At the recent European Forum on Skills and Competitiveness organised by the European Commission, the strategic importance of digital transformation was highlighted, which has a cross-cutting influence on key sectors such as industry, energy, health and talent management. In this regard, the Basque Country represents a particularly relevant context due to its high industrial concentration, solid commitment to technological innovation and close collaboration between universities and companies.

In order to analyse the current state and perception of this digital transformation, a quantitative-descriptive study was carried out by means of a structured questionnaire applied to 200 managers of companies with a presence in the Basque Country. The responses obtained were analysed using descriptive statistical techniques to identify key factors in the four dimensions evaluated: technological infrastructure, teacher training in digital tools, technology-mediated teaching strategies and perception of the impact of digitalisation on academic results.

Through the analysis of this sample, the factors that favour and hinder the deployment of digital transformation in higher education contexts are identified. The results indicate that, although there is widespread recognition of the strategic importance of digital education, significant challenges remain related to the digital divide, teacher preparation and the availability of adequate technological resources. Furthermore, participants highlight that digitally mediated pedagogical strategies not only increase student motivation and engagement, but also substantially improve the development of key professional skills for today's labour market.

Finally, the study underlines the need to adopt a proactive approach to overcome emerging technological challenges such as artificial intelligence, mobile learning and microlearning, which are emerging as key elements in the evolution of university education; to establish clear institutional policies that promote continuous teacher training, sustained investment in technological infrastructure and the implementation of innovative methodologies adapted to the new digital environment. These actions will contribute decisively to maximising the transformative potential of digitalisation in higher education, thus ensuring competitiveness and the development of human talent in the face of future challenges.

Keywords: Digital transformation, University education, Educational innovation, Competitiveness, Competitiveness