Development of an online resource to train enterprises with the final objective to foster them into Environmental Technology Verification Erasmus Project

Project Title

Development of an online resource to train enterprises with the final objective to foster them into Environmental Technology Verification

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Research and innovation; Environment and climate change; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Europe faces a range of environmental challenges that will impact on its future prosperity. Europe leads in innovative environmental technologies (ET) which can provide solutions while also increasing EU competitiveness. Breaking into the market with innovations can be a significant problem because innovations, by definition, cannot show a successful track-record. Without credible information about innovative technologies, potential buyers are unsure whether to trust the claims made about their performance.

In 2011, the European Commission with seven Member States [1] intended to launch a solution to address this problem: Environmental Technology Verification (ETV). [2] ETV provides for third-party verification of the performance claims made by technology manufacturers in business- to-business relations. By issuing a Statement of Verification, which is the product of a successful ETV process, ETV provides credible information on new technologies. Market access for innovative ET is thus significantly enhanced while the technological risk for technology purchasers (whether private or public) is greatly reduced.

The ETV4INNOVATION Eco-Innovative partnership comprising six partners from five European countries (Ireland, Spain, France, Bulgaria, Denmark, and Poland)

The objective of the partnership was to design and develop an e-learning training course filling ETV-related knowledge gaps for current and future managers and workers in technological sectors.

To this end, the ETV4INNOVATION partnership defined and reached the following specific objectives (SO):
SO1. Identify the knowledge gaps inherent in organizations
SO2. Design and develop a Joint Curriculum (JCV)
SO3. Deliver the JCV via an e-learning Open Educational Resource (OER) Platform that is protected under open licensing.
SO4. Bridge the divides across SMEs, large companies, and experts in ETV, creating common procedures and skills.
SO5. Equip enterprises with appropriate skills and knowledge for current and future ETV verification by fostering a sustainable technology process.
SO6. Raise awareness of current environmental issues and the need to carry out sustainable development and establish more environmentally-friendly and respectful practices.

To achieve these objectives the partnership carried out the following activities:
– Comparative analysis and evidence-gathering of examples of good practice, and case-studies of previously performed successful ETV. enabling the identification of the required skills and competences in the tech sectors and thus facilitate successful applications for the ETV process.
– Development of a Joint Curriculum with the integration of different learning modes and innovative approaches.
– The creation of learning and training materials together with methods, pedagogical approaches, tools, and methodologies.
– The implementation of a training and collaborative e-learning platform that ensures the delivery of all the developed materials.

The partnership worked fostering modernization and knowledge expansion aligned to the needs and opportunities offered by the increasing number of new eco-technologies developers in the fields of water treatment, energy technologies, materials, and waste. In addition, ETV4INNOVATION extended the ETV process to additional European Countries, with the involvement of the different stakeholders and target groups identified.

The project carried out its own assessment and a wide dissemination strategy to communicate its results to as many interested parties as possible. ETV4INNOVATION also addressed transversal skills, such as entrepreneurship, green skills, and digital competences.

Regarding the longer-term benefits of ETV4INNOVATION:
– ETV4INNOVATION will increase the labor market relevance of Vocational and Educational Training (VET) provision and will reduce skills mismatches and shortages among the identified target groups (proposer or technology manufacturers, national accreditation bodies, verification bodies, testing bodies, analytical laboratories, and research centers, etc.)
– The results will consolidate the education and training paths of workers by equipping them with the necessary skills and competences to develop a robust career in the target sectors (technological fields).

[1] As of October 2010, the participating Member States are: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Poland and the United Kingdom.
[2] http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecoap/etv_en

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 296820,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

INVENTYA VENTURES (EU) LIMITED & Country: IE

Project Partners

• PurFil ApS
• CLUSTER ZELENA SINERGIYA
• INSTITUT NATIONAL POLYTECHNIQUE DE TOULOUSE
• INSTYTUT TECHNOLOGICZNO-PRZYRODNICZY
• ASOCIACION EMPRESARIAL DE INVESTIGACION CENTRO TECNOLOGICO DEL MUEBLEY LA MADERA DE LA REGION DE MURCIA