RUNFASTER4EU will demonstrate the sustainability and replicability at industrial scale (TRL8) of a new value chain focused on the large-scale cultivation of low-ILUC-risk oil crops on marginal lands, avoiding competition with food or feed. These crops will provide vegetable oils and residual biomass for high-value bio-based products (cosmetics formulations, bio-stimulants, feed ingredients, herbicides, dielectric fluids, bioplastics, NIPU for vertical gardens) in a cascading approach. Building on previous and ongoing EU projects (FIRST2RUN, BRILIAN, MIDAS, CARINA), RUNFASTER will i) enhance bio-based value chains, prioritizing soil health and carbon sequestration, ii) upgrade two flagship plants in Italy (Matrica - Porto Torres, Versalis - Crescentino) and iii) realize Large-scale cultivations, i.e., safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), validating innovative agronomic practices with farmer involvement. RUNFASTER partners will demonstrate downstream processing and cascading valorisation of biomass, with products tested by end-user industries to meet SSbD standards. Sustainability, circularity, and safety will be assessed via Life Cycle and Ecosystem Services methods. RUNFASTER will engage local communities, provide guidelines and training for farmers, and develop an IP-compliant exploitation strategy and business plan for replication. The approach will also be validated in Spain, Greece, Serbia, and Romania on fragile (i.e. contaminated) soils with other crops, such as cardoon and rapeseed.

The AIM of the strategic partnership in the field of VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION was to extend the international dimension of activities for the benefit of vocational training by cooperation in scope of implementing innovations and exchange of good practices in 3 occupations. The partnership’s aim was to:1. ELABORATE innovative attitudes, curricula and apprenticeship programs for 3 occupations key for the partnership: food production (food engineer specializing in organization and supervision of production of eco-products), building services (building insulation specialist specializing in thermal modernization and reducing carbon footprint), renewable energy sources – RE (electrician specializing in integration of energetic systems in renewable energy devices) in 3 language versions (intellectual outputs);2. TEST elaborated models in each partner country (mixed mobility of persons during vocational training);3. ADJUST and IMPLEMENT modified and supplemented models in the project to the specificity of branches in the partner countries (dissemination).The TARGET GROUP of the project consisted of students, vocational teachers, training providers and the staff from the area of vocational education and training.Activities carried out in the project:1. Activities connected with ELABORATION were carried out within Intellectual Outputs (IO) and were consisted in elaboration of an educational package for 3 professions key for the partnership which were then adjusted to the specificity of each occupation in Germany, Italy and Poland. Each package consisst of a description of a curriculum for a given profession, description of vocational tasks and description of an apprenticeship program for a given occupation. Within IO, the computer applications including a set of vocational tasks in each profession was prepared. The application is an important instrument in creating apprenticeship programs. All IO are prepared in 4 language versions (Polish, German, Italian, English).2. Activities connected with innovation TESTING were carried out under mixed mobility of persons during vocational training in Poland (for RE), Germany (building sector) and Italy (food industry). The mobility involved practical application and assessment of created computer applications. Each mobility included 10 students with 5 teachers, which makes 90 participants in total, including 30 teachers.3. Activities connected with IMPLEMENTAION were carried out during the last meeting of the Project Team. The meeting was be a summary of all IO effects. The meeting was an opportunity to present effects of product testing and recommendations for modifying products to the specificity of 3 occupations in Poland, Germany and Italy in order to disseminate them.4. Having completed the stage of IMPLEMENTATION – following verification and improvement of educational packages, workshops disseminating elaborated IO were organized. The participants were: teachers from vocational schools, trainers and educators, entrepreneurs and craftsmen, representatives of leading authorities. During workshops, the participants had an opportunity to discover and assess individual elements of each package adjusted to the specificity of professions in their country and get to know the computer application and Internet platform. In total, there were 4 training sessions lasting 2 days each with 132 participants altogether.The last element of dissemination will be an international congress during which the effects of testing will be presented, as well as the effects of adjustment and dissemination workshops. 116 participants took part in the congress (including 19 participants from abroad).A main result which was expected to be achieved in the project is THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE EDUCATION to the challenges of the green economy in three European countries. This adjustment was realized at the level of VET programs and apprenticeships in the three professions of the green economy, as indicated by the Partnership. Multisectoral structure of partnership ensured the implementation of project solutions to the social and educational practice by modernization of existing curriculas (the greening of existing programs) and creating the new branches of education in vocational schools involved in the project, and schools cooperating with partners in the project. The tangible result of the project was to increase the prestige of the three professions related to the green economy through their international dimension of education.