October 28th, 2025 (Washington, D.C. and Brussels, Belgium) – Credential Engine, the nonprofit organization transforming the credential marketplace through transparency and standardization, and Cognizone, the European leader in semantic technologies and linked open data solutions, today announced a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing credential transparency, interoperability, and comparability across Europe and the global community.
A Shared Vision for Data-Driven Education and Workforce Development
This collaboration between two organizations with complementary missions and proven expertise in creating transparent, interoperable data ecosystems that empower learners, workers, employers, and policymakers worldwide.
The partnership between Credential Engine and Cognizone addresses a critical global need: enabling individuals and institutions to understand and compare qualifications, credentials, and skills across borders and systems. As the workforce becomes increasingly global and mobile, learners, workers, employers, educators, and policymakers require transparent information about educational qualifications and professional credentials that is both accessible and comparable across different contexts.
Together, the organizations will:
- Promote Standards Alignment: Work toward harmonization between the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) and European and African frameworks, fostering global interoperability
- Enhance Cross-Border Credential Recognition: Leverage semantic technologies and standardized metadata to enable seamless comparison of credentials between European and international frameworks
- Expand Data Quality and Accessibility: Combine our joint expertise in linked open data and infrastructure to improve how information is structured, published, and accessed
- Support Policy and Practice: Provide governments, educational institutions, and employers with the tools and insights needed to make data-driven decisions that support workforce development and economic prosperity
Concretely, the joint vision foresees developing an integrated implementation suite that aligns existing frameworks and enables a single publication gateway across all major learning data models. By harmonising the CTDL with frameworks such as the European Learning Model (ELM), the African Learning Model (ALM), and related ESCO and EQF vocabularies, the partnership aims to simplify how educational and credential data are published, validated, and exchanged globally—ensuring that one publication can reach and be understood by multiple ecosystems seamlessly.
“This partnership represents a significant step forward in our mission to create credential transparency on a global scale,” said Scott Cheney, CEO of Credential Engine. “Cognizone’s deep expertise in European data ecosystems and semantic technologies, combined with our experience in standardizing credential information, positions us to help learners and workers navigate credential pathways across continents with confidence.”
“At Cognizone, we believe that data, when harnessed ethically and effectively, can create substantial positive impacts,” said Gregory De Backer, CEO of Cognizone. “Credential Engine’s pioneering work with the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) and their global Credential Registry perfectly complements our expertise in semantic technologies and European frameworks. This collaboration aligns with our mission of ‘Data for Good,’ and ensures that credential and qualification information is transparent, interoperable, and truly beneficial for citizens, employers, and society worldwide.”
This partnership will benefit multiple stakeholders:
- Learners and Workers: Access to clear, comparable information about credentials and qualifications, enabling better educational and career decisions across borders
- Educational Institutions: Improved ability to communicate the value and recognition of their programs internationally
- Employers: Enhanced capacity to understand and evaluate credentials and skills from diverse educational systems
- Governments and Policymakers: Better data to inform workforce development strategies, recognize skills gaps, and support labor mobility
- Researchers: Comprehensive, standardized data for analyzing credential trends and labor market needs
Credential Engine, a nonprofit based in the United States, has established itself as the cornerstone of credential transparency, developing the CTDL, a global, open language for describing credentials, learning opportunities, skills, jobs, and more. It also maintains the Credential Registry, a comprehensive, cloud-based repository that makes this information structured, comparable, and discoverable worldwide. Through meaningful partnerships with governments, educational institutions, workforce agencies, commercial organizations, and associations, Credential Engine enables people everywhere to discover, compare, and understand the value of learning and work opportunities across diverse systems.
Cognizone, based in Brussels with offices in Switzerland and Greece, brings over 15 years of expertise in semantic web technologies and linked open data to governments and organizations across Europe. The company has played a pivotal role in developing critical European frameworks, including the European Skills, Competencies, Qualifications, and Occupations (ESCO) classification and the European Learning Model (ELM) and its African counterpart (ALM). Cognizone’s work with the European Commission, national governments, and public institutions has established it as a trusted partner in creating interoperable data systems that serve the public good.
To work with these partners, please contact either info@cogni.zone or info@credentialengine.org.
This partnership reflects a shared commitment to transparency, interoperability, and comparability in credential and qualification systems—principles essential to supporting learner mobility, workforce development, and economic prosperity in an interconnected world.
View the annoucement here.