The Processes and Products Innovation Master (M2PI) project aims to design the joint international Product and Process Innovation master (MI2P), among three european HEIs: Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB), Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Hanze) and Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT).The Product and Process innovation master programme is targeted at an interdisciplinary group of professionals with technical, scientific and artistic backgrounds. The participants will be trained to generate opportunities in process and product development and will be enabled to turn them into innovative solutions. The focus will be on sustainability and regional impact within local and global ecosystems. The master aims to facilitate startup leaders and intrapreneurs to create new business and cultural solutions in collaboration with partners in Higher Education and other external stakeholders.The M2PI project aims to bring together a team of professors and researchers from the three partners HEIs, together with the associated partners and work towards the course structure and content, the policy, rules and procedures definition for mobility, student recruitment and support services, the creation of the M2PI teacher community and the M2PI ecosystem, bringing together professors, facilitators/ mentors, researchers and stakeholders. By the end of the project the three partner HEI’s intend to submit to national accreditation agencies the new master for accreditation.The project is led by IPB who will be responsible for coordinating the joint administrative and financial management by the consortium.

<< Background >>The OECD published recently “Higher Education to 2030”, two volumes focusing the future challenges for higher education: demographics and globalization, both related to the potential of digital transformation and the urgent need to implement innovative learning and teaching practices. Higher Education to 2030 discusses trends and prospects regarding changes in the population of students (demographics, inclusion of people with disabilities, migration and gender equality), academic teaching staff and graduates in higher education in OECD countries, particularly the link between these demographic changes and higher education policy, and on the academic teaching profession. OECD reassures that higher education institutions need to create synergic consortiums to better face the new reality and reduce inequalities in access and participation, the diversity of paths, provision and institutions in higher education, the possible social marginalisation of those persons least educated, building inclusive higher education systems, but also consider the need to rethink the role of the academic profession, stimulating innovative learning and teaching practices.Higher education drives and is driven by globalisation. It trains the future talents, with the young generation of graduates, but also the highly skilled workers (LLL)and contributes to the research base and capacity for innovation that determine competitiveness in the knowledge-based global society. Knowledge has no borders, and higher education plays a central role in facilitating international collaboration and cross-cultural exchange. Cross-border flows of ideas, students, teachers, researchers and external stakeholders, coupled with developments in information and communication technology, are changing the environment where higher education institutions function. Co-operation and competition are intensifying simultaneously under the growing influence of market forces and the emergence of new players, HEIs and teachers need to be prepared to continue leading this path. Digitalization and innovative learning and teaching practices, as well as inclusive higher education systems need to be reinforced ensuring HEIs ability to answer the society needs and challenges.The OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) has been focusing the “openness” movement on higher education. Globally HEIs are confronted with the increase in open forms of educational delivery, as IT and the availability of educational tools and offers via the Internet are changing the meaning and the method of knowledge distribution and how and where learning happens. Open higher education includes various phenomena: open educational resources, open access and enrolments, open universities, open degrees, open data, open science, etc. The concept of openness thus is expanding from content-oriented resources to cover the entire educational and learning process.The impact of these new innovative practices in education and learning on higher education institutions might be very significant, if not only the tool is changed, but also the concept, methodology and objective of teacher practice. Innovative learning and teaching practices and the open higher education approach it definitely will be a game changer in higher education. Innovative learning and teaching practices should address societal challenges, offering a support for an approach focusing learning outcomes and student-centred courses and curriculum, better answering the needs of students and reducing skills mismatches between HEIs, students, graduated and the market. In such a way HEI will assume relevance for the community, regional economy and global market. Several international policy makers have already stressed the need for HEIs to develop, test and implement flexible learning pathways.<< Objectives >>This project will develop a digital future challenge-based learning joint programme designed within an innovative and flexible academic structure and framework: multi-disciplinary, cross-sectoral and future skills-oriented modules (micro credentials), new curricula and learning pathways, that include digital literacy and prior knowledge recognition models.<< Implementation >>Innovative projects will be developed and implemented, together with stakeholders (in a total of 180 engagements), to address local and global societal challenges. The approach will strengthen interaction and engagement among education, research and innovation, with a positive effect on communities, ultimately leading to sustainable economic growth in the post pandemic reality.Transnational, collective learning and research are the pillars of the innovative pedagogy for the multidisciplinary cocreation knowledge-creating teams where participants acquire the future skills for and produce innovation, societal impact and valorisation, with methodologies from the Educational Design Research and Design Thinking, adapted to the digital learning. The learning programmes and individual learning trajectories will have four layers: Expert knowledge; Expert course modules (flexible learning paths: prior knowledge recognition and micro-credentials); One Joint course (flexible learning paths; 150 students); Collective learning and research (Knowledge co-creation teams; 150 people involved). The project does not use one solution fits all approach, instead guides de learner in defining their own path, in this sense is open to engage all types of learners from 18 to 81: students, citizens, researchers, employees, civil servants, as long as driven in developing their digital, 21st skills and transformational competences. Each learner will have the opportunity to select the modules (micro-credentials) more adapted to their learning objectives. Prior (formal or informal) knowledge and skills will be recognized and certified by the consortium HEI’s and knowledge gaps filled in with flexible modules, that will lead to micro credentials. The partner HEIs already have some previous test beds with learning contexts that bring together learners with different profiles, and the results are exciting. DIFUCH will expand these experiences to an international, digital context.The curriculum will consist of flexible modules, based on transnational, cross and multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches, integrating innovative digital adapted pedagogies. Each module may award the learner with micro-credential.Students will be able to customize their choice of where and what to study within the confines of pedagogically sound and logically structured programmes.Digital learning spaces will be created, integrated in a common virtual, inclusive, open, social, fluid and agile campus, that is not segregated from the internet, other virtual platforms, social media and streaming channels used by students, but instead enables easy communication with those. Embracing technology as a variety of tools to build the innovative virtual campus is essential to guarantee they are updated and attractive to younger generations, with the ultimate goal of creating unique learning experiences. The virtual Campus will facilitate learning, implementing new models for engaged, collaborative learning in an inspiring and gamified 3D online campus (1000 users and 200 Students actively participating in training).<< Results >>This partnership will achieve as expected results: 1. promote cooperation between regional authorities and contribute to the European value creation addressing the grand societal challenges (180 stakeholder engagements (E1 and E2)).; 2. establish a digital and inclusive campus where students, teachers, researchers, and staff collaborate virtually, to co-create relevant innovative solutions; 3. Design a curriculum for digital learning that foregrounds innovation, builds a strong sense of European identity, and stimulates civic engagement (150 students); 4. Design, test and implement a framework of new educational methods for digital future challenge learning, in a co-creation setting (150 students); 5. Promote virtual mobility of students (n=600) and staff (n=30), building a pan-European learning community; 6. Integrate multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches in the educational and research systems aiming to establish engaged inter-university knowledge creation teams working together on societal problems; 7. Engage HEIs in the regional and European transition processes to the future-ready economy, building an inter-regional innovation academy to identify, analyse, and address existing and emerging challenges.The partnership expects longer term benefits, either with sustainable long lasting joint digital and blended study programme to be implemented with the digital future challenge learning methodology; increased mobility within partner institutions in particular virtual mobility as a future driven, ecological way of being mobile. The long-term sustainability is guaranteed by the materials, toolbar and platforms developed being available after the end of the project, and in the DIFUCH virtual collaborative campus as main repository and information sharing, which will grow continuously and collaboratively.

<< Background >>According to the recently published European Digital Education Action Plan (2021-20217), “digital transformation has transformed society and the economy with an ever-deepening impact on everyday life. However, until the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on education and training was much more limited.” The cooperation partnership that the IGNITION project aspires to initiate, identifies equal urgency and needs as established by the European Digital Education Action Plan: fostering the development of a high-performing digital education ecosystem and enhancing digital skills and competences for the digital transformation (2021-2027). IGNITION partners experience that the accelerated digital transformation has a high impact on their teaching staff, students, and life-long learners, as well as on the external parties from the regional ecosystem of innovation they collaborate with. All these target audiences are challenged to keep up with digitalization and avoid exclusion from digital environments as well as the labor force and society. HEIs play a vital role in the development of people, facilitating their academic, professional, and personal growth with innovative pedagogies that aim to develop professional, future proof and digital skills. HEIs also play a vital role in regional development through joint research and innovation activities with regional companies and other public or social organisations. These external parties concur increasingly to HEIs in search of ways to tackle complex problems and to explore innovative solutions for challenges in domains like health, climate, mobility, energy, or digital transformation itself. The development of regional engaged HEIs nurtures, in turn, educational programs with real life challenges where students have the possibility to learn complex problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, leadership, digital literacy, and other relevant skills in direct interaction with external parties. In this context, collaboration stands out as the crucial human process which occupies, through innovative pedagogies like challenge-based learning (CB), an increasing part of the learning processes. because of the growing intertwining between higher education and practice orientated research following the Quintuple Helix innovation model. The abrupt shift to digital learning environments due to Covid19 contributed to a boost of educational technology with (re)new(ed) tools and platforms, many of them pursuing to enable collaborative learning that facilitates challenge-based innovation with multiple stakeholders. The large-scale delivery of online education made clear that many teachers had difficulties in adapting and felt ill-equipped regarding their digital skills, whilst others with more digital competences emerged as facilitating peers. Students and long-life learners in full and part time educational programs experienced difficulties too, not only regarding digital competences but also on how to engage with multiple stakeholders in collaborative learning settings going online. Collaboration with external stakeholders, particularly micro companies, and self-employed professionals, was also put on hold because of remote work, and barriers to access HEIs infrastructures and programs for them were experienced higher. The accelerated digital shift has shown the urge to enhance digital literacy and inclusion of HEIs and the innovation ecosystem they engage with for collaboration and innovation. The needs that IGNITION plan to address include the development of a shared vision and agenda for digital literacy and inclusion; the increase in awareness and competence development in digital literacy and innovative pedagogies, methods, and digital tools; the inclusion of digital less skilled people of target audiences; and the need to learn with and from each other and share experiences.<< Objectives >>The needs that IGNITION plan to address align with the priorities of earlier mentioned European Digital Education Action Plan and in the context of digital transformation taking place at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the innovation ecosystem they engage in. Therefore, IGNITION main goal is to strengthen project partners in their efforts to enhance the digital literacy of teaching staff, students, and the external parties they collaborate and engage with through innovative pedagogies like challenge-based learning (CBL). Partners aim to create an European Digital Literacy Coalition for Inclusion, Collaboration and Innovation enabling involved HEIs to focus on their challenges of digital transformation at the pace of the parallel processes of developing and offering innovative future proof education, with collaboration being a core process as a result of their regional engagement. Partners aim to do that by developing a shared vision and agenda for digital literacy and inclusion; increasing awareness of and competence development in digital literacy of the target audience - teachers and educators, students and life-long learners, and external micro companies and self-employed professionals -; co-create innovative pedagogies and develop and test methods, tools and platforms for digital collaborative learning; and learn from and with each other through a European Teachers’ Community of Practice, whilst strengthening their interconnected higher education systems and ignite change and digital transformation in their organisations and those of the regional ecosystem of innovation they are engaged with. Partners theory of change is that through IGNITION, partners can improve the abilities of the target audience to understand, deal with and deploy digital technologies; critically assess the digital environments, information, and media they use and create; continue to develop and engage with innovative teaching and collaborative learning practices; and become responsible, confident digital and global citizens.<< Implementation >>Partners will start IGNITION by gathering experiences and information that will help to establish a shared vision on digital literacy and inclusion at HEIs. The resulting Digital Literacy Framework and Agenda will support them in developing and prioritizing the activities for the Teachers Community of Practice and the Digital Challenge and Innovation Learning Lab. Furthermore, partners will co-design an Online Self-assessment Tool that will rely heavily on the European Framework for the Digital Competences of Educators, DigCompEdu, aimed at raising awareness and knowledge about the digital literacy needs of people in all target audiences and will be employed in the two learning, teaching and training activities (C1 and C2) that IGNITION plans to implement at IGNITION Teachers Community of Practice (IO3) and the Digital Challenge and Innovation Learning Lab (IO4). The activities of the Teachers Community of Practice include the co-design of teaching and learning activities to train teachers in providing their lessons with digital environments and tools, as well as teaching activities for educators who teach their students and life-long learners in digital literacy for inclusion. Teachers of participating HEIs will meet virtually throughout the project duration on a regular and flexible basis for training sessions in digital literacy; showcasing best practices and sharing innovative teaching and learning experiences; Q&S sessions on specific topics or tools that are demanded by teachers; communication of activities and results of IGNITION and the Teachers Community of Practice to mobilize and engage other teachers and educators. Next to that, partners will design and implement a Digital Challenge and Innovation Learning Lab (IO4) where international and multidisciplinary student teams will work on external stakeholders’ challenges, using and experimenting with collaborative digital tools, innovative methods, and virtual platforms. Here partners will co-design and implement a CBL program and test tools and methods for collaboration and innovation, including digital literacy development based on the self-assessment tool (OI2) and trainings in digital tools. This will be done in collaboration with external micro companies and self-employed professionals who are included in the training sessions (C2). The Digital Challenge and Innovation Learning Lab will be supported by the project’s website and a virtual campus that offers virtual space for disseminating and communicating calls for action and project results; space to host virtual multidisciplinary and international work sessions and events; and stimulate open innovation. The Digital Challenge and Innovation Learning Lab will, in this way, enhance virtual mobility to involved persons from all target audiences in its activities. During the activities of the Digital Challenge and Innovation Learning Lab, partners will furthermore explore and develop a toolkit with strategies, digital media and new methods that facilitate the inclusion of micro companies and self-employed professionals in HEIs infrastructures and programs (IO5), since they experience barriers to access HEIs infrastructures and programs, and having them participating as external stakeholders of the challenges, will facilitate a joint development of mentioned toolkit (IO5). Finally, partners will conduct several evaluations through surveys and focus group sessions with all target audiences to learn from all activities and share the outcomes of the activities and learned lessons with a broader public.<< Results >>As a result of above-mentioned activities, the cooperation partnership will produce the following expected outcomes: •IGNITION Digital Literacy Framework and Agenda (IO1) •Website of the project with access to all the developed tools and resources (IO1) •IGNITION Online Self-assessment tool for digital literacy, based on DigCompEdu methodology (IO2) •Teacher Community of Practice in Digital Literacy for Inclusion, Collaboration, and Innovation (IO3) •IGNITION Digital Challenge and Innovation Learning Lab concept, structure and processes for international student teams working on innovation challenges with external stakeholders through digital tools and platforms for innovation (IO4). This includes new methods and tools for collaboration and innovation, a toolbar for digital challenge-based learning, and a virtual campus for collaborative learning and events •IGNITION Toolkit with new methods, digital media, and strategies for engaging external stakeholders, with a special focus on self-employed professionals, active workers, and micro companies (IO5) •Evaluation Activities and Final Report (IO6)

<< Background >>The food and drink industry is a major contributor to Europe’s economy. In 2018, it had a turnover of 1,109 billion €, making it the largest EU manufacturing sector and the leading employer (4.57 million people). This accounts to 294,000 companies and 110 billion € exports (17.9% of EU global exports). However, the safety and microbiological suitability of food remains an issue for food professionals and requires good knowledge of the microbiological hazards associated with the different stages of the technological route of a product. The food and drink industry is confronted with the risk incurred by the consumer linked to the ingestion of a food contaminated by a pathogenic microorganism, as well as the consequences resulting from the public questioning a product or a brand for sanitary reasons. The issue is also linked to the costs of product and image loss due to the development of flora causing product deterioration. In addition, the control of microbiological hazards and spoilage bacteria is also an element promoting innovation and the development of new products.As a result, the industry needs reliable data and support tools, to ensure the microbiological quality of products upon receipt of raw materials, during the various stages of product processing and when it is placed on the market until consumption.Better control of the microbiological quality of food products also makes it possible to fight against food loss and waste, since it is estimated that nearly 1.3 billion tonnes of food would be thrown away or lost each year on a global scale (FAO, 2019).Besides trained staff, graduates from food studies explicitly trained towards the development of microbiological competences can fill this current skills gap in the food industry and have an increased employability. Undergraduate students and professionals need to have continuous access to transnational knowledge, research and societal trends to keep their standards and their commitments on local and European regulations up to date. Although e-learning activities have grown in recent years, the current COVID-19 crisis has greatly accelerated the need for digital transformation of education and training systems in Europe. The challenge now is how these e-learning activities can be better integrated in vocational, higher and life-long learning educations. At both instances, agricultural education (including the trainers) and food industry (including small scale producers and associations), there is a need to have more interactive and encompassing e-learning tools that take into account the specific features of the food industry.Moreover, the trainings of e-SafeFood will take into account all the new processes and techniques used to control health risk in the food industry. The deployment of such processes is part of a sustainable development approach since it reduces energy consumption compared to conventional heat treatment and since it can provide solutions for the preservation of foodstuffs in a clean label context, where the use of additives and preservatives must often be reduced with lower concentrations or ruled out by manufacturers.<< Objectives >>Aim of the projectThe aim of the project is to develop an interactive online training programme on microbiological risks in food, in order to improve the capacity of students, educators, researchers, and agri-food professionals (including SMEs and small-scale producers). This training will have the particularity of having a strong practical aspect and will be certified at European level.ObjectivesThe objectives of the project are as follows:- to contribute to the dissemination and transfer of knowledge on microbiological food safety to target users with limited access to in-person learning in the field of agri-food;- facing the current context linked to COVID-19, to ensure the continuity of the training of food industry professionals and students/teachers, including laboratorial work, by developing an online learning platform on microbiological food safety; and- to improve the training offer currently available on microbiological food safety by expanding on applied aspects and promoting the practical aspects of knowledge to our audience.The achievement of these objectives will lead to the development of 5 project results.Target groupsThe target groups for this project will be students, educators, researchers and agri-food professionals, who work in both the fields of food sciences and food industry, including agriculture. This will include:- agri-food professionals: farmers, technicians, advisors and industry professionals from SMEs(artisanal producers, small and medium food processors) and cooperatives;- students and apprentices, from secondary VET education to higher education, including agricultural high schools; - vocational education and training teachers from technical secondary schools related to the agri-food sector, and high-education lecturers from the agri-food degree programmes; and- researchers from institutes and universities.<< Implementation >>As means to achieve the objectives of e-SafeFood, the following work packages will be implemented:WP1 – Identification and selection of existing relevant e-training material (Lead partner: IPBragança)Participating organisations: all•Task 1.1: State of the art of the already existing material (Lead partner: Actia-Aerial-Actalia)•Task 1.2: Selection of material, based on users’ expertise and practicality (Lead partner: IPBragança)WP2 – Design of the user-tailored e-training program and elaboration of further material (Lead partner: Actia-Aerial and Actia-Actalia)Participating organisations: all•Task 2.1: Definition of the content for each category of users (Lead partner: Actia-Aerial-Actalia)•Task 2.2: Development of practical trainings, demos, tutorials and modelling modules (Lead partner: IPBragança)WP3 – Implementation of training programmes in the ISEKI-Food e-learning platform (Lead partner: ISEKI-Food)Participating organisations: all•Task 3.1: Training implementation (Lead partner: ISEKI-Food)•Task 3.2: Testing of the course functionality (Lead partner: ISEKI-Food)WP4 – Piloting and certification of the e-training programmes (Lead partner: ISEKI-Food)Participating organisations: all•Task 4.1: Pilot training and refining (Lead partner: Actia-Aerial and Actia-Actalia))•Task 4.2: Certification (Lead partner: ISEKI-Food)WP5 – Dissemination of the platform (Lead partner: Alimento)Participating organisations: all•Task 5.1: Communication and dissemination plan (Lead partner: ISEKI-Food)•Task 5.2: Creation of dissemination tools (leaflet, social medias) (Lead partner: Alimento)•Task 5.3: Dissemination and training activities (Lead partner: Alimento)WP6 – Management of the project (Lead partner: ACTIA)In addition, the following activities will be implemented:•Training of 200 students, educators, researchers and industry professionals, through pilot trainings conducted in the different partner’s organisations and 2 training events.The objective of these trainings is to train the trainers of the e-SafeFood partner establishments to use the interactive training content available the ISEKI-Food e-learning platform, under development by the project in front of a real audience bringing together students, researchers and industrialists and to test all e-trainings and assessment tools and materials available on the platform. After taking into account the feedback from external participants as well as from e-SafeFood participants, the idea is also to improve the platform to make it more efficient and adapted to user needs.•Exchange of best practices and knowledge through virtual meetings for the development of the e-learning content•Three transnational project meetings for the effective management and implementation of the project•Conduction of three webinars, with the participation of at least 300 students, educators, researchers and industry professionals, to make known the e-learning platform as well as all the project's achievementsFor this project, two training events dedicated to students, professionals, researchers and academics in order to test, enrich and improve the content and the tools of the e-trainings (one face-to-face and one remotely) are being planned.<< Results >>e-SafeFood is associated with five main project results:PR1: Selection of the material and tools based on expertise of users and with a practical focus (Lead partners: Actia-Actalia & Aerial, IPBragança)The objective is to produce a set of selected existing relevant e-training material on microbiological food safety from open access resources (data, content software,) that are available for use and re-use and that can be adequately fitted in the user-tailored e-training programmes to be developed in e-SafeFood.PR2: Development of material/adapted tools and definition and elaboration of the e-trainings (Lead partners: Actia-Actalia&Aerial, IPBragança)The need to have more interactive e-learning practical tools is felt at the academic, agricultural high school and food industry levels. The objective is to set up and develop dedicated pedagogical material on food microbiological safety and hygiene for the aforementioned target users. Tailored appropriate pedagogical methods and tools will also be created. The e-training program will be divided into basic modules, common for all the target users (with translation in French, Spanish and Portuguese) and specialised modules in English, with an advanced level that will be specific to each target group.PR3: Implementation of trainings in an e-learning platform (Lead partner: ISEKI-Food)The training course content developed in the previous work package will be implemented in the ISEKI e-learning platform (https://moodle.iseki-food.net/), with a modular format. Course e-learning functionality will be tested, evaluated, and improvements will be made before launching.PR4: Conduction and certification of e-trainings (Lead partners: ISEKI-Food and Actia-Actalia&Aerial)Pilot trainings will be implemented for teachers and professors, students and agri-food professionals, allowing the testing, assessment and refining of the different training modules. Afterwards, the training programme will be submitted to certification under the course certification scheme developed by ISEKI (EQAS FOOD Certificate, https://www.iseki-food.net/accreditation/eqas_food_certificate) Those trainees completing successfully the assessment activities of a module/course will receive the corresponding certificate of completion.PR5 - Dissemination and valorisation of the e-trainings (Lead partner: Alimento)The success of the project and the broader use and recognition of the e-trainings in Europe requires its broad dissemination towards students, educators, researchers and agri-food professionals, who work in both the field of food sciences and food industryThe platform will save record of information on the training participants (age, country, activity profile (student, teacher, researcher, professional)) in order to track attendance and plan actions to engage target groups less involved in the trainings. This information will be stored and used following GDPR requirements.Partners will make the best use of their communication/dissemination channels to engage trainees.A dissemination and engagement plan will be prepared at the beginning of the project for this purpose. Validation of the content Two training events dedicated to our target groups will take place with the objective to train, collect feedback from users and implement improvements.

"<< Objectives >>-To create new functional profile of ""Disability support moderator"" at NGO sector-To train and prepare specific person(s) at NGOs as disability support moderators in formal and non-formal education settings-To equip them with proper training on disability awareness, disability etiquette, communication guidelines including basic communication via assistive technologies and sign language-To ensure proper transition of youth with disabilities from one to another pathway of education.<< Implementation >>-Development of new functional profile of ""Disability support moderator"" at NGO sector-Development of training handbook on inclusive education adjustments including guidelines and tips-Development of communication module on disability awareness, disability etiquette, communication guidelines & basic use of assistive technologies and sign language-Realisation of blended training of 40 potential disability support moderators-Development of elearning portal with all project deliverables<< Results >>R1 New functional profile of ""Disability support moderator"" at NGO sectorR2 Training handbook on inclusive education adjustments including guidelines and tipsR3 Communication module on disability awareness, disability etiquette, communication guidelines, basic use of assistive technologies and sign languageR4 Blended training of 40 potential disability support moderatorsR5 E-learning portalR6 Wider dissemination and exploitation of the project deliverables"