AI Core Curriculum for MSMEs in Retail
Creators: name: Acomi, Nicoleta
name: Lanzetta, Miriam
name: ACOMI, OVIDIU
name: Chervinskyi, Mykyta
name: Włoch, Renata
name: Śledziewska, Katarzyna
name: Abbruzzese, Gianluca
name: Fotiadis, Thomas
name: Andreotti, Cecilia
name: Manchi, Giordano
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Artificial intelligence
subject: Education
subject: AI Skills
subject: Retail trade
subject: Trustworthy AI
subject: Horizon Europe
subject: Digital Transformation
subject: Personalised Learning
subject: Fractal Learning

description: This publication presents a core curriculum to address the artificial intelligence (AI) skills gap in European micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the retail sector. Developed in the scope of the "Increasing the Uptake of AI in Retail" (INAIR) project, the curriculum aims to equip retail businesses with the skills necessary to adopt AI for sustainable transformation, operational optimisation, and enhanced competitiveness in the global market. 

Designed for educators, trainers and policymakers, the curriculum fosters the development of both technical and transversal AI skills. The curriculum adopts a modular approach, proposing 16 learning units, organised into foundational, intermediate, and advanced levels, and tailored learning pathways to address the specific needs of retail MSMEs. 

Structure and Key Highlights





Chapter 1, "Project Overview", outlines the project’s rationale, objectives, and expected outcomes, situating the curriculum within the broader context of Europe’s AI skills gap. It describes the collaborative efforts of the international consortium, emphasising their mission to empower retail MSMEs with the tools needed to integrate AI sustainably and competitively.




Chapter 2, "Methodological Approach", describes the methodological framework underpinning the curriculum. It describes the research-driven process that informed the curriculum’s development, including an analysis of AI skills gaps in the retail sector and co-creation workshops with industry experts. The chapter explains how the findings guided the design of the curriculum and highlights the integrated learner-centred instructional strategies.




Chapter 3, "Ethical Considerations", details the integration of ethical principles into the curriculum. It provides a framework for fostering responsible AI adoption, with a focus on ethical teaching practices, assessing the trustworthiness of AI systems in line with the European Commission’s Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI, and ensuring that learners develop a foundational understanding of AI’s societal and environmental impacts.




Chapter 4, "Learning Blocks", provides an in-depth overview of the curriculum’s 16 modular learning blocks. Each block is designed to progressively build technical, digital, and transversal AI skills through practical exercises, real-world case studies and assessments.




Chapter 5, "Differentiated AI Learning Pathways", emphasises the importance of personalisation in fostering effective AI education and introduces tailored learning pathways designed to accommodate the diverse needs of retail MSMEs. It highlights the curriculum’s scalability and adaptability, enabling the tailoring of the educational experience based on their existing skill levels, professional objectives and organisational contexts.




Chapter 6, "Guidance on Implementation", offers guidance for implementing the curriculum, including preparation, effective teaching techniques and recommendations for developing course content. It highlights strategies for engaging learners through active, experiential and case-based learning. 



About INAIR

INAIR is a Coordination and Support Action funded by the European Union'’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme. The project is implemented by an international consortium of six organisations: Lascò Srl (Italy), the University of Warsaw - Digital Economy Lab (Poland), the University of Cyprus - Software Engineering Lab (Cyprus), the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Germany (Germany), TEAM4Excellence (Romania), and BSD Design (Italy).
description: This publication received funding from the European Union'’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme - Grant Agreement No. 101133847. Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.