The call for fundamental software skills is getting louder and louder

The IT sector faces creeping knowledge loss that can become disruptive. European digital sovereignty requires alignment with modern frameworks, which is difficult without specialized in-house software skills. Many organizations, including financial institutions and utilities, consider moving away from proprietary American cloud services and adopting European alternatives. Effective implementation often leads to open source usage, which demands engineers capable of maintenance and further development. Pursuing high digital independence typically rules out outsourcing, making internal software skills essential. A looming shortage is driven by deteriorating education and a growing need for full-stack thinkers. Degree programs have shifted toward narrow specialties such as data management, cybersecurity, and AI, leaving graduates with less breadth to transition smoothly into work. Critical architecture components still require people who can reason across the full software stack.

"The IT sector is grappling with a creeping and potentially disruptive problem of knowledge loss. For a topic like European digital sovereignty, alignment with modern frameworks is necessary. This is almost impossible without having in-house, specialized software skills. That's why the Belgian company Klarrio is calling for investment in broadly educated engineers now to prevent companies from falling behind."

"Many organizations are considering moving away from proprietary American cloud services. Think of financial institutions and utilities. A European alternative can be attractive. To implement this effectively, many companies quickly conclude that they must use open source. This requires engineers who are also skilled in maintenance and further development."

"If the highest possible level of digital independence is pursued, outsourcing typically isn't an option. Ideally, you need to have the software skills readily available internally. However, according to Kurt Jonckheer (CEO), Bruno De Bus (CTO), and Lieven Gesquiere (Senior Director R&D) at Klarrio, an acute shortage of knowledge and skills is looming. And this potentially major problem has multiple causes."

"The foundation of the impending shortage is already being laid in the classroom. While the complexity of the field has increased exponentially over the past decade, degree programs have switched from building a solid foundational background in computer science to a more granular focus on designated specialty area-most notably data management, cyber security, and now AI. Consequently, new graduates increasingly lack the breadth of knowledge required to smoothly transition to the workforce."

Read at Techzine Global