Boosting a novel and innovative tRAining approaCh of Key Enabling Technologies Erasmus Project

Project Title

Boosting a novel and innovative tRAining approaCh of Key Enabling Technologies

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Research and innovation; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Key Enabling Technologies (hereafter “KETs”) are the technologies that enable process, goods and service innovation throughout the economy. KETs currently include Micro-/Nanoelectronics, Nanotechnology, Photonics, Advanced Materials, Industrial Biotechnology and Advanced Materials. All these technologies are knowledge-intensive and associated with high R&D intensity, rapid innovation cycles, high capital expenditure and highly skilled employment. KETs have the potential for application in all sectors and industries, including aeronautics, automotive, engineering, chemicals, textiles, space, construction, healthcare and agriculture. KETs are the “technology building blocks” behind a wide range of innovations, such as 3D printers, LED lighting, advanced robotics, bio-based products, smart phones, nanodrugs, smart textiles, etc.
KETs have become a priority in European industry policies in order to accelerate the exploitation processes of these technologies within the European Union (EU) and foster growth in the industrial and working fields. Thus, the Commission is working towards several initiatives as part of the strategy to increase the KETs deployment activities. However, one of the major weakness of Europe lies in ability to transfer the knowledge base into specific goods and services. Stakeholders report a gap between the skills that are supplied by educational institutions and the skills that are actually required by industry. The current educational programmes focus mainly on technical skills, while professionals involved in KETs need to demonstrate an adaptive blend of both technical and non-technical skills, such as entrepreneurial skills, financing, team work, etc.
Consequently, the main objective of this project was to transfer KETs to Vocational Education and Training (VET) through the development of innovative and open learning content in terms of KETs. High capacities cannot be developed and implemented in the markets if students and workers do not have the necessary competences and/or skills, both technical related to chemistry, computer sciences, etc., and non-technical skills, such as entrepreneurship, innovation, team work etc.
For that purpose, BRACKET brought together a Consortium with different organizations and associations that include KETs experts, companies, universities and research centres with experience in the subject of KETs and Education. Consortium decided to focus the effort in three KETs – are nanotechnology, biotechnology and advanced materials – in order to guarantee a more detailed content.
Key results implemented through the project partners are:
– Developed study and analyse of the incoming trends regarding KETs and competences necessary to foster its implementation and work in VET.
– Developed Joint Curriculum (JCV) for developing and fostering new skills for VET students (initial or continued VET) with the participation of stakeholders, experts and universities with experience in these enabling technologies as well as in non-technical skills.
– Developed training content divided to five key areas: 1. Introduction on Key Enabling Technologies; 2. Nanotechnology; 3. Biotechnology; 4. Advanced Materials; 5. Innovation Regarding Key Enabling Technologies, as well as the training modules: lecturing materials, presentations, videos, etc.
– The partners developed the training content in English and translated it into all the Consortium languages.
– Parallelly to the development of the training material, the e-learning platform was designed and implemented according to the training path and the learner’s necessities and then, all content was successfully integrated.
– Developed functional collaborative platform – OER platform which is protected under open license Creative Commons with the “Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license”.
– All the training contents were discussed and agreed through 6 translational meetings which were held every six months organised by different partners. Three meetings were held live and three online due to COVID restrictions.
– 7 multiplier events were organized and conducted – some were held in small groups, some online, where e-learning contents and collaborative platforms were presented to potential interested users from industry, educational institutions, etc.

All these activities have aroused considerable interest from various target users, and in the long run will have a positive impact to break boundaries among VET students, workers and experts in KETs, to create new job opportunities for people with the necessary skills in the field of KETs and to foster a sustainable and innovative development.

Project Website

http://bracket.erasmus.site/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 256414 Eur

Project Coordinator

INSTITUT ZA RAZVOJ I MEDUNARODNE ODNOSE & Country: HR

Project Partners

• PANEPISTIMIO THESSALIAS
• INNORENEW COE CENTER ODLICNOSTI ZA RAZISKAVE IN INOVACIJE NA PODROCJU OBNOVLJIVIH MATERIALOV IN ZDRAVEGA BIVANJSKEGA OKOLJA
• LJUDSKA UNIVERZA, ZAVOD ZA IZOBRAZEVANJE IN KULTURO, ROGASKA SLATINA
• ASOCIACION EMPRESARIAL DE INVESTIGACION CENTRO TECNOLOGICO DEL MUEBLEY LA MADERA DE LA REGION DE MURCIA
• DANMAR COMPUTERS SP ZOO
• BIEDRIBA EUROFORTIS