Monthly Archives: mars 2026

Emerging STEM markets: Why agile nations are outpacing traditional powerhouses

Posted 26 mars 2026 by SThree

(This blog continues in English)

When the United States ranks 18th for STEM workforce competitiveness – behind the Netherlands, three Nordic nations and Belgium – something significant is happening.

The shift is captured by the STEM Skills Index, developed by SThree with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Tracking 26 indicators across education, opportunity and innovation, it shows smaller, more focused countries are outpacing traditional powerhouses. Germany, ’s engineering engine, is losing ground to agile Nordic competitors, while places like Vietnam and the Philippines are climbing the global innovation rankings faster than anyone expected.

The Index makes the point plainly: size and historic reputation don’t decide outcomes or guarantee success. Strategic investment and cultural agility do.

For employers competing for scarce STEM skills, this change demands attention as it shows the capability map is being redrawn. Now’s the time to know who’s pulling ahead – and why. And, importantly, let that guide how you build your STEM teams.

What the STEM Skills Index reveals

A clear pattern emerges in the Index rankings. Switzerland sits at #1 overall and leads in life sciences. Singapore tops the technology pillar. Three Nordic nations cluster in the top 10 – Sweden (4th), Finland (5th) and Denmark (6th) – despite their modest size. The UK ranks 7th (the highest-placed G7 nation) while the Netherlands punches above its weight at 8th. Germany and the United States trail behind at 13th and 18th, respectively.

These standings reflect more than education quality. They show how effectively countries convert STEM capability into workforce readiness through close industry collaboration, vibrant innovation ecosystems, and cultures that support professionals throughout their careers.

The established over-achievers: small nations, big advantages

Across the Nordics, trust-based, collaborative cultures treat soft skills as foundational. Finnish STEM education emphasises inquiry-based learning over memorisation, while Danish schools prioritise creativity and teamwork. This cultural footing shows up in outcomes: SThree’s research finds more than 75% of employees with high trust in their leaders go above and beyond, compared with just 2% in low-trust environments.

Singapore’s lead in technology stems from decades of deliberate investment. Its SkillsFuture programme pairs technical upskilling with leadership development, and the education system cultivates curiosity and resilience alongside technical fluency.

Switzerland’s #1 ranking reflects its dual vocational training model – government-backed partnerships between industry, vocational schools and labour unions that build trust-based relationships from the start. With over 90% of students completing upper secondary education through a system that develops collaboration and judgement, Switzerland consistently produces well-rounded technical leaders.

Belgium offers another proof point. Often overlooked between larger neighbours, it ranks among the top performers in innovation output, demonstrating how focused investment in research and development (R&D) can outweigh scale.

What unites these nations isn’t geography or language but agility – the ability to align education, industry and policy around clear workforce goals.

The rising challengers

A second tier is gathering pace: emerging economies are climbing the Global Innovation Index faster than established players.

Since 2013, Vietnam (44th), the Philippines (50th), Indonesia (55th), Morocco (57th) and Albania (67th) have been among the fastest-rising middle-income economies. The Philippines now ranks #1 globally for high-tech exports. Morocco jumped nine places in the latest Index on the back of education investment and industrial design capability. Albania entered the top 70 for the first time, propelled by digital transformation and a growing startup ecosystem.

These changes are not accidental. Instead, they reflect deliberate strategic choices – prioritising STEM education, building startup-friendly environments and investing in digital infrastructure. Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Jordan are following similar trajectories by leveraging human capital and young innovation ecosystems to compete with nations that spend far more.

We’re learning that the common denominator is focus. While larger economies spread resources across legacy systems, these challengers concentrate investment where it matters most.

The common denominator is focus. While larger economies spread resources across legacy systems, challenging countriess concentrate investment where it matters most.

STEM brain drain: where specialists are moving – and why it matters

Follow the STEM specialists and the stakes become clear.

BCG’s Top Talent Tracker monitors the movement of nearly 200 million highly skilled workers worldwide and finds that AI and STEM professionals are around 80% more mobile than other skilled workers. For every 100 AI experts, roughly 11 move internationally every five years.

That said, mobility has consequences. BCG’s analysis shows a nation that leads in attracting specialists in a given technology is 17 times more likely to lead in that technology overall. Flows of expertise shape competitive advantage – and for countries on the wrong side of this equation, the resulting brain drain is hard to reverse.

SThree’s STEM Workforce Report, based on more than 5,000 STEM professionals across six countries, tells the same story. Some 36% of STEM professionals globally are considering or actively planning a move abroad. In the UAE, that figure reaches 53%, in the Netherlands 47% and in Germany 44%.

Where are they going? The US remains the top destination, but the Middle East – particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia – is catching up fast through attractive visa regimes, startup incentives and tax advantages. Meanwhile, much of Europe is stagnating.

And it isn’t just about salary. The World Economic Forum, citing SThree’s research, notes that 60% of STEM professionals rate soft skills above technical expertise in their leaders. Trust, flexibility, purpose and quality of life are the differentiators – the very factors the ‘hidden champions’ have embedded.

What the hidden champions have in common

Whether established over-achievers or rising challengers, the leading nations share characteristics that translate directly into lessons for employers:

  • Agility over scale. Smaller countries pivot faster – aligning education curricula with industry needs, reforming visa systems and building innovation hubs. Larger economies often struggle with legacy structures and competing priorities.
  • Education-to-employment alignment. The top performers don’t treat education and industry as separate worlds. Switzerland’s vocational partnerships, Singapore’s SkillsFuture programme and the Nordic emphasis on applied learning all bridge the gap between qualification and capability.
  • Trust as infrastructure. High-trust cultures retain people. When professionals feel valued, heard and supported, they stay – and they perform. The Nordics have made this part of their national DNA; organisations everywhere can cultivate it deliberately.
  • Strategic investment in digital foundations. The emerging market climbers prioritised digital infrastructure and startup ecosystems early. That groundwork is now paying dividends in innovation output and attraction of specialists to their workforce.

The employer playbook

For organisations competing for scarce STEM skills, these national lessons can become practical strategy:

  • Think globally about skills sourcing. The strongest skills aren’t always in familiar markets. With hotspots shifting towards the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, employers who limit searches to their familiar markets will miss emerging specialists.
  • Build trust-based, flexible cultures. What the Nordics have institutionalised, organisations can cultivate: transparency, psychological safety and genuine flexibility are retention multipliers, not ‘soft’ extras.
  • Invest in development, not just hiring. Rising nations prioritise education-to-employment pipelines. Employers should mirror this through upskilling programmes, clear progression pathways and meaningful project opportunities.
  • Lead with human skills. If 60% of STEM professionals prioritise soft skills in leaders, the message is clear. Technical brilliance without inspiration sends people to competitors who understand that innovation requires more than instruction.

In the global race for STEM capability, agility beats scale, trust beats prestige, and strategic focus beats scattered investment.

What this means for the future of work

The five megatrends reshaping STEM – digitalisation, decarbonisation, healthcare transformation, demographic shifts and new working models – are accelerating demand for specialists. Yet supply remains constrained, and the professionals you need are more mobile than ever.

This is where the hidden champions offer a blueprint. They’ve understood that in the global race for STEM capability, agility beats scale, trust beats prestige, and strategic focus beats scattered investment.

As Timo Lehne, CEO of SThree, puts it:

“The message is clear: in a global economy that is dependent on STEM skills the most successful nations will be those that not only develop a strong STEM workforce but create environments where skilled professionals can flourish and drive innovation across sectors.”

The question for organisations isn’t whether to adapt, but how quickly.

Ready to access STEM expertise wherever it thrives?

At SThree, our global reach and specialist focus help organisations navigate the shifting STEM workforce landscape – connecting you with sought-after professionals across life sciences, technology, engineering and finance.

Whether you need technology specialists through Computer Futures, engineering expertise via Progressive, life sciences leaders from Real, or fintech professionals through Huxley, our house of specialist brands can help you build teams that deliver real transformation.

Find out how SThree can help you assemble a workforce ready for the future.

Source: SThree

For more information about SThree, click here.

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Why your AI strategy needs a people strategy

Posted 20 mars 2026 by SThree

(This blog continues in English)

Four in five STEM professionals say skills gaps are directly affecting their organisation’s revenue. That statistic alone tells us something fundamental has changed. Skills have moved from a second-order HR concern to a strategic business risk tied to growth, competitiveness and survival.

Yet when I look at how most businesses are approaching AI, I see a significant gap. They have AI strategies, yes. But too often, these are really just technology strategies – focused entirely on what the tech can do, without considering the people who need to work alongside it.

An AI strategy that doesn’t include a people strategy isn’t complete. It’s not the full picture. And this matters because we’re at an inflection point – and how we respond will determine which organisations lead the next decade and which fall behind.

Start with the outcome, not the technology

What are we trying to achieve through AI? That’s the question I always come back to. A lot of the time, we are looking for AI to deliver tasks. Businesses outcomes can be broken down into a series of tasks to be delivered. Historically, we’ve assumed people would do those tasks, but now there’s another option.

Most organisations start with the technology and ask what it can do. Another approach is to start with the business goal, map the tasks that deliver it, and then decide which tasks sit best with AI and which with humans – and crucially, how they work together.

This isn’t just an IT decision. Finance must weigh affordability, HR must understand capability gaps, and Operations must map workflows. A genuinely effective AI strategy is cross-functional and collaborative, not siloed in a technology team. It’s an augmented approach – where people and technology work in concert, not in competition.

Think about AI as another “destination” for work, much like outsourcing or offshoring. Framing it this way demystifies the conversation and makes it easier to have practical discussions about what sits where.

The obsolescence myth

Our STEM Workforce Report shows that a third of STEM professionals expect the skills they’ll need most in the next 12 months to be AI-related, and many believe traditional technical skills such as data analysis and coding are quickly becoming obsolete or redefined. It’s easy to see why anxiety is running high.

But I’d urge caution about the narrative of mass skills obsolescence. While the shift is accelerating, fears of wholesale replacement are often overstated. AI skills are emerging as essential enablers, certainly, but core technical skills remain foundational. It’s important to see how both people and AI work together; it’s focusing on the ‘and’ not the ‘or’.

Organisations should focus on blending AI literacy with traditional and existing expertise, not pitting one against the other. It’s less about substitution and more about integration.

AI skills are emerging as essential enablers, certainly, but core technical skills remain foundational. It’s important to see how both people and AI work together.

The trust paradox

One striking finding from our research surprised me: 68% of STEM professionals support organisations outsourcing skills and knowledge to AI agents. That suggests growing trust in AI as a productivity partner. Something to collaborate with, rather than fear. People are recognising the opportunity to be freed up for higher-value work – the complex, creative, strategic undertakings that humans do best – while AI can handle those repetitive, routine tasks.

At the same time, over-reliance on AI risks eroding our critical thinking. If we get AI to do our thinking for us, what does that mean for our ability to reason in the future? We must protect human judgement and ethics, all the more so as we embrace AI’s capabilities and scale what it can do.

Think tasks, not jobs

Rather than thinking of a job as a single unit, I find it helpful to acknowledge that jobs aren’t monolithic. They are bundles of tasks, and when AI arrives, some of these tasks will go away, and others won’t.

Take job specifications, something every HR professional knows intimately. Drafting them isn’t particularly enjoyable – AI can certainly help with that. But someone still needs to provide inputs, review the output, ensure the tone of voice aligns to the culture, and sign off. Even something as simple as a job spec still requires human judgement at multiple points.

The pattern repeats across roles. Some tasks will be automated while others won’t. What changes is the proportion and nature of the work. Instead of thinking about jobs disappearing, we should be thinking about jobs evolving, and supporting people to evolve with them.

When you frame it this way, the conversation becomes more productive. 

Some tasks will be automated while others won’t. What changes is the proportion and nature of the work. Instead of thinking about jobs disappearing, we should be thinking about jobs evolving, and supporting people to evolve with them.

Instead of thinking about jobs disappearing, we should be thinking about jobs evolving, and supporting people to evolve with them.

The psychology of change

I often return to Paul Strebel’s research. His central finding was that leaders see change as opportunity, but many employees experience it as disruption. What’s particularly important is that in his research, middle managers – the people we typically expect to lead change – also fell into the “disruption” camp.

This matters enormously for how we approach AI transformation. If your workforce views change as disruptive, know that that’s entirely normal and reasonable. People have invested years developing expertise, accumulating certifications and forming identities around what they know. Telling them to let go of that is asking a lot.

The healthiest framing isn’t to dismiss those concerns but to acknowledge the disruption while offering a path forward, positioning this as career evolution rather than a threat.

Practically, that means being transparent about what’s changing, investing in reskilling and redeployment, enabling two-way communication rather than top-down announcements, and strengthening psychological safety so people feel heard.

Over half of organisations have made or are planning redundancies due to AI, which has created an environment where maintaining trust requires careful management, including upskilling and redeploying where possible. Communicate your how and why well – and give people the space to respond, question and contribute.

A positive outlook

When I look at how organisations are responding, I see genuine reasons for optimism.

Some are already investing seriously in skills-based workforce planning. L’Oréal, for instance, has spent several years developing a skills-based approach across their complex global footprint. Their CHRO spoke recently about the journey – it’s impressive and demonstrates that even at scale, this move is possible.

Fundamentally, I remain confident that certain capabilities will remain distinctly human: ethics, judgement, creativity, critical thinking – and the ability to check AI’s work and ensure it’s accurate and appropriate. Rather than being peripheral skills, they are central to the necessity of human contribution.

AI is undoubtedly powerful, but its value depends entirely on the human capability to deploy it well. The organisations that invest in developing those skills – alongside the technology – will find themselves with a workforce that’s not just surviving this transformation, but leading it.

AI is undoubtedly powerful, but its value depends entirely on the human capability to deploy it well.

Your company is your people

I often hear business leaders talk about getting “the company” ready for AI, as if that’s somehow separate from getting employees ready. But companies rest squarely on the shoulders of a group of people. If the employees aren’t ready, then neither is the company.

Building an AI-ready culture means focusing on skills, mindset and governance together – and ensuring your people strategy is made explicit within your AI strategy.

Adaptability will define the next decade. The professionals who thrive won’t necessarily be those with the most technical certifications, but those who can evolve continuously, integrate new tools and navigate uncertainty with resilience.

Adaptability will define the next decade. The professionals who thrive won’t necessarily be those with the most technical certifications, but those who can evolve continuously, integrate new tools and navigate uncertainty with resilience.

The future of STEM work is being formed right now. The only question is whether your organisation will help shape it – or be shaped by it.

About the research

SThree partnered with YouGov to survey 5,391 STEM professionals across the UK, US, Germany, the Netherlands, UAE and Japan between July and August 2025. The research covers professionals working in IT/technology, engineering and life sciences across organisations of all sizes.

Source: SThree

For more information about SThree, click here.

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Federgon met le cap sur l’avenir : “l’ancien normal ne reviendra pas”

Posted 19 mars 2026 by #Philip Verhaeghe

Ann Cattelain: ” L’avenir ne nous tombe pas dessus “

La CEO Ann Cattelain a ouvert la réunion par un scoop : après trois ans, Kathy Scheerlinck, CEO de RGF Staffing, cède la présidence à Rika Coppens, CEO de House of HR. Et ce n’est pas tout. Ann Cattelain a décrit un marché du travail sous pression (baisse du volume des missions intérimaires, incertitude géopolitique, alourdissement de la réglementation européenne), sans pour autant céder au pessimisme.

 « L’avenir ne nous tombe pas dessus. Il se construit à travers des choix, des collaborations et l’espoir. » Son message était la clé des silver linings, la base de la réunion : pas de fuite devant la réalité, mais une recherche consciente d’opportunités réelles en période d’incertitude structurelle.

Pour 2026, Federgon présente ces quatre priorités stratégiques :

  1. Protéger l’esprit entrepreneurial et réduire les charges administratives. Notamment en luttant activement contre la surréglementation. 
  2. Soutenir les réformes du marché du travail. Mais les associer à un accompagnement ciblé des personnes en maladie de longue durée et des chômeurs, assuré par des prestataires privés de services RH. 
  3. Suivre de près l’agenda européen. En accordant une attention particulière à l’AI Act, à la transparence salariale et au futur Quality Jobs Act.
  4. Rétablir des conditions de concurrence équitables dans le secteur de l’intérim. Notamment grâce à une procédure accélérée de « permis unique » et à une réglementation adéquate en matière de précompte professionnel.

« Sans expertise privée, le marché du travail piétine » : le message clair adressé par Ann Cattelain aux décideurs politiques.

Jo Caudron: « Nous sommes à la fin de l’ancien normal »

Jo Caudron, cofondateur de Scopernia, a présenté son rapport final sur l’exercice prospectif. Un projet auquel ont participé plus d’une centaine de membres Federgon au cours de l’année. Pas une liste abstraite de tendances. Mais bien le résultat consolidé de cinq sessions de travail et d’un cycle de validation auprès de l’ensemble des membres. Résultat : 75 ‘drivers of transformation’ et pas moins de 91 actions possibles, regroupées en trois grands domaines. Son aperçu était délibérément éclectique et synthétique : impossible d’expliquer en à peine 40 minutes cette richesse d’initiatives et de projets. 

Son point de départ était provocateur, mais clair : « Nous sommes à la fin de l’ancien normal. » La relative stabilité qui a régné pendant les quatre-vingts années qui ont suivi la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Une période unique de démocratisation, de croissance économique et de protection sociale. Ce cycle approche de son apogée. Non pas comme une catastrophe, mais comme un tournant logique dans ce qu’il appelle la courbe en S de toute civilisation. Dicton bouddhiste à l’appui: Celui qui continue à gravir la même montagne doit, à un moment donné, apprendre à voler.

Caudron a regroupé les forces qui annoncent ce tournant en trois domaines. 

  • Intelligence artificielle et numérisation : l’IA prend déjà en charge des tâches intellectuelles répétitives. Conséquences particulièrement douloureuses pour les jeunes diplômés qui ne peuvent plus suivre le parcours classique des débutants. « Il s’agit d’un problème existentiel pour la transition du niveau junior au niveau intermédiaire. »
  • Changements sociétaux : cinq générations cohabitant sur le lieu de travail. Des carrières linéaires cédant la place à des ensembles de tâches modulaires. Et une exigence de flexibilité qui doit être réciproque : la flexibilité fonctionne dans les deux sens, les employés qui la réclament doivent aussi l’offrir en matière d’employabilité.
  • Géopolitique : la relocalisation des industries stratégiques vers l’Europe n’est plus une option, mais une nécessité. Cela exige toutefois des compétences que nous avons en grande partie perdues. « Outre le retour sur investissement et le retour sur capitaux propres, nous devons commencer à raisonner en termes de retour sur sécurité. La production en Europe coûtera plus cher pour de nombreux produits. Mais elle aura également un impact positif sur l’emploi et permettra d’éviter les incidents de sécurité liés à l’énergie, à la technologie ou à la chaîne d’approvisionnement. Ce coût en vaut peut-être la peine. »

De l’analyse à l’action

Pour conclure, Caudron a présenté cinq grandes « tendances-cadres ». Non pas comme des prévisions, mais comme un cadre permettant les bons choix. Elles constituent une ligne directrice pour tout prestataire de services RH qui souhaite se positionner pour les cinq prochaines années.

Les 5 tendances de fond pour les prestataires de services RH 

  1. L’IA devient une exigence de base. La valeur ajoutée humaine devient un facteur de différenciation. La technologie ne sera bientôt plus un facteur de différenciation, mais un minimum requis. La véritable valeur réside dans le jugement humain, les relations contextuelles et l’accompagnement. Ce que l’IA n’est pas (encore) en mesure de gérer aujourd’hui.
  2. Le travail générique devient une « commodity » . L’expertise gagne en valeur. La numérisation et l’IA exercent une pression sur les marges des profils standard. Ceux qui s’orientent vers des niches telles que l’expertise en IA, l’ESG, la cyberdéfense ou l’énergie créent une valeur ajoutée durable.
  3. Les carrières deviennent fluides et modulaires. Le parcours professionnel linéaire cède la place à des changements de poste fréquents de poste, de projet, de secteur et de statut. Les prestataires de services RH deviennent des maillons essentiels en tant qu’« architectes de carrière » et accompagnateurs de transition.
  4. La flexibilité devient réciproque. Les employés demandent de la flexibilité en termes d’horaires et de lieu de travail ; les employeurs exigent de la disponibilité. Les prestataires de services RH endossent le rôle de « gardien de l’équilibre » entre ces deux intérêts économiques et humains.
  5. Le secteur passe du « matching » au « meaning ». Le cœur des services RH évolue : moins de CV en réponse à des offres d’emploi, davantage d’interprétation, d’accompagnement et d’orientation dans un marché du travail complexe. L’impact se fait sentir là où le travail est organisé de manière significative, réalisable et tournée vers l’avenir.

En conclusion, Jo Caudron a illustré ses tendances de manière concrète et sur mesure pour certaines branches de Federgon, telles que l’intérim, le recrutement et l’outplacement. Quels changements faut-il attendre et que devriez-vous faire dans votre business ?

Et maintenant ? Federon se met au travail sous la bannière Shaping Tomorrow. L’organisation lancera également très prochainement un Readiness Scan, développé en collaboration avec l’UC Leuven-Limburg. Les membres pourront évaluer leur propre niveau de préparation dans les cinq domaines de tendance, en se référant à un benchmark sectoriel. 

Coppens: “Nous sommes les araignées de la toile”

En tant que nouvelle présidente, Rika Coppens a brossé un tableau réaliste de la situation actuelle du secteur. En tant que CEO de House of HR, elle est confrontée quotidiennement à ces défis de l’intérieur : « Il y a beaucoup de choses à gérer en même temps. En tant que dirigeante, il n’est pas facile de déterminer la priorité absolue ». Elle visait la tension concrète liée à l’introduction de l’IA dans les processus internes. Le taux d’adoption parmi les collaborateurs est plus faible que prévu, car le message semble contradictoire. « On demande aux gens de prendre davantage d’initiatives et de travailler plus vite, alors qu’ils se demandent si cela ne va pas faire disparaître leur emploi. »

On demande aux gens de prendre davantage d’initiatives et de travailler plus vite, alors qu’ils se demandent si cela ne va pas faire disparaître leur emploi.

Son approche n’est pas technologique, mais avant tout pédagogique : expliquer pourquoi le changement est nécessaire, rallier les gens à cette cause et mettre en avant les opportunités. « Si nous ne mettons pas en œuvre le changement, d’autres le feront. Les perturbations pour notre entreprise n’en seront que plus importantes. » Rika Coppens décrit le rôle des prestataires de services RH dans cette transition à l’aide d’une image qui a marqué les esprits : «Nous sommes les araignées dans la toile : nous sommes au cœur de l’écosystème des employeurs, des employés et du marché du travail. C’est précisément là que nous devons investir. Et c’est précisément là que se trouvent les opportunités.»

Si vous souhaitez obtenir plus d’informations à ce sujet, adressez-vos à Federgon pour obtenir le Plan d’action 2026 intitulé  ‘ À la recherche de lueurs d’espoir… Opportunités pour les prestataires de services RH en ces temps pleins de défis.’

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Rika Coppens nouvelle présidente de Federgon

Posted 16 mars 2026 by Federgon

Rika Coppens a été élue pour un mandat de trois ans. Son expérience stratégique constitue un atout important à un moment où les transitions sociétales et technologiques s’enchaînent rapidement. Elle succède à Katty Scheerlinck, CEO de RGF Staffing, qui a guidé le secteur des services RH à travers une période économique particulièrement mouvementée. Federgon remercie chaleureusement Katty Scheerlinck pour son engagement et sa contribution à la dynamique du marché du travail belge.

Expérience et leadership

Rika Coppens est une figure reconnue dans le secteur RH européen. En tant que Group CEO de House of HR, elle dirige un groupe international devenu l’un des acteurs les plus innovants et dynamiques du marché. Sous sa direction, l’organisation a connu une croissance soutenue, un développement digital renforcé et une implantation affirmée dans plusieurs pays européens. Elle défend activement la flexibilité, la mobilité des talents et le travail durable, soutenue par une vision réfléchie de l’organisation du travail.

Une présidente qui portera le secteur vers l’avenir

Avec son expertise en leadership stratégique, en transformation et en enjeux complexes liés au marché du travail, Rika Coppens apporte une combinaison unique de vision, pragmatisme et esprit entrepreneurial. Elle a été reconnue comme l’une des leaders RH les plus influentes d’Europe par Staffing Industry Analysts et élue Trends Manager de l’Année en 2022.

En tant que présidente du Conseil d’administration, elle travaillera avec les membres de Federgon au développement d’un marché du travail fort, durable et agile. Un marché où chaque talent peut s’épanouir et où un cadre équitable s’applique à tous les acteurs de la flexibilité. Son leadership sera déterminant pour renforcer la résilience et la capacité d’adaptation de l’écosystème de l’intermédiation.

Source : Federgon

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Why global mobility should be top of your agenda

Posted 12 mars 2026 by SThree

(This blog continues in English)

Among STEM professionals planning to move abroad, 57% have already accepted a role in another country, and one in ten changed jobs or relocated internationally in the past 12 months alone – with this rising to one in six across Europe. Importantly, these aren’t just intentions, either. They’re reality – with contracts signed, notice periods served, and critical expertise walking out the door.

Our latest STEM Workforce Report, commissioned by SThree and conducted by YouGov across six major economies, confirms the scale of what’s happening. For a third of STEM professionals moving abroad isn’t hypothetical – it’s a real opportunity. Specialist skills are traded globally now, and your competitors are already bidding. Organisations that fail to adapt will find themselves outpaced by those that do.

The commercial cost when specialists leave

When a specialist engineer or life sciences expert leaves for an opportunity overseas, the fallout reaches far beyond an empty chair. Two in three STEM professionals say departures are already affecting essential projects – rising to four in five in certain countries. With one in six reporting severe impacts, including project cancellations, these are not minor inconveniences.

The financial hit is just as stark. Four in five STEM professionals say technical skills gaps are directly affecting revenue. In Germany, a quarter report severe impacts on revenue – and 87% say skills gaps directly affect their bottom line. Meanwhile, four in five say skills shortages have constrained their organisation’s ability to innovate – the very capability that drives long-term competitive advantage.

I often tell clients:

The exodus of STEM experts has moved from an HR metric to a board-level concern. When your specialists leave, they take institutional knowledge, client relationships and innovation capacity with them. When your competitors hire your people, they’re effectively acquiring your future.

In Germany, 39% of STEM leaders have seen their experts depart for other countries in the past year. The destinations are familiar:

  • the US for higher salaries and abundant research opportunities
  • Switzerland for its strength in pharmaceuticals
  • Canada for quality of life and welcoming immigration policies

Each departure creates a ripple effect, including heavier workloads for those who remain, stretched project timelines and the gradual erosion of the expertise that sets you apart.

What’s really driving the move?

It’s easy to assume that salary is the main relocation driver, but it isn’t. When we asked STEM professionals what would persuade them to move to another country, quality of life and work-life balance consistently outranked financial incentives. In the UK, 44% would relocate for a better quality of life, making it the single most influential factor.

This matters because it changes the retention equation entirely. Organisations competing purely on compensation will lose to those offering meaningful work, genuine flexibility and compelling career environments. Many movers aren’t necessarily chasing money – they’re looking for what they’re not getting from their current employer.

Organisations competing purely on compensation will lose to those offering meaningful work, genuine flexibility and compelling career environments.

There’s also a generational dimension. In the Netherlands, 55% of STEM professionals aged 20–34 are considering or planning a move abroad, compared with 36% of those over 50. In Japan, younger professionals are four times more likely to contemplate relocation than their older colleagues. The generation driving much of today’s innovation is also the most internationally mobile – a structural threat for economies already dealing with demographic pressures.

A global exchange, not a one-way drain

Despite these drivers, one misconception endures: that the cross-border movement of STEM professionals is something to stop altogether. In reality, it’s a circular exchange of expertise that rewards organisations prepared to engage globally.

UK professionals are exploring opportunities in Europe, Australia and the US, while American professionals are considering Europe, the UK and Canada. Rather than fighting the tide, forward-thinking organisations are learning to work with it, designing workforce strategies that attract ambitious movers while retaining experienced specialists who value stability.

As I’ve said before:

To compete globally, you have to think beyond borders. It means building international teams, powered by agility and technology. The organisations winning today focus less on locking people in place and more on creating environments so compelling that the world’s best minds choose to join.

Japan offers a useful counterpoint. Only 7% of Japanese STEM professionals are open to leaving – the strongest retention rate in our study. Understanding the roots of that loyalty, and which elements can be replicated elsewhere, should be a priority for any organisation serious about workforce strategy.

To compete globally, you have to think beyond borders. It means building international teams, powered by agility and technology.

The stakes are high, and the window for action is closing

Employers across STEM are feeling the pressure acutely. Throughout Europe, four in five STEM professionals say talent loss is already impacting critical projects. In fields where delays can derail product launches, research timelines or client delivery, the consequences extend well beyond individual performance reviews.

This pattern holds across every sector. Organisations treating mobility as someone else’s problem are discovering it has become their own. Nearly half have struggled to replace departed colleagues in the past year. Those who remain face heavier workloads, rising stress and the growing risk of burnout – conditions that make further departures more likely.

So, the question facing STEM leaders isn’t whether to adapt, but how fast. Build mobility into your workforce strategy rather than treating it as an exception. Shape your value proposition around what professionals actually want – purpose, flexibility and growth – not assumptions. And think globally about where skills are and how to access them, rather than defaulting to local hiring patterns that no longer reflect reality.

The exodus of STEM specialists isn’t coming. It’s here. And for organisations willing to act decisively, it’s not only a risk to manage but an opportunity to seize – tapping into global expertise that slower, more rigid competitors can’t reach.

The choice is yours. But the window for making it is narrower than you think.

About the research

SThree partnered with YouGov to survey 5,391 STEM professionals across the UK, US, Germany, the Netherlands, UAE and Japan between July and August 2025. The research covers professionals working in IT/technology, engineering and life sciences across organisations of all sizes.

For more information about SThree, click here.

Bron: SThree

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