Elevating Innovation Management Professionals: Competence and Certification for Europe’s Competitiveness

Europe’s competitiveness relies on innovation, and innovation requires skilled professionals. While several countries have developed national approaches to define and assess innovation-related competencies, the lack of a shared European reference leads to fragmentation, limiting professional mobility, recognition, and policy coherence. This paper presents the Italian standard UNI 11814 as a case study in competence-based certification of innovation management professionals, showing how it supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), aligns with public funding mechanisms, and provides a tested model for broader application. A comparative overview highlights the diversity of initiatives across Europe and underscores the need for convergence. The development of a European standard under CEN offers a concrete path toward harmonisation, aligned with the European qualifications framework (EQF) and ISO 56000 series. The paper also explores the benefits of certification and outlines a multi-stakeholder roadmap to foster a stronger innovation ecosystem. By aligning competence, certification, and policy, Europe can empower professionals to deliver innovation with consistency, credibility, and impact.