On 17 January 2024, an online innovathon (webinar devoted to innovative topics) was held, featuring presenters from Eurostat, Statistics Portugal, Statistics Albania and Statistics Netherlands.
The speakers discussed the best ways to initiate and maintain collaboration with academia, focusing on training, recruitment, best practices and shared national experiences. They also identified successes, lessons learned and potential areas for collaboration.
The event attracted over 50 participants, including members of the EIN and colleagues from NSIs working in relevant domains. Following the presentations, participants actively engaged in Q&A sessions and breakout discussions.
Five breakout sessions were organised to discuss key topics on the collaboration between NSIs and academia:
EMOS: This breakout session underscored the importance of improving communication, building networks and implementing effective strategies to bridge the gap between academia and NSIs. The recommendations serve as a roadmap to advance EMOS goals and foster future collaborative efforts.
Skills: Participants identified the key skills gaps within NSIs and stressed the importance of communicating these needs to academia. These gaps present a comprehensive view of the challenges NSIs face. Collaboration with academia is essential to bridge these gaps, ensuring a well-rounded skillset among statisticians, both senior and new, to meet the evolving demands of official statistics.
Obstacles: The discussion focused on the challenges, obstacles and potential solutions for fostering collaboration between NSIs and academia.
Collaboration: Participants identified key conditions necessary for engaging NSIs in collaboration with academia, emphasising the need for strong managerial support and an organisational culture that fosters such partnerships. A well-defined strategy with agreed processes would help establish new projects and meet the research demands of NSIs in the statistical domain.
Agreements: The discussion group highlighted the need for established practices regarding documents such as contracts and Memorandums of Understanding used in engagements with academia and individuals.
The innovathon was productive and cleared the path for future initiatives. The event underscored the importance of collaborative efforts between NSIs and academia in enhancing the quality of official statistics within the ESS.
Last update: January 2025