Abstract:

The world has radically transformed over the past two decades. The digital, the mobility, the internet and the world wide web, the 3D prints (the home factory) among others are in the end of the day the technological boom that irreversibly transformed the way the human beings are in the world, their perception of it and their interpersonal relations .The transition from the purely physical and analogue world to virtual and digital is lived in the daily life both personally and professionally. Information comes faster with new telecommunications networks and reduced latency times, contacts are expanded with social networks, processes are dematerialized and digitized and employees are caught in the fury of innovation, adapting as much as possible to work with computers, smart pads and phones, automatized machines, robots, bots and artificial intelligence.

In this context of constant transformation is mandatory to reshape the current human resources in companies to face the new technological challenges and consequently the near future professions. In both technical and soft skill competences. This work is part of global smart city project and specifically aims to contribute to develop a regional high-level education strategy to professionals in IT (Information Technologies, Communications and Electronics), Industry and Tourism sectors in Aveiro Region, Portugal. All core processes of this project were developed in a close iteration between the academy and the professional associations of each analysed sector.

The first approach to the topic started with the state-of-the-art review of the key reports and academic articles to assess the future professions, based on the here to come technologies. Then it was defined a methodology to study the major’s economic boosters of Aveiro region with the characterization of their human resources current responsibilities and competences. The outcome of this last step was then compared with the first one and it was developed a method to define the final list of near future potential professions adapted for the region context.

This paper describes in detail the methodologies to accomplish the described steps in order to determine which advanced technical and skill training competences should be provided to regional companies’ professionals to adapt them to the technological trends of the current globalized changing world.

Keywords:

Competence priorities, digital transformation, higher education.