A new Knowledge Alliance will underpin Universities of the Future

Universities of the Future was selected among a few Knowledge Alliances supported by the Erasmus+ of the European Commission. This one-million project, coordinated by the Porto Design Factory (P. Porto) is a
true community of practice that will address the existing gap at higher education offer to respond to the challenges of the digital transformation (Industry 4.0) by developing new, innovative and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning, stimulating entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial skills of higher education teaching staff and company staff and facilitate the exchange, flow and co-creation of knowledge.
The project chart of commitments includes the co-development (together with key players of the quadruple helix) of:
– A common body of knowledge on industry 4.0 readiness/maturation of regions/business and related impact on skills shifting, up/re-skilling (a blueprint for cooperation with and for HEIs, businesses and governments)
– Innovative lessons on core topics/main components of the Industry 4.0, targeting students enrolled in HE bachelors/master degrees
– Continuous training programmes/short-courses on core topics/main components of the Industry 4.0, targeting employees that are interested in re/upskilling their competences
– A joint post-graduation course built-on creative strategies applied to industry 4.0, targeting workers interested in putting into practice pilot projects to accelerate their company’s digital transformation
– Guiding and supporting resources targeted to HEIs, business and government decision-making bodies and to educators/trainers
– A robust virtual teaching and learning factory for industry 4.0 populated with tools and resources enabling direct contact of the target-groups with the main components of industry and education 4.0, and complemented by physical facilities/equipment, aimed at supporting the development of the hands-on-experiment and pilot projects.