The demand for machine learning engineers is head-spinningly high. If you’re here, you are probably wondering how to become a machine learning engineer, the magic behind machine learning, and the savvy people behind it. In this domain, innovation meets practicality. Let’s unfold what it entails and why the demand has skyrocketed.

What Does a Machine Learning Engineer Do?

A machine learning engineer is the backbone of creating systems that can learn and make decisions with minimal human intervention. As a simple example, you could be teaching a machine to recognize a cat in a video or predict the next big trend in stock markets.

A machine learning engineer must perform a variety of tasks — from designing predictive models and fine-tuning their accuracy to deploying algorithms that can scale. They manipulate massive datasets, extract meaningful insights, and constantly learn to keep up with new advancements in the field.

You might wonder, “What are the machine learning engineer requirements?”

The requirements to become a machine learning engineer aren’t just about having a knack for programming or being great at math. Of course, those skills are necessary, but there’s more to it. You need to be curious, resilient, and eager to solve complex problems. Being able to communicate your findings and work collaboratively with others is just as big of a part of becoming a pro in machine learning. After all, what’s the use of a breakthrough if you can’t share it with others?

Educational Requirements to Become a Machine Learning Engineer

University degrees in computer science, data science, or Artificial Intelligence will give you a solid foundation. They cover everything from the basics of programming to the complexities of algorithms and data structures. Conversely, online or offline certifications might not be quite as comprehensive, but they make up for it by being more focused. Platforms for learning online also give you an in-depth look into machine learning specifics at your own pace.

Comparing the two, degrees offer a broad understanding and are great for foundational knowledge. At the same time, certifications can be seen as a bonus, providing specialized skills and up-to-date industry practices. Both paths have merits, and often, the best thing to do is to blend both. For a more detailed comparison, take a look at the article “Machine Learning Engineer Degree.”

Key Skills for Aspiring Machine Learning Engineers

First, your technical toolkit should include:

  • Programming languages like Python or R
  • Knowledge of algorithms
  • Data modeling

These skills are the bread and butter that let you build and refine machine learning models that can tackle real-world problems.

But something to remember is that being technically adept isn’t enough. How to become a good machine learning engineer also hinges on your soft skills, such as:

  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Resilience
  • Problem-solving

The ability to communicate complex ideas clearly, work effectively in teams, and stay resilient in the face of debugging nightmares, along with problem-solving skills, are paramount. After all, you’ll be solving new puzzles every day. Also, while all these technical skills make for a terrific mix, you need creativity and curiosity. They fuel your innovations and discoveries in the ever-evolving field.

Building Experience in Machine Learning Engineering

Here are a few avenues to explore when building a machine-learning experience:

  1. Internships. There’s no substitute for real-world experience, and internships give you exactly that. They bring you face-to-face with the industry’s challenges and learning opportunities under the guidance of experienced mentors.
  2. Personal projects. If you’ve ever had an idea for a machine learning project, now’s the time to bring it to life. Personal projects are not only a fantastic way to test your skills but also to showcase your creativity and passion to potential employers.
  3. Open-source projects. Joining open-source projects can be a win-win. You get to contribute to meaningful projects, learn from the community, and make your mark in the field. It’s networking and learning all rolled into one.

Advancing Your Career With Specialized Machine Learning Knowledge

There’s always something new to learn in neural networks and AI. Specializations help you stand out in a field that’s very much in demand, and advanced education programs take you there. Deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, robotics, reinforcement learning, and AI ethics are just some examples of potential specializations.

OPIT’s Master’s and Bachelor’s Programs are perfect examples of knowledge that’s equally deep and broad:

Enhancing Credibility With Machine Learning Certifications and Networking

Industry-recognized certifications polish your resume and, perhaps more crucially, signal your commitment and expertise to prospective employers, showing that you have the knowledge the industry feels is valuable. And let’s not forget the power of networking. Connecting with peers and mentors can open doors you never knew existed.

Career Prospects for Machine Learning Engineers

The horizon for machine learning engineers is vast and varied. Every sector, from tech giants to startups, is on the lookout for talent that can harness machine learning.

Healthcare, finance, tech, and even agriculture companies are eager to leverage AI to gain an edge. As a machine learning engineer, you could:

  • Design algorithms to personalize content on streaming platforms
  • Improve patient diagnoses in healthcare
  • Predict client spending habits in banking and finances
  • Optimize crop yields in agriculture

The variety of roles means there’s room for specialists and generalists alike. From data scientists and AI researchers to ML developers, the career paths are as diverse as the challenges you’ll tackle.

Partnering With OPIT for Your Machine Learning Engineering Journey

The right partner for your education can make all the difference, and OPIT is a beacon for aspiring machine learning engineers. OPIT offers a gateway to the future of tech through the following degrees:

OPIT’s edge is in bridging in-depth learning and practical experience, minus the heavy-handedness of traditional schools and final exams.

Why Should You Become a Machine Learning Engineer?

The path to becoming a machine learning engineer is as exciting as it is rewarding, financially and professionally. As you learn, you’ll be coding in Python, untangling data, and figuring out how to make machines smarter. Yet, none of this would be enough without “softer” leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills.

With OPIT by your side and its master’s degrees in Responsible Artificial Intelligence, Modern Computer Science, and Applied Data Science and AI, you’re ready to take the future by storm.

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The 10 Things That We Should Reflect Upon for 2026
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
Jan 19, 2026 6 min read

2025 has come to a close, with 2026 already underway. There are many exciting events ahead and future milestones to aim for and look forward to. But it’s also the ideal time to look back over the last 12 months, exploring the most notable achievements we’ve made, lessons we’ve learned, and important moments to reflect on as the new year continues for OPIT’s staff, students, and broader community.

1. Student Commitment

Studying isn’t always easy. It involves long days, and even long evenings sometimes, with a seemingly never-ending series of tasks to accomplish and goals to aim for. It can take a lot out of even the most hard-working and dedicated individuals.

Yet, despite the hardships and challenges, OPIT students demonstrated remarkable resilience, continuous curiosity, and indefatigable determination throughout 2025. Looking back on the year, students at all levels of the OPIT community should feel proud and celebrate their accomplishments.

2. Podcast Launch

2025 saw a lot of new arrivals at OPIT, with fresh projects and innovations arriving on the scene. Chief among them was the OPIT EDGE Podcast, an exciting addition to the institute’s ever-expanding multimedia offerings.

There have already been several episodes of the podcast for students and technology enthusiasts in general to enjoy, with the first episode of this student-driven project involving an in-depth discussion with industry expert Matteo Zangani on the potential of quantum AI technology.

3. Success Stories

While many new students have joined the OPIT ranks in 2025 and will also do so in 2026, others have now achieved their educational objectives and are already moving on to the next exciting steps and chapters in their personal and professional lives.

There are so many inspiring success stories from the last 12 months, it’s impossible to list them all. But just one notable example has to be Maria Brilaki, who recently concluded her Master’s in Responsible AI, defending a powerful thesis related to non-invasive glucose monitoring through near-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning.

4. Graduation in Malta

2025 was a big year of firsts for OPIT, including the institute’s first official graduation ceremony, which took place on March 8 at a grand ceremony in Malta, honoring the achievements of dozens of applied data science and AI graduates.

The hybrid event was open to both in-person and virtual attendees, bringing together members of the OPIT community from across the world. It was a huge moment for the graduates themselves and a thrilling milestone for OPI – a testament to all the hard work that has gone into building this institute.

5. OPIT AI Copilot

Artificial intelligence is the technology of the moment, and OPIT isn’t just dedicated to teaching the next-generation of technology leaders how to work with AI responsibly and efficiently; it’s also interested in harnessing the powers and potential of AI to improve its educational offerings, too.

This culminated in the development and release of OPIT AI Copilot in 2025. This groundbreaking AI tool now provides real-time, personalized learning support, along with contextual assistance, and is available on a round-the-clock basis for students to turn to, as and when they feel the need.

6. Hackathons

2025 also saw OPIT students and faculty take more active roles in various events, including hackathons. In November, for example, OPIT got involved with the 6th edition of the ESCP Hackathon, with several students entering as developers.

This was an exciting and unique opportunity for those students to meet up in person, put the skills they’ve honed during their time at OPIT to the test in a challenging environment, and learn from one another. OPIT will surely participate in more hackathons in the years to come, so stay tuned for more details on upcoming events and how you can play your part.

7. Strengthening Collaboration

From day one, OPIT has focused on building a strong network of established technology and business partners, opening doors and providing opportunities for both education and employment for its students.

This continued throughout 2025, with OPIT strengthening its connections with a number of world-leading organizations, including Accenture, AWS, Hype, Buffetti, and more. Through events like hackathons, career fairs, and more, OPIT makes the most of its ever-expanding and increasingly impressive professional network.

8. Online Career Fair

Another big first for 2025 was the inaugural OPIT Online Career Fair, an event that was held on November 19 and 20, with more than a dozen established and emerging companies from around the world in attendance, including the likes of Deloitte, Tinexta Cyber, Datapizza, RWS Group, Planet Farms, and Nesperia Group.

The only nature of this event ensured that students all enjoyed equal access, no matter where they were based, and everyone was able to hear from industry experts and enjoy the unique array of opportunities on offer, forging their own connections and learning more about brands they might like to work with or for in the future.

9. Education Innovation

OPIT has always been about innovating, delivering newer and smarter ways to learn for students across the globe, no matter their background, budget, or social class. And the institute has continually innovated over the course of 2025, helping students learn skills and broaden their knowledge efficiently and intuitively.

As we enter 2026, OPIT’s innovation is set to be on full display once more, with no less than two new courses for new applicants to choose from: AI-Driven Software Development (Elective) and Business Intelligence and Decision Making (Elective).

10. The Power of the OPIT Community

Perhaps the crowning achievement for OPIT in 2025 was the demonstrable success of not just individual students or faculty members, but the entire OPIT community, as a whole. Everyone, from alumni to new students and seasoned staff members, played their part in the institute’s success, paving the way for more great things and major milestones in 2026 and beyond.

As OPIT Rector and former Italian Minister of Education, Francesco Profumo, puts it:

“What inspires me most is the mindset of our students: forward-looking, responsible, and driven by a desire not just to succeed, but to contribute. Their dedication reminds us why education remains one of the most powerful forces for shaping the future.”

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The Value of Hackathons
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
Jan 5, 2026 6 min read

Bring talented tech experts together, set them a challenge, and give them a deadline. Then, let them loose and watch the magic happen. That, in a nutshell, is what hackathons are all about. They’re proven to be among the most productive tech events when it comes to solving problems and accelerating innovation.

What Is a Hackathon?

Put simply, a hackathon is a short-term event – often lasting just a couple of days, or sometimes even only a matter of hours – where tech experts come together to solve a specific problem or come up with ideas based on a central theme or topic. As an example, teams might be tasked with discovering a new way to use AI in marketing or to create an app aimed at improving student life.

The term combines the words “hack” and “marathon,” due to how participants (hackers or programmers) are encouraged to work around-the-clock to create a prototype, proof-of-concept, or new solution. It’s similar to how marathon runners are encouraged to keep running, putting their skills and endurance to the test in a race to the finish line.

The Benefits of Hackathons

Hackathons provide value both for the companies that organize them and the people who take part. Companies can use them to quickly discover new ideas or overcome challenges, for example, while participants can enjoy testing their skills, innovating, networking, and working either alone or as part of a larger team.

Benefits for Companies and Sponsors

Many of the world’s biggest brands have come to rely on hackathons as ways to drive innovation and uncover new products, services, and opportunities. Meta, for example, the brand behind Facebook, has organized dozens of hackathons, some of which have led to the development of well-known Facebook features, like the “Like” button. Here’s how hackathons help companies:

  • Accelerate Innovation: In fast-moving fields like technology, companies can’t always afford to spend months or years working on new products or features. They need to be able to solve problems quickly, and hackathons create the necessary conditions to deliver rapid success.
  • Employee Development: Leading companies like Meta have started to use annual hackathons as a way to not only test their workforce’s skills but to give employees opportunities to push themselves and broaden their skill sets.
  • Internal Networking: Hackathons also double up as networking events. They give employees from different teams, departments, or branches the chance to work with and learn from one another. This, in turn, can promote or reinforce team-oriented work cultures.
  • Talent Spotting: Talents sometimes go unnoticed, but hackathons give your workforce’s hidden gems a chance to shine. They’re terrific opportunities to see who your best problem solvers and most creative thinkers at.
  • Improving Reputation: Organizing regular hackathons helps set companies apart from their competitors, demonstrating their commitment to innovation and their willingness to embrace new ideas. If you want your brand to seem more forward-thinking and innovative, embracing hackathons is a great way to go about it.

Benefits for Participants

The hackers, developers, students, engineers, and other people who take part in hackathons arguably enjoy even bigger and better benefits than the businesses behind them. These events are often invaluable when it comes to upskilling, networking, and growing, both personally and professionally. Here are some of the main benefits for participants, explained:

  • Learning and Improvement: Hackathons are golden opportunities for participants to gain knowledge and skills. They essentially force people to work together, sharing ideas, contributing to the collective, and pushing their own boundaries in pursuit of a common goal.
  • Networking: While some hackathons are purely internal, others bring together different teams or groups of people from different schools, businesses, and places around the world. This can be wonderful for forming connections with like-minded individuals.
  • Sense of Pride: Everyone feels a sense of pride after accomplishing a project or achieving a goal, but this often comes at the end of weeks or months of effort. With hackathons, participants can enjoy that same satisfying feeling after just a few hours or a couple of days of hard work.
  • Testing Oneself: A hackathon is an amazing chance to put one’s skills to the test and see what one is truly capable of when given a set goal to aim for and a deadline to meet. Many participants are surprised to see how well they respond to these conditions.
  • Boosting Skills: Hackathons provide the necessary conditions to hone and improve a range of core soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, organization, and punctuality. By the end, participants often emerge with more confidence in their abilities.

Hackathons at OPIT

The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) understands the unique value of hackathons and has played its part in sponsoring these kinds of events in the past. OPIT was one of the sponsors behind ESCPHackathon 6, for example, which involved 120 students given AI-related tasks, with mentorship and guidance from senior professionals and developers from established brands along the way.

Marco Fediuc, one of the participants, summed up the mood in his comments:

“The hackathon was a truly rewarding experience. I had the pleasure of meeting OPIT classmates and staff and getting to know them better, the chance to collaborate with brilliant minds, and the opportunity to take part in an exciting and fun event.

“Participating turned out to be very useful because I had the chance to work in a fast-paced, competitive environment, and it taught me what it means to stay calm and perform under pressure… To prospective Computer Science students, should a similar opportunity arise, I can clearly say: Don’t underestimate yourselves!”

The new year will also see the arrival of OPIT Hackathon 2026, giving more students the chance to test their skills, broaden their networks, and enjoy the one-of-a-kind experiences that these events never fail to deliver. This event is scheduled to be held February 13-15, 2026, and is open to all OPIT Bachelor’s and Master’s students, along with recent graduates. Interested parties have until February 1 to register.

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