Sanna Brauer, PhD, MA (Education), is pursuing a career in professional teacher education at Tampere University of Applied Sciences. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher trainer and RDI operator, she has established herself as a leading expert in digital pedagogy, competence-oriented learning, and continuous professional development. Her 2019 doctoral dissertation was a groundbreaking study, the first to comprehensively explore digital open badges and badge-driven learning. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oulu, she continues to investigate digital pedagogy, the impact of digital transformation on professional development, and the role of micro-credentials in skills recognition. Her research is at the forefront of motivation and competence-based learning, shaping theoretical and practical frameworks for the future of professional education. Brauer is a highly sought-after contributor to European policies on education and training, serving as an external expert for the European Union and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop). She has contributed to the publication of policy papers that have resulted, for example, in a European Recommendation on Micro-credentials, national recommendations on the identification and recognition of competences in Finland, and recommendations on the development of teacher competences in Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and the Czech Republic. Her expertise is in high demand, supporting the advancement of micro-credentials and digital badges as tools for flexible, competence-based learning pathways and advanced practices for labour market education and training. With a solid background in the creative industries, she also holds multiple advanced board memberships, further strengthening her influence in education and digital competence development. LION https://www.linkedin.com/in/sannabrauer/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sanna_Brauer