New Horizon Europe Project Launch: RItrain-DIGIT Empowers Research Infrastructures with Advanced Computing and AI Skills

[Amsterdam, Netherlands - 10 September 2026] 

A new European collaborative project, RItrain-DIGIT (Advancing Digital Competencies in European Research Infrastructures), has officially launched to bridge the digital skills gap within Europe's Research Infrastructures (RIs). Funded under the European Union's Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement 101292852 / Call: HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-01), the €1.5 million initiative unites leading digital infrastructure providers and technology centers to design a comprehensive training and mobility ecosystem for scientific IT professionals.

As scientific domains face rapid data growth and the increasing complexity of compute offerings, technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and federated data access present both massive opportunities and steep technical barriers. RItrain-DIGIT responds directly to this challenge by developing structured Learning Pathways that will underpin the development of a comprehensive Training Programme and run a Mobility Programme to equip Research Infrastructure technical staff with the skills required to develop, operate and maintain digital services on national and federated cloud, or HPC infrastructures. To complement the project’s overarching objective, RItrain-DIGIT  will also offer a FitSM IT Service Management certification scheme, and operate a one-stop-shop Training Platform that aggregates open educational resources to support the continuous professional development of RI technical staff.

The consortium, coordinated by the EGI Foundation, brings together major players in the European computing landscape, including HUN-REN SZTAKI, ACK Cyfronet AGH, PRACE, and the University of Stuttgart (HLRS). This unique composition ensures that technical RI staff receive practical, hands-on training directly on the national and federated cloud and HPC infrastructures powering modern research.

Within the project, EGI will be responsible for coordination. This aligns with our organisation's overall mission to to create and deliver open solutions for science and research infrastructures by federating digital capabilities. 

Giuseppe La Rocca, the project director, says “EGI Foundation, together with the project partners from our community, HUN-REN SZTAKI, ACK Cyfronet AGH, PRACE, and the University of Stuttgart, are honored to help unite digital research infrastructures across domains in a dedicated DIGIT skill development project and support the upskilling of the European scientific workforce.”