Development of a Monitoring system for VET centres to analyse and apply those Innovative Materials to be used in the WOOD and furniture sector. Implementation of innovative practices in the field of Vocational Education and Training. Erasmus Project

Project Title

Development of a Monitoring system for VET centres to analyse and apply those Innovative Materials to be used in the WOOD and furniture sector. Implementation of innovative practices in the field of Vocational Education and Training.

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Research and innovation; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

MIMwood [Development of a Monitoring system for VET centres to analyse and apply those Innovative Materials to be used in the WOOD and furniture sector] stemmed from the detection of actual needs from the Intellectual Output O4 of a previous Erasmus+ project: FUNES – Furniture New European Skills 2020 (2014-1-ES01-KA202-004883, www.funesproject.eu. One of the identified skills was the lack of knowledge of new materials and their application in the wood and furniture industry (composites, plastics and materials with different properties than those that the wood and its derivatives possess).
Hence, MIMwood has developed a METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE to promote its implementation in the VET centres, a TECHNOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM and a COMPUTERIZED DATABASE in specific innovative materials for the wood and furniture sector. This online tool leads to generate new skills for lifelong learning, forcing a constant and continuous update (C-VET linked) of the teachers and students of vocational training, on properties and specific characteristics of innovative materials that can be used in manufacturing; as well as those aspects that allow determining its applicability in the development of new products. It also facilitates the incorporation of new training content in the VET centres curricula, by providing innovation in the creation of new products and solutions. In addition, this database is a LIVING and DYNAMIC tool that must be maintained and updated both by partners of the project in a parallel way to the evolution of the material trends in the productive wood and furniture sector.
As regards the partnership, seven multidisciplinary participants from five different countries that create altogether an initiative with synergy ambitiously compose it: AIDIMME (Spain) and Wood.be, (Belgium) which are Technology Institutes specialised in the wood and furniture sector, specialisation that also shares with FederlegnoArredo (Italy), focused on the wood sector, and being the National Business Association with training activities; Vocational Education and Training Centres, such as CIP FP Catarroja (Spain), CFPIMM (Portugal); GMIT (Ireland) and WOODWIZE (Belgium). Thereupon, these activities has been carried out: 1.Open educational methodological guide on technological surveillance, 2. Computerized database, 3. Training course / case study for receiving feedback and assessment, 4-Staff training to apply the concepts that have been collected in the methodological guide on the use of the developed computerized database in order to obtain a final report with a list of innovative materials. The impact envisaged has been multiple. The development of this project provides a valuable tool to the innovative solutions to businesses. In addition, it generates a mentality and ability of innovation among teachers in VET centres and students of these schools.
As results or impacts of the project, we can say that the VET centres participating in the project have implemented the results. The centres have set up a dedicated space to showcase new and innovative materials in their library building; included continuous assessment topics related to new and innovative materials with the students which have helped to increase their awareness of these kinds of materials; made links between the partners on the project that we would otherwise not have made and will collaborate further in the future; developed a new module in their programmes focusing on new and innovative materials called advanced materials and sustainability (such as GMIT); developed networks within Europe with materials libraries and research institutions (RTOs) and developed relationships with new materials suppliers through data-gathering exercise. MIMWOOD Platform is being used by all the teachers and students in training courses, as a very important tool to know more about materials, mainly innovative materials.
The purposely-elaborated database and the training material are invaluable tools to develop and improve in the VET centres an innovative mentality, and promote the research and the innovation to elaborate prototypes using innovative materials in the future.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 161564 Eur

Project Coordinator

INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO METALMECANICO, MUEBLE, MADERA, EMBALAJE Y AFINES-AIDIMME & Country: ES

Project Partners

• FEDERLEGNOARREDO
• CENTRE INTEGRAT PÚBLIC DE FORMACIÓ PROFESSIONAL – CATARROJA
• Centre Technique de l’Industrie du Bois – Technisch Centrum der Houtnijverheid
• Stichting Hout- en Meubileringscollege
• Woodwize
• Centro de Formação Profissional das Indústrias da Madeira e Mobiliário
• GALWAY-MAYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY