The accelerating pace of digital and environmental transformation presents both opportunities
and challenges for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the European
Union. While digital tools like data analytics can significantly boost operational
efficiency and sustainability, many SMEs lack the internal capabilities to fully leverage
them. This study investigates how upskilling employees in digital competencies can
help SMEs enhance their digital maturity and achieve long-term resilience. A descriptive
trend analysis was based on Eurostat datasets focusing on enterprise size categories
and examining indicators such as data analytics activities, the prevalence of ICT
training, and difficulties encountered in recruiting ICT specialists. Visualized through
Tableau, the data reveal notable disparities: in 2023, only 14.5% of small and 33.8%
of medium-sized enterprises with high digital maturity performed data analytics, compared
to 59.4% of large enterprises. Despite clear demand, only 5% of small and 20% of medium
enterprises attempted to recruit ICT-skilled personnel, frequently citing a lack of
qualified candidates or unaffordable salary expectations. SMEs rely on their own staff
for data analytics tasks, yet many still do not offer structured training. While countries
like Finland stand out, with 61.7% of medium enterprises providing ICT upskilling,
others fall well below the EU average. These results underscore that internal skill
development is not just a workaround but a strategic necessity for SMEs striving to
keep pace with digital demands, overcome labor market constraints, and build a foundation
for sustainable growth.
