Nomad Futurist, DE-CIX expand free digital infra training
Nomad Futurist Foundation has partnered with DE-CIX's Interconnection Academy to widen access to free, industry-certified training in networking, data centres, and interconnection.
The organisations said the collaboration will make selected courses and modules available through their learning platforms to thousands of professionals and students worldwide. The training focuses on skills linked to the operation and design of digital infrastructure.
The partnership arrives amid ongoing recruitment pressure across IT roles. The organisations cited World Economic Forum figures which identify networks and security, AI and Big Data, and general technological literacy as core workplace skills by 2030. They also cited a statistic that 76% of IT companies worldwide reported difficulties filling vacancies for tech specialists in late 2025. They said the expected retirement of about 25% of network engineers within the next five years adds to the strain.
Course expansion
DE-CIX founded the Interconnection Academy in 2021 with Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona. The academy runs as an online education platform focused on networking, interconnection, and related digital infrastructure topics. It offers training that combines technical, operational, and business-related content, according to DE-CIX.
The Interconnection Academy said it will launch new modules on networking and the interconnection ecosystem in January and April 2026. It also outlined further courses planned throughout the year.
The Nomad Futurist Academy operates as an initiative of the Nomad Futurist Foundation. It positions its work around awareness of digital infrastructure and career pathways in the sector, with a focus on underrepresented communities.
Under the partnership, the two organisations will share selected content and training modules across their platforms. Nomad Futurist said it will begin by sharing foundational content on data centre infrastructure with the Interconnection Academy.
Industry focus
DE-CIX operates internet exchanges and runs interconnection services. The Interconnection Academy frames its programme around interconnection and peering, and it positions its certification as a way to standardise core knowledge in the interconnection sector.
Nomad Futurist said its courses and community programmes include education, storytelling, and mentorship. It said it works with education providers, NGOs, nonprofits, and industry partners globally.
Ivo Ivanov, Founder of the Interconnection Academy and CEO of DE-CIX, linked the training push to shifts in computing demand driven by AI.
"With the advent of AI, we are facing the newest industrial revolution, in which we will need to further up-skill and re-skill workers for tomorrow's industries," said Ivo Ivanov, Founder of the Interconnection Academy and CEO of DE-CIX.
"Here, education platforms like the Interconnection Academy and the Nomad Futurist Academy offer a valuable resource for people just starting out in the workforce as well as those needing to update their knowledge and skills for a changing world," said Ivanov.
Yolandi Cloete, Manager of the Global Interconnection Academy, described the partnership as a route to broader distribution of training materials and joint development of modules.
"Working with the Nomad Futurist Foundation enables us to expand access to high-quality educational offerings and co-create and share industry-relevant learning modules with a trusted partner. The two organizations are united by a shared passion for education and innovation in the digital infrastructure space," said Cloete.
Nabeel Mahmood, Co-Founder & CEO of the Nomad Futurist Foundation, set out the organisation's view of digital infrastructure awareness as a barrier to entry for newcomers.
"Digital infrastructure touches every part of modern life, yet very few people truly understand how it works or the opportunities it creates," said Nabeel Mahmood, Co-Founder & CEO of the Nomad Futurist Foundation.
"By partnering with the Interconnection Academy, we're bridging that gap, making complex concepts approachable, and helping people see a future for themselves in this industry. Education is the on-ramp to inclusion, innovation, and long-term impact," said Mahmood.
The organisations plan to roll out the shared modules through 2026 alongside the Interconnection Academy's scheduled additions on networking and the interconnection ecosystem.