Market intelligence specialists HolonIQ’s co-CEO Patrick Brothers told The PIE News: “The aim is to touch on the key topics that these leaders are discussing and we rotate the conference around the world as we search for institutions who are really doing something differently.

“This helps inform our own research and the strategies of our clients,” he said at the company’s annual Future of Higher Education and Workforce Summit in Paris.

HolonIQ has produced seminal reports in recent years including Education 2030 and the Edtech 1000 papers; informing recruitment planning and investment pitches across the global education space.

After an explosion investment in broad edtech software, the focus is now firmly on artificial intelligence software.

The annual conference, which moves locations each year to draw on different global perspectives, was hosted by Neoma Business School.

The event was packed with insights and discussion on topics such as curriculum development, artificial intelligence, the future landscape of international education and micro credentials.

Case studies and panellists from a variety of sources were involved including QS, European Edtech Alliance, INSEAD, Unthinkable Digital, Loren Griffith Education Advisors, UCD, Forward University, Skilled Education, Audencia, Studi and Tecnológico de Monterrey – which hosted the conference in 2023.  

Prof. Rose Luckin from UCL and CEO at EDUCATE Ventures gave a keynote perspective on the research benchmarking now taking place in ethical use of AI to make education and training better for schools, organisations, and individuals.

“There’s a conversation about how universities need to change to move with changes in technology and jobs, green skills and health care,” continued Brothers.

“This year, we have made a special effort to bring in large- employer perspectives, with delegates from companies like Siemens joining us.

“The intention is not for those companies to say universities are hopeless – it’s to say, ‘we want to work together and here are the things we’re seeing as necessary skills.’”

There’s a conversation about how universities need to change to move with changes in technology and jobs, green skills and health care.

Patrick Brothers, HolonIQ

Brothers said: “It does feel like in some fields things are changing at a very high velocity. But in other fields it can be a more of an empathetic process where we can plan together.”

The timing of the summit also allowed for HolonIQ to participate in London Climate Action Week, where the team presented new research on the State of European Climate Tech and the 2024 European Climate Tech 200.