, proactive in mobilising artificial intelligence methods and addressing the sustainability challenges in the field of Advanced Materials, a strategic key enabling technology for European competitiveness. FAMEAIS curriculum implements Artificial Intelligence training and sustainability considerations through the teaching of Physics and Chemistry of Materials. The teaching assets rely on innovative learning practices based on learning-by-doing approach, virtual exchanges and blended mobility. Associated partners from industry, RTOs, worldwide universities and alumni are strongly involved in student mentorships, e-seminars, plant visits, company internships and master thesis. Fully taught in English, this 120 ECTS master programme will lead to Double Master Degrees in Materials Science |
Furthermore, in 2016 the Skills Agenda for Europe introduced the Blueprint alliances for sectoral skills development. The Blueprint initiatives combine key stakeholders from industrial ecosystems, such as businesses, trade unions, research institutions, education and training institutions and public authorities. These alliances develop sectoral skills strategies to address future skills and labour challenges. For instance, the DRIVES project focussed on the future of skills in the automotive sector, the MATES project on drivers of change in maritime industry (particularly in shipbuilding and offshore renewables), ASSETs+ on skills in emerging defence technologies, and FIELDS project on skill needs for sustainability, digitalisation and bio-economy. The Blueprint alliances will continue as EU’s flagship initiative in addressing future skills challenges in a variety of sectors.
Finally, lifelong learning initiatives have the potential to address future skills needs of research and engineering careers. Such learning initiatives are often organised by sectoral stakeholders, such as buildingSMART, which provides international professional qualifications in Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the construction sector. BIM is the key digital tool in ensuring that best knowledge and capabilities continue to drive the digitisation of the built environment.
Another example of further training are micro-credentials, which are certified short-term learning experiences which allow for the development of personal and professional skills, competences and knowledge on a specific theme or topic. Offered in flexible modalities, micro-credentials allow to combine professional life with learning. For instance, the Nova Academy is a lifelong learning platform run by Flemish universities, offering micro-credentials amongst others in the fields of architecture and engineering (e.g. Decision Support for Sustainability, or Heritage: Monuments, Landscapes and Sustainability – Evolving Frames). The EuroTeQ consortium of several European engineering universities offers a catalogue of interdisciplinary micro-credentials.
How to cite this publication:
Cedefop (2023). Researchers and engineers: skills opportunities and challenges. Skills intelligence data insight.
Further reading
Akyazi, T., del Val, P., Goti, A., Oyarbide, A. (2022). ‘Identifying Future Skill Requirements of the Job Profiles for a Sustainable European Manufacturing Industry 4.0’. in Recycling, Vol. 7(3)
Beręsewicz, M. and Pater, R. (2021). Inferring job vacancies from online job advertisements, Luxembourg: Publications Office, 2021. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-statistical-working-papers/-/ks-tc-20-008
Beuzit, J. (2021). ‘Artificial intelligence in automotive engineering: why now is the time’, in Siemens blogs, published 15 September 2021
Cedefop (2021). ‘The green employment and skills transformation: Insights from a European Green Deal skills forecast scenario’. Luxembourg: Publications Office
Cedefop (2022c). An ally in the green transition. Briefing Note. https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/9166_en.pdf
Cedefop (2023a). Cities in transition: How vocational education and training can help cities become smarter and greener. Policy brief
Cedefop (2023b). Skills in transition: the way to 2035. Luxembourg: Publications Office. http://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2801/438491
Construction Blueprint (2022). Report on the professions and qualifications to be subject of modernization (D5.2.).
ECOSLIGHT (2021) Mapping the skills supply and demand of the lighting-related construction sector https://www.ecoslight.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ECOSLIGHT_R2.1.pdf
ESTEP (2021). Clean Steel Partnership: Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA)
European Commission (2019). The European Green Deal. COM (2019) 640 final
European Commission (2020a). A Renovation Wave for Europe – greening our buildings, creating jobs, improving lives. COM(2020) 662 final
European Commission (2020b). A new Circular Economy Action Plan: For a cleaner and more competitive Europe. COM(2020) 98 final
European Commission (2021). New European Bauhaus: Beautiful, Sustainable, Together. COM(2021) 573 final
European Commission (2021a). Updating the 2020 New Industrial Strategy: Building a stronger Single Market for Europe’s recovery. COM(2021) 350 final
European Commission (2021b). New European Bauhaus. COM(2021) 573 final
Karvonen, A., Cook, M., Haarstad, H. (2020). ‘Urban Planning and the Smart City: Projects, Practices and Politics’, in Urban Planning, Vol. 5(1), pp. 65-68
Napierala, J.; Kvetan, V. and Branka, J. (2022). Assessing the representativeness of online job advertisements. Luxembourg: Publications Office. Cedefop working paper, No 17. http://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2801/807500
O’Rafferty, F. (2022) ‘EU research bodies encouraged to adopt ‘world class’ resource to enable AHSS integration and interdisciplinarity’, SHAPE-ID, press release, published 13 April 2022
Rogers, S.A. (2019). ‘How Smart Home Technology Could Change Architecture’, Web Urbanist, published 30 January 2019
Schroer, A. (2022). ‘Artificial Intelligence in Cars: Examples of AI in the Auto Industry’, BuiltIn.com, published 4 October 2022
World Economic Forum (2020). ‘The Future of Jobs Report 2020: October 2020’.
Zimmer, J. (2022). ‘AI in the Auto Industry: Software-Defined Vehicles and Beyond’, in engineering.com, published 28 December 2022
Data insights details
Table of contents
Page 1
SummaryPage 2
Employment and job demandPage 3
Skill needs and future trendsPage 4
Looking forwardPage 5
Further reading