Activity Purpose

This project aims to enhance the innovation potential of the participating EIT RIS countries by changing the educational scheme, boosting “soft” and “digital” skills. New technologies and business models under the concept of I4.0 change the future of industry. Human work will be adjusted to the need for “soft skills” such as complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, etc. Companies that invest in digitalization search for new professional profiles.

ManuLearn targets advanced technologies along the lines of cognitive and physical load reduction. The overall framework aims to boost soft and digital skills of students, researchers and engineers, and support gender balance within the manufacturing sector. Recent studies show that the gender gap is evident in manufacturing. Statistical figures highlight the need for empowering women enrolment in manufacturing (28.4 % female workers in Spain, 39 % in Greece, 39 % in Czech Republic).

The key objective is to present “hidden women in technology”, show success stories, empower women to seek for a professional career within manufacturing, strengthen gender equality in the labor market and women leadership.

The activity aims to offer a Learning Model where students, researchers and companies can work together to share good practices and experiences by jointly applying in practice solutions to industrial manufacturing challenges. Part of this model are Teaching (TF) and Learning Factories (LF) that focus both on students’ and employees’ industrial learning needs.

The model through TF will provide industrial-based teaching & training to engineering students and provide examples of novel engineering solutions to enterprises (SMEs, mid-caps and LEs). Solutions can be generated either by academia (applied research results) or by industry (best practices and success stories). The consortium will implement outreach activities in other EIT RIS countries, extending the expected impact.

 

Outcomes

  1. Learning Model Framework & action plan
  2. Enhance ICT tools for TF developed
  3. Learning & training capabilities demonstrated in 4 countries will tackle RIS weakness related to low proportion of high skills professional profiles in companies.
  4. An open-access database will contain methodology, reports and best practices, and serve as examples for setting up additional TFs / LFs in other EIT RIS countries, with no EIT presence
  5. Raised interest and awareness of TF/ LF using GLP in 4 countries.
  6. TFs, LFs, webinars and workshops targeting at the involvement of students & professionals.
  7. Address digital skills (data analytics, programming etc) & soft skills (emotional intelligence, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, creativity, teamwork etc).
  8. Develop 5 digital nuggets

 

Objectives

  1. Enhance ManuLearn impact by widening the scope of the project to soft and digital skills, & promote gender balance (women operators / engineers / managers).
  2. Broaden the number of participants and raise awareness by increasing the target of individuals by 100 % compared to ManuLearn 2020 target.
  3. Attract the interest and raise awareness of Academia about educational activities such as TF/ LF, tailored to industrial needs.
  4. Communication and knowledge exchange between industry and academia.
  5. Increase cooperation in knowledge transfer between Education Providers and Companies.
  6. Provide benefit to Academia – build up students / researchers’ skills to become professionals and Increase their employability.
  7. Provide benefit to Industry – develop operators / engineers’ skills to stay competitive in their role.
  8. Provide better industrial orientation in the academic R&D.
  9. Boost the cooperation between Academia and Industry, as well as social and economic development of the regions.