€250,000 Erasmus+ grant for sustainability reporting skills

The creation of an AI-powered training platform to improve how small and medium-sized enterprises prepare their reports is underway at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) with the formation of a new Erasmus+ partnership and a grant of €250,000. The funding was awarded to the consortium led by Dr Dimitrios Vlachopoulos, associate professor in RSM’s department of Technology and Operations Management, for a pioneering project called ESG-AI Hub: European Sustainability Reporting Skills in the Digital Age. The project started in October 2025 and will run for the next 24 months. The grant supports innovation in vocational education and training to address emerging needs in sustainability reporting and digital transformation.

The ESG-AI Hub aims to create an artificial intelligence-powered digital training platform to enhance sustainability reporting skills among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), vocational education providers, accountants, and auditors. Through interactive modules, self-assessment tools, and real case studies, the project will help professionals align with new EU sustainability regulations and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards.

The consortium will develop a sustainability reporting roadmap, modular training curriculum, AI-supported self-assessment tools, and policy recommendation reports to guide both practitioners and policymakers.

Coordinated by the Public Oversight, Accounting and Auditing Standards Authority of Türkiye (KGK), this project brings together six partners: Bursa Uludağ University (Türkiye), Atlantic Technological University (Ireland), Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands), Crs Laghi (Italy), and tvw GmbH (Germany).

Lead researcher, Dr Dimitrios Vlachopoulos, associate professor of evidence-based and sustainable innovation in higher education at RSM said: “The ESG-AI Hub represents a crucial step toward equipping professionals with the green and digital competencies that Europe needs. By combining AI with sustainability education, the project fosters transparency, accountability, and innovation in reporting practices.”

More information

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is one of Europe’s top-ranked business schools. RSM provides ground-breaking research and education furthering excellence in all aspects of management and is based in the international port city of Rotterdam – a vital nexus of business, logistics and trade. RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourage them to become critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers. www.rsm.nl

For more information about RSM or this release, please contact Pavlina Novakova, RSM corporate communications and PR manager, or Danielle Baan, science communications lead and PR, by email at press@rsm.nl.