Our modern society becomes highly interconnected where power supply is not only providing energy between many distributed sources and loads but are also a main path of interference, especially in large complex systems, platforms and facilities, where interoperability of the electronic systems has to be achieved. There is an urgent need to train new researchers with a closer interaction of electrical power and power electronics with information technology and communications equipment. The ETOPIA consortium of key academic partners, supported by industry, has been brought together not only to train a sufficient number of qualified researchers but also to provide the fundamental research that underpins future technological developments. The detailed coordinated multidisciplinary multinational doctoral training program will provide the trainee researchers with a complete broad experience and at the same time allow them to develop and eventually lead their focused area of research. The program will focus on the development of novel methods to model, simulate, design, evaluate, measure and monitor. ETOPIA will also develop corrective economical measures for a safe, reliable, efficient and greener electrical power distribution system in and between buildings and vehicles. Specific innovations expected to be achieved through ETOPIA are methodologies to optimize the design of complex electrical/electronic installations with respect to compatibility and efficiency. Dissemination methods to realize optimal impact will include scientific publications, presentations and workshops, summer schools, training of engineers in industry and dissemination through newsletters, interviews, school visits, websites and social media.

DairyMix will use multi-criteria assessment, and develop decision support, modelling and management tools for sustainable circular mixed farming systems for dairy production. Dairy production systems (DPS) are an essential backbone of European agriculture. DPS produce high quality protein essential for humans. They can convert fibrous feed resources that could not be utilized by humans or converted to human food by monogastric animals. However, this desirable level of circularity is currently met only to a very limited extent with most dairy systems heavily relying on external input such as concentrate feeds and mineral fertilizers. DairyMix applies a systems approach for sustainable dairy production systems that are targeted to key European regions and beyond. DairyMix is structured in five work packages. WP1 is dedicated to coordination and management. Case studies, data from the extensive DATAMAN database, Eurostat data and data from OTICE, the online barn climate and emission control tool will be collected and analysed (WP2). Data analytics uses linear statistics as well as supervised machine learning algorithms, like ridge regression, random forests, support vector machines and artificial neural networks. Data analysis will assess the potential of currently known mitigation measures as well as the potential of precision farming technologies that are not yet fully developed. On farm decisions with respect to barn climate, emission reduction and improved animal welfare will be supported by the ICT-based tool OTICE. WP2 data are then fed into WP3 for detailed modelling analysis on carbon and nutrient utilization and circularity of mixed farming systems for dairy production. WP4 brings WP2 and WP3 together for a multi-criteria assessment of mixed farming systems for dairy production based on indicators for circularity and efficient resource use developed in WP2 and WP3. WP5 details a range of communication and dissemination activities and hosts the interactive web application - the MilKey/DairyMix platform - to analyse farm data and to evaluate effects of changes in farming practice at farm and regional level with regard to environmental, economic and societal sustainability indicators. This output will have farmers and other stakeholders in the primary sector as target group, and will also be relevant for society and policy makers. DairyMix will be a major step forward in achieving GHG mitigation and circularity between cropping systems and dairy production systems with flexible and context specific solutions being developed for key European areas and for Latin America. Extensive data collection, data analytics, and life cycle assessment and modelling will feed into the multi-criteria assessment to identify trade-offs and synergies and offer decision support for the exploitation of benefits while maintaining productivity and economic efficiency. DairyMix results will be made available by the MilKey/DairyMix multi-actor platform. The platform will not only be a valuable decision support tool for farmers, but will also follow a consumer-oriented approach to inform the consumer about concepts of circular and sustainable dairy production systems. The platform will provide context specific management strategies for key European regions and Latin America.

In the Rome Declaration, of 25 March 2017, EU leaders’ called for ’a Union where citizens have new opportunities for cultural and social development and economic growth’ and pledged to work towards ’a Union where young people receive the best education and training and can study and find jobs across the continent’. Therefore, in higher education great emphasis has already been placed on internationalisation in order to develop the transversal skills of students. In contrast, currently widespread methods of mobility reach only a very limited number of students. Especially considering the many social and physically disadvantaged students in Europe, this is an intolerable situation. Moreover, a modern workforce simply requires employees possess interpersonal skills to act as real European citizens. In addition to the international aspects, employers in a globalised world seek graduates with skills related to digitalisation and interdisciplinary competencies. This is where “New Modes of Mobility” (NewM) addresses students, teachers and higher educational institutions. By creating modules and courses with aspects of virtual and hybrid mobility, barriers to gaining experience in internationalisation and digitalisation will be lowered. With this inclusive approach, socioeconomic, financial and health issues can be overcome, and a substantially higher number of students will be able to benefit from a state-of-the-art educational system. All the partners – University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (FHWS) in Germany, Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (SeAMK) in Finland, Stichting Fontys in the Netherlands, University of Zielona Góra (UZ) in Poland, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (ULBS) in Romania and University of Debrecen in Hungary – will test the developed modules and courses. These are expected to increase•amount of students involved in international teaching and learning concepts – at least by 100%•awareness of internationalisation and transversal skills among students•knowhow of teachers as well as curriculum designers•joint course and curriculum design and implementation•number of students applying for learning mobility.The results will be presented at national and European level conferences and networks. Open access to the material developed - new models of mobility, virtual guide to build the capacity of the teachers to implement internationalisation at home, framework on a curriculum level, and New-Modes eBook - will be provided to other HEIs. National level education authorities will be sensitised on the results in order to present internationalisation at home as a vital option for educational institutions at all levels. Internationalisation at home should become a norm rather than an exception.