“Building Resilience, Connecting & Empowering Communities in the Age of AI”
Online launch event on 12 October will explore digital resilience, coding, AI and the role of communities in closing Europe’s digital skills gap
Brussels, 10 October 2026 – EU Code Week 2026 will officially launch on 12 October 2026 with a major online event bringing together European leaders, educators, digital skills advocates and members of the EU Code Week community from across Europe.
Under the theme “Building Resilience, Connecting & Empowering Communities in the Age of AI”, the two-hour event will explore how coding, computational thinking and digital education can help people develop the skills, confidence and resilience needed in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
The event will be broadcast online from Brussels from 14:00 to 16:00 CEST and is open to educators, schools, policymakers, industry, youth organisations, digital skills professionals and anyone interested in the future of digital education. codeweek.eu
Opening speakers are scheduled to include Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy; Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament; and Salvatore Nigro, CEO of JA Europe. EU Code Week Community Ambassador Nele Steigerwald will also welcome participants on behalf of the wider Code Week community.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in education, work and everyday life, the event will examine why coding and computational thinking remain essential skills. Discussions will focus on how digital learning can strengthen critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving and the ability to engage confidently with emerging technologies.
The programme will also showcase stories from across the EU Code Week community and the Code4Europe project, highlighting how educators, ambassadors, hubs, partners and local organisers are bringing coding and digital skills into classrooms and communities across Europe.
A dedicated panel on the future of EU Code Week will consider how stronger connections between schools, communities, industry, policymakers and digital education initiatives can help address Europe’s digital skills gap and create more inclusive digital learning ecosystems.
The launch comes ahead of EU Code Week 2026, taking place from 10 to 25 October, when schools, teachers, young people, community organisations and partners across Europe will take part in coding and digital skills activities.
“Digital skills are ultimately about empowerment. As technology and AI continue to reshape the way we learn, work and participate in society, we need to ensure that every young person has the confidence and opportunity to engage with that change. EU Code Week shows what is possible when educators, communities and partners across Europe come together to make digital learning accessible to everyone. It also demonstrates how creativity can help reduce complexity” said Salvatore Nigro, CEO of JA Europe.
The launch event will also introduce opportunities to participate in this year’s campaign, including new promotional content and Code Week activities developed with Minecraft Education.
A community-led approach to digital skills
EU Code Week is built around a Europe-wide community of educators, volunteers, ambassadors, organisations and partners working to make coding and digital skills accessible to people of all ages.
Through local activities, workshops, classroom initiatives and European collaboration, the initiative encourages people not only to use technology, but to understand how it works, create with it and participate confidently in an increasingly digital society.
The 2026 launch event will place that community at the centre of the conversation, sharing practical examples of how local action can contribute to wider European ambitions for digital skills and inclusion.
Event details
EU Code Week 2026 Launch Event
Building Resilience, Connecting & Empowering Communities in the Age of AI
Date: Monday, 12 October 2026
Time: 14:00–16:00 CEST
Format: Online, broadcast from Brussels
Attendance: Free
Registration and full event information are available on the EU Code Week website. Register for the EU Code Week 2026 Launch Event
Notes to editors
About EU Code Week
EU Code Week is a grassroots initiative that promotes coding, computational thinking and digital literacy across Europe. It brings together educators, schools, young people, families, organisations and communities through activities designed to make digital skills accessible, engaging and relevant.
EU Code Week 2026 takes place from 10 to 25 October 2026.
EU Code Week is funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT), with support provided through the Code4Europe project under the Digital Europe Programme.
Media enquiries:
Aoife O’Driscoll, Matrix Internet, aoife@matrixinternet.ie
Alicia Barbas, JA Europe, alicia@jaeurope.org
Website: EU Code Week
