The INAIR project continues to deliver strong progress in equipping micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in retail with the skills needed to adopt artificial intelligence. Building on its earlier research into AI skills gaps, the consortium has now completed two major pillars of the initiative: the AI Core Curriculum and the AI Skills Assessment Tool for retail MSMEs.

Milestone Highlights and Achievements

AI Core Curriculum Finalised

The consortium finalised and published the AI Core Curriculum for MSMEs in Retail, structured across three proficiency levels - Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced. Developed collaboratively by partners in Italy, Germany, Poland, Cyprus, and Romania, the curriculum includes 16 modular learning blocks covering topics such as machine learning, natural language processing, trustworthy AI, AI for sustainability, and AI-powered customer engagement . This modular design enables flexible, role-specific upskilling and supports differentiated pathways for diverse learner profiles .

AI Skills Assessment Tool Released

Complementing the curriculum, the digital AI Skills Assessment Tool was developed and is now publicly accessible via the project website . It consists of an Initial Assessment Tool to guide personalised learning pathways and a Final Assessment Tool to evaluate post-training competences. The tool is based on a methodological framework published on Zenodo (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15310155).

Open Educational Resources (OERs) Development Underway

Following the curriculum, partners have begun creating interactive Open Educational Resources (OERs) based on a shared instructional design framework. These resources are being localised in national languages and adapted to diverse learner needs. Validation is planned for late 2025, paving the way for piloting with retailers and training providers. 

Outreach Efforts and Stakeholder Engagement

The project has intensified outreach through conferences, webinars, newsletters, and direct engagement with education and training providers. Early signs of uptake are visible, with several organisations expressing interest in integrating INAIR’s curriculum into their programmes.

Next Steps

Looking ahead, the consortium will:

• Validate the OERs by autumn 2025;
• Develop the INAIR e-learning environment;
• Prepare pilot testing with at least 150 early adopters in 2026 .

With its research base, curriculum, and assessment tools now in place, INAIR is entering a decisive phase of transforming outputs into practical training for the European retail sector, contributing directly to Europe’s digital and green transition.

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