Bringing Industry to the Classroom: Expert Conferences Connecting Students with Digital Twin Innovation
Best practices Bringing Industry to the Classroom: Expert Conferences Connecting Students with Digital Twin Innovation Users: SMEs, Training providers (public), Training providers (private), Industry | Theme: Indsustry Engagement | Action: Education programmes/courses | Beneficiaries: SMEs | Labour force (employed) DIGITWIN4CIUEDIGITWIN4CIUE Beatriz Martin Bautista Cerro DIGITWIN4CIUE, through the European Center of Excellence in Digitalization of Infrastructures and Cities, offers an Executive Master’s in Digital Twins for Infrastructures and Cities. This program features a flexible academic structure, attracting professionals from various disciplines in the built environment industry.Designed for professionals and engineers passionate about digital transformation in civil engineering, smart cities, and related fields, our program provides comprehensive training in key digital technologies for digital twins in infrastructures. It equips participants with the ability to conceive and develop digital twins to tackle specific challenges in infrastructure planning, design, construction, operation, and management, while also fostering the skills needed to identify business opportunities arising from digital twin technology.The Joint Institutional Executive Master diploma is issued by three of Europe’s top engineering universities: UPM (Spain), ENPC (France), BME (Hungary) and ITU (Turkey). The challenge? How can we ensure that students not only learn about Digital Twins in class but also engage with cutting-edge innovation, industry advancements, and real-world applications?Creating direct connections between students, researchers, and professionals is key to fostering career opportunities, expanding networks, and shaping a future-ready workforce. Our solution To bridge this gap, we established a structured series of expert-led conferences throughout the academic year. These sessions take place every two weeks in both online and in-person formats and are hosted across the five partner universities delivering the master’s program.Through this initiative, students benefit from continuous exposure to industry leaders, researchers, and professionals, allowing them to:• Engage directly with key players in the field• Gain insights into the latest advancements in Digital Twin technology• Participate in discussions that link academic learning with real industry needs Outcomes This initiative fosters a growth-focused learning environment, where students exchange knowledge beyond exams and assessments—driven by curiosity and professional development.Additionally, the in-person conferences enhance networking opportunities, giving students the chance to interact first-hand with guest speakers during dedicated networking sessions. These moments are crucial for establishing connections, exploring career paths, and sparking future collaborations in the rapidly evolving Digital Twin ecosystem. Key takeaways ‘Structured & Recurring Industry Engagement: Organizing expert-led conferences every two weeks ensures continuous exposure to industry leaders and real-world applications, keeping students engaged with cutting-edge advancements.Bridging Academia & Industry: Direct interaction with industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers aligns academic learning with market needs, enhancing career readiness and professional development.Networking & Career Development: Dedicated networking sessions provide students with valuable opportunities to connect with professionals, explore career paths, and foster collaborations in the Digital Twin ecosystem. Learn more here
DIS4SME: Fostering Skills in Location Data Interoperability for the Digital Transformation of SMEs
Best practices Fostering Skills in Location Data Interoperability for the Digital Transformation of SMEs Users: Training providers (public) | Training providers (private) | SMEs | Theme: Programme development | Action: Education programmes/courses | Beneficiaries: SMEs | Labour force (employed) DIS4SMEdis4sme.eu Mayte Toscano The Level “Digital transformation and data interoperability are fundamental pillars of the European Union’s strategy for global competitiveness. The European Data Strategy and the European Digital Strategy seek to create a single market for data, promoting digital sovereignty, accessibility to open data and cross-border cooperation in key sectors such as mobility, agriculture and urban planning.At a legislative level, the EU has adopted several key regulations to ensure secure and equitable access to data: Data Governance Act (DGA): mechanisms to improve the availability of data and regulates the reuse of sensitive public data. Data Act (Data Act): equitable access and use of data generated in the EU, promoting interoperability and innovation. INSPIRE Directive: legal framework for interoperability and accessibility of geospatial data. European Common Data Spaces: data exchange platforms in key sectors. In this framework, location data plays a fundamental role in urban planning, mobility, agriculture and other key sectors. However, SMEs still find it difficult to benefit from these initiatives due to a lack of training and adequate resources. The challenge? Despite the solid regulatory framework and the opportunities offered by the data economy, many European SMEs face significant barriers to the adoption of interoperable solutions: Lack of knowledge and technical skills Lack of awareness of European open data and location standards (INSPIRE, OGC, ISO) or how to apply them Disconnect between regulations and business adoption Lack of alignment between national and European regulations Fragmentation in data governance Complex administrative procedures Resource, money and time constraints According to reports from the OECD and the European Commission, the digital divide between large companies and SMEs is growing, with many small businesses lagging behind in terms of access to and use of digital technologies. Our solution DIS4SME has developed a comprehensive approach based on: Programmes of specific training in location data interoperability, with different modules for managers and technicians. These courses, aimed at managers, technicians and job seekers, cover topics such as: Mobile food market Digital agriculture Social monitoring of road conditions 3D, BIM, Digital Twins for urban planning Learning strategies adapted, with short courses, interactive seminars and digital platforms that allow flexible access to the content. Collaboration with digital innovation hubs to promote synergies between companies, institutions and regulatory bodies. Sector-specific business cases, addressing interoperability in strategic sectors such as precision agriculture, smart mobility and urban planning. Outcomes Development of a curriculum based on 30 Horizontal Learning Outcomes: This structured set of training objectives has made it possible to adapt the content to the specific needs of both managers and technicians in SMEs, guaranteeing the coherence and scalability of the programme. The use of e-learning modules, video tutorials, webinars and practical workshops has provided flexible and accessible training, adapted to the different profiles and availability of SMEs. The initiative has fostered the creation of synergies between SMEs, digital innovation hubs and public bodies, promoting the exchange of knowledge and the adoption of best practices. The bottom-up methodology, based on gathering feedback from participants, has allowed the training content to be refined and optimised, ensuring that the educational offering adjusts to the real demands of the business environment. SMEs have been strengthened to face the challenges of digital transformation, facilitating their integration into the European market and the adoption of solutions based on open data. Key takeaways Adaptability of the training approach: The model of short, modular courses with flexible access allows managers, technicians and job seekers to acquire knowledge without interrupting their daily responsibilities. Public-private collaboration: The participation of digital innovation hubs, regulatory bodies and SMEs has been key to ensuring that the courses respond to the real needs of the sector. Use of open standards: Incorporating standards such as INSPIRE, OGC and ISO facilitates data interoperability and ensures that SMEs can integrate into the digital economy without relying on proprietary solutions. Focus on strategic sectors: Designing courses around real business cases (digital agriculture, mobility, urban planning) makes learning applicable and replicable in different industries. Scalability and replicability: The model can be expanded to other sectors and European countries, adapting to different levels of knowledge and the specific needs of SMEs. 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Codesign for Cutting-Edge Digital Skills – The ACHIEVE Model
The ACHIEVE project serves as a best practice example of how collaborative codesign between academia and industry can revolutionize digital education.
SME involvement in master’s programme design: development of engagement models
Best practices SME involvment in master’s programme design: development of engagement models Users: Training Providers (Public) | Theme: Industry Engagement | Action: Education Programmes/Courses | Beneficiaries: Training Providers (Public), Training Providers (Private) AI and Health aiandhealth.eu Baran Bayindir, CEO, Smart Lab Partner AI and Health offers a double master’s degree across France, Spain, Italy, and Sweden, integrating AI technologies into healthcare, biology and medicine. To ensure the quality and relevance of the content in such a dynamic field requires the involvement of domain experts and key industry actors. These actors can provide links to the latest advancements in the field and real-life use case that can be incorporated in the curriculum. The challenge? A key challenge in the AI and Health programme was ensuring the early involvement of skilled talent and SMEs in the programme design. Delays in engaging industry actors hindered the ability to establish necessary operational steps and align academic content with real-world industry needs. Without early planning, maintaining SME participation and ensuring long-term programme effectiveness became difficult. Our solution Hands-on Training with Industry Experts: SMEs were actively involved in course creation, and industry professionals were integrated into the training staff, ensuring that content remained relevant to real-world applications in AI and healthcare. Integrated Micro-Credentials & Digital Certification: The programme was designed around micro-credentials and digital certification systems, enhancing industry recognition and promoting professional participation. Key takeaways Raise Awareness Through Events: Regularly host collaborative events bringing together academia and industry, in order to promote cross-sector engagement and help align academic programmes with industry needs. Prepare Engagement Models in Advance: Develop structured SME engagement models that introduce companies to study courses early. Allowing for better integration of industry requirements into the programme. Learn more here Submit your practice Case Summary– Context: Fit4internet is a non-profit initiative aimed at enhancing digital literacy across Austria. By using the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp AT), which identifies key components of digital competencies and aligns with European standards, Fit4internet helps individuals showcase their digital skills. The Fit4internet platform offers a way to track and prove digital competencies, helping with employability and ensuring that the Austrian workforce has the necessary ICT skills to meet market demands. Through the digital skills profile platform, the initiative supports both individual growth and the development of a digitally capable society. Challenge: The challenge faced is managing proof of competencies acquired through various learning methods, including formal education, non-formal training, and informal certifications, which can lead to inconsistent records. Securing sustainable funding to support the continuous development of new digital competencies, ensuring that programs remain up-to-date with evolving market needs. The second main challenge was fostering broad participation and engagement, especially among groups who may lack access to digital tools or education. Identified Approach / Solution: The Fit4internet platform provides a centralised, user-friendly system to manage and showcase digital competencies, aligning with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Through this platform, individuals can track and showcase their digital skills, making it easier for employers, educators, and organisations to assess their talent. The platform allows users to create an e-portfolio that showcases their digital skills, with the option to share it through a link or as a PDF. This portfolio highlights the digital competencies that a user has acquired, linked to their certificates. These certificates can be formal, non-formal, or informal. The platform also supports the generation of a digital skills profile that showcases the user’s acquired skills. Users earn digital badges as a visual representation of their skills. This allows them to continue with their learning journey, while showing off their competencies to others. Outcomes: Key takeaways: Fit4internet engage multiple stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to develop holistic and relevant digital competency frameworks. They also use widely applied frameworks to measure skills gaps, enabling better planning for individuals and institutions. By doing this they improve reinsertion rates into the labor force by addressing individuals digital skill gaps and aligning them with market needs. This benefits companies by providing clear insights into the skillsets that are being developed and that are available in the workforce.
Leveraging flexible approaches and platforms for SME engagement in master’s programme design
DIGITWIN4CIEU offers a master’s degree across Spain, France, Hungary, and Turkey, equiping civil engineers with digital skill’s for the industry’s transformation. The quality and relevance of the content is largely ensured due to the industry and academic experts from SMEs and universities that have collaborated in the development of this masters.
Incorporating automated tools and analysis in master’s programme design
MERIT is developing master’s degrees and short-term with the participation of NGOs, non-profits, research organisations, companies and SMEs. These are delivered by technical universities across Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Italy and Spain.
Courses in domains such as AI, cybersecurity and IoT become quickly outdated and projects like MERIT need resilient methods for easily building new content. Establishing an intangible infrastructure which allows for this is key to the project’s sustainability.
Industry-oriented hackathon to drive SME involvement in master programme design
MERIT is developing master’s degrees and short-term courses in AI, cybersecurity and IoT, with the participation of NGOs, non-profits, research organisations, companies and SMEs. These are delivered by technical universities across Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Italy and Spain.
Having consistent, hands-on engagement from industry is fundamental to the project’s operational model and objectives.
Framework for competency-based evaluation of students in higher education
Designing content in higher education is often associated with a lack of agility. Universities create fixed curricula, following rigid schedules, which do not match market dynamics, but rather limit their adaptability to rapidly evolving digital skills requirements
MERIT has the task of creating an educational ecosystem, spanning across Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Italy and Spain to train digital specialists and improve the evaluation of different students or courses by matching study programmes to the skills produced.