The European Union faces a competitiveness challenge that places STEM education at the centre of strategic policymaking. As articulated in the recently launched STEM Education Strategic Plan, Europe's capacity to innovate and compete globally depends fundamentally on developing robust STEM talent pipelines while addressing persistent skills shortages that constrain economic growth and technological advancement. 

Against this backdrop, the present study examines institutional characteristics associated with varying levels of STEM orientation across European higher education institutions (HEIs), providing evidence-based insights to inform policy interventions within the Union of Skills framework. Using clustering approach that leverages EHESO institutional microdata, this research provides an analysis of institutional characteristics that differentiate HEIs based on their STEM orientation (limited, moderated and high).