"ContextThe European labor market is undoubtedly facing major changes. It is not certain that the skills and qualifications provided by the European education system are capable of meeting current and emerging needs, which means that there is a possibility of continuing imbalances and gaps in supply and demand for skills. The European Commission (EC) has launched the ""New Skills for New Jobs"" initiative to provide a general framework for the implementation of policy actions in the European Union (EU). Building on this initiative, the EC has highlighted the need to enhance the attractiveness of VET, for example through ""An Agenda for New Skills and Jobs: o European Contribution to Full Employment"" and ""A New Impetus for European Cooperation in education and training to support the Europe 2020 strategy ""(EC, 2010a; 2010b).Following the analysis of needs and shortcomings made by partners to prepare this proposal, the main problems identified were:- Practice traineeships in the EU continue to be underdeveloped. The situation varies greatly by country. Those enrolled in apprenticeship, strictly speaking, account for 33% of secondary VET students. 24 EU countries have programs where students spend more than 50% of their time at work, but the scope of the systems varies greatly.- Efforts are needed to invest in expanding apprenticeships and in internships in countries where opportunities for this type of learning remain very limited.- The permeability between IVET and CEFP is often an important challenge for individuals in pursuing their professional training.- Lack of experience at work, skills and professional skills is one of the factors contributing to the ""skills gap"" in the EU today. While 5.6 million young people in the EU suffer the consequences of unemployment, 36% of employers' reports refer to the fact that they are struggling to find new recruits with the skills they need. The project aimed at the homogeneous and systemic application of WBL principles at the level of the VET provider, the development of VET programs (both EIT and CEFP), guaranteeing transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications, increasing employment opportunities, lifelong learning behaviors and mobility for learning and work within the sector.PurposeThe project aimed at developing a European Training and Training Instrument to support the practical implementation of labor-based learning at all stages of education and training. Furthermore, the project supports the implementation of WBL quality assurance mechanisms in VET in the fashion sector, with a specific focus on feedback loops between iVET and cVET systems.Project objectives were as follows:- The qualitative increase in the VET offer, leading to more professional qualifications for the labor market and hence higher insertion capacity.- Greater professional collaboration between VET providers and businesses as part of the learning process.- Increasing the level of interest among businesses and VET providers, adopting learning methods based on work experience, as learning tools.-Developing a European-level technical education and a set of tools to support and apply on-the-job learning at all stages of textile education and training.PartnershipThe project brought together 9 partners from 4 European countries, forming a transnational cooperation partnership with a balanced geographical representation of the Erasmus area and a qualitative representation for Romania.The project partners were companies, VET providers, chambers of commerce, universities, schools, from Romania, Italy, Bulgaria and the Netherlands.The main activities of the project were: the development of the management and quality plan, the definition of bilateral cooperation agreements with partners, the organization of virtual partner meetings, the development of operational, administrative and financial management (including organization of partner meetings, project brochures and other dissemination materials, exploitation and sustainability strategy and IPR agreement.The results obtained within the project were:-Report on the Implementation of Learning and Quality Assurance in VET in the 4 partner countries in the fashion sector.- Set of tools to support WBL to implement concrete WBL (learning-based learning) programs in IVET.- Quality assurance guidelines and tools for WBL.- Learning program for IVET teachers and trainers (tutors, mentors, coaches) in WBL and Quality Assurance.Impact: supporting iVET programs to align quality initiatives with European sectoral education and training policies,help providers in this sector and local / regional / national authorities understand the level of change needed for VET providers and delivery to align WBL and QA with existing WBL and QA policies, promoting awareness-raising of work-based learning and quality among stakeholders in the sector, creating a space for cooperation and trust between iVET providers at national and European level."

The main objective of NeoCel project is to develop innovative and techno-economically feasible alkaline processes enabling the sustainable production of higher quality eco-innovative textile fibres from reactive high-cellulose pulps and integration of these processes with pulp mills. Targets for the development of NeoCel processes are: - wet strength of fibres higher than the wet strength of standard viscose, competing with cotton properties. - lower environmental impact than any other type of existing textile fibre - Reduction of production cost by at least 15% compared to that of best available technology (BAT) viscose The targets will be met through development of adapted pulps with high reactivity/solubility in alkaline water-based solutions, advanced dissolution process to maximize cellulose concentration, novel cellulose regeneration chemistry enabling both recovery of process chemicals and increased strength properties of the spun fibre, design for integration of textile fibre production with the pulp mill for minimized environmental impact, increased energy efficiency and reduced chemical consumption through system analysis using software models of theoretical mills. In NeoCel, a consortium with raw material processing companies, chemical suppliers, equipment producers, SMEs and world-leading research institutes has formed to develop the processes for large scale manufacturing of eco-innovative textile fibres. The consortium expects that a successful NeoCel project will enable creation of 75 000 new jobs and a turn-over increase of 9.5 billion € for European forest products, textile and clothing industries within 15 years. However, already within 3 years, the consortium partners expect their joint turnover to increase by 170 MEuro

Whereas the manufacturing and distribution of apparel has advanced in past years with the application of new CAM and ITC technologies, the design process is still very traditional. Sketching ideas, creating story boards, draping, and developing technical drawings (also known as technical sketches) are just some of the tasks that are still being done either in the old-fashioned way or with the aid of digital tools, most of which are spinoff uses of technologies developed for other industries, and not adapted to the necessities of the creative apparel industry. At the same time, there are emerging technologies that could reduce the timing and the cost of the design process, such as 3D scanners and 3D sketching tools. New low cost 3D scanners have indeed appeared in the market, and could allow a real customization of the clothes design. Moreover, libraries of 3D realistic avatars adapted to the target population of a new clothing collection will be a great improvement for mass production. Theoretically, a designer could sketch the design over the avatar of a customer, or over a realistic avatar that represents a target population. Sketching designs over real 3D bodies allows the visualization of designs in real dimensions, improves communication between the creative team, and reduce misunderstandings in the following steps (e.g. pattern making, manufacturing, etc.). The realistic visualization of the designs has many advantages: 1) Elimination of manual tasks. 2) Improvement of the communication between designers and decision takers (the managers that approve the design for manufacturing). The realistic visualization reduces misunderstandings and failures. 3) Better cost analysis. InKreate expects to improve the apparel design process using low cost 3D scanners and 3D sketching tools.

The I4MS program in H2020 has been and is a great success for the Digital Transformation of European Manufacturing SMEs. Phase IV of the program was focussing on DIHs and on highly innovative technologies like Digital Twins and AI. In particular, the AI REGIO Innovation Action developed a virtuous alliance between Regions, DIHs, AI solution providers and Manufacturing SMEs, which is materialised by a new methodology for DIHs service portfolio and customer journey analysis, an AI4EU -oriented toolkit of Data and AI resources, a network of Didactic Factories and their TEchnology and REgulatory SAndboxes (TERESA) and an ecosystem of SME-driven experiments and their Digital Transformation pathways. It is time now to align such important outcomes to the evolution of Manufacturing towards Industry 5.0, the evolution of cloud AI Technologies to AI-at-the-Edge, the evolution of H2020 to Horizon and Digital Europe programmes e.g. to EDIH, Data Spaces and AI TEFs (Testing and Experimentation Facilities) for Manufacturing. Some of the AI REGIO I4MS Phase IV motivations are now evolved: it is time for AI REDGIO 5.0 for keeping momentum of AI technologies adoption in Manufacturing SMEs. AI REDGIO 5.0 aims at renovating and extending the H2020 I4MS AI REGIO alliance between Vanguard EU regions and DIHs for a competitive AI-at-the-Edge Digital Transformation of Industry 5.0 Manufacturing SMEs. AI REGIO outcomes (methods and tools for DIHs governance and cross-DIH collaboration; Data Space and AI for Manufacturing toolkit; Didactic Factories network and TERESA facilities; SME-driven experimentations in 14 Vanguard regions) will be i) extended to the I5.0 principles; ii) enabled by the newest trusted technologies along the edge-to-cloud continuum; iii) supported by European open source hw/sw reference implementations, preserving EU values and ethical principles; iv) interconnected with the EDIH network in DEP as well as with the AI TEF nodes and the Data Spaces deployment program.

<< Background >>The fashion & textile industry is second largest polluter in the world. Boosting the sustainability of the sector and addressing the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 crisis are the EU wide concerns, in which the stakes in terms of cross border pollution effects and impact on the internal market are high. The changes proposed by new EU Textiles Directive will be enforced starting next year, pressing businesses in the textile sector to change their operations and products. However, since the changes required are drastic, many businesses will be affected due to the lack of specialized education and preparation, especially in the small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). In order to comply to the new legal and market demands, businesses will have to train their employees on sustainable fashion and textiles (SF&T), with specialized trainings that involve high costs, endangering the small business world, that may not have residual funds for such trainings. Currently, in Europe the training alternatives include few Bachelor’s and Master’s programs that require a high degree of involvement and cost and several charged online courses, making the options for education very limited. It is vital for SMEs to gain knowledge on SF&T, meet the sustainability criteria and stay on the EU market.The European apparel market revenue is worth €422,003mil in 2021 and it is projected to keep growing by 5.24% annually until 2025. The volume of the total EU apparel market is expected to reach 37,892m pieces by 2025, with an average of 40.6 pieces/person/year. Out of the yearly 26 kgs of consumed textile clothing, the average European throws away 11 kgs, which usually ends up landfilled or incinerated .The full environmental impact is ~ 36 to CO2/€1mil of textile and leather products produced . In Romania, such VET course does not exist, while SMEs are far from applying sustainability criteria. As a nationwide policy, there is an obligation to separate and collect textile waste and in the absence of recycling companies’ textiles waste is incinerated or landfilling. Still, there are few initiatives in fashion, such as Reginnova (associate partner), Sustainable Lifestyle, Maneca din Canepa (NGOs), Lara & Leah, handling topics such as creating clothes from sustainable materials, upcycling products, collecting textile waste, etc. For Italy, as the world’s biggest luxury fashion producer, sustainability is an important issue and it is seeking to promote the green transition of SMEs, directly by providing for fiscal incentives, that became more relevant during the pandemic when attention to climate change crises rose. National authorities published a Manifesto for the sustainability in Italian Fashion, as the starting point for the (r)evolution of the fashion industry in Italy. Guide-lines concerning many different aspects of the fashion industry supply chain, thus from its beginning up to the retail phase have been published. Slovenia is leading the way in developing a circular economy society, with fashion as an of the key area for innovation. Growing awareness of circular fashion has been driven by the rapid advancement in material innovation, particularly focused on sustainable alternatives for materials and the implementation of new and innovative fashion business models, focused mostly on secondary materials and renting. Obstacles are perceived in client’s unsustainable consumption and the lack of competencies in SF&T and how to employ bankable and financially sustainable fashion products. The Greek Apparel & Textile sector has undergone significant changes over the past decade. These have been caused by systemic changes on the international stage, through globalization, the liberalization of textiles trade and the resulting increase in competition. Sustainability initiatives are very few, coming from small fashion companies and NGOs, while the textile waste has no systemic solutions.<< Objectives >>The project aim is to help SMEs and consumers to cope with the expected legal and market challenges in the fashion and textiles industry, by increasing their capacity and knowledge through awareness and education. In this respect, our approach is envisaging both sides of the economic sector: textiles design and manufacturing on one hand and textiles consumption on the other hand. The new educational program in ReFashion will be tailored on the SMEs needs and will be offered for free, by making us of innovative digital practices, while the ReFashion Consumer Guide, available at one click , in an attractive and easy to understand format, will support consumer to get the right information and be able to change their consumption habits and preferences. With this project we will fill a gap in the VET education dealing with sustainability knowledge and competences in fashion and textiles sector, develop green sectorial skills and prepare the learners, companies’ staff and consumers, to become agents of change, enabling behavioural changes and more sustainable production and consumption patterns. In doing so, the project set the following specific objectives: 1.Developing new VET educational programme and create work-based learning opportunities in line with the need for green skills and digital transition, expected in the fashion and textile industry; 2.Increase cooperation between educational institution and businesses aimed at promoting work-based learning in all its forms and supporting VET learners in acquiring and developing skills and key competences in fashion and textiles sustainability, fostering employability in the sector;3.Introduce open education and innovative digital practices, making education available for all and facilitating new and innovative learning methods, by developing the ReFashion online educational program and a new learning source, the ReFashion Guide that will enable behavioural changes for individual preferences, will contribute to change consumption habits, and lifestyles<< Implementation >>The consortium will introduce a project management approach based on the principals of Adaptive Project Framework concept. The key activities will be broken into four main areas: the initiation (good start), the Intellectual Output/phases boundaries (commitment of resources), ad hoc direction (monitoring progress, advice and guidance, reacting to exception situations) and project closure (confirming project outcomes and controlled close). The planned IOs will have clear methodologies and will be achieved by performing sequential activities. All partners will be involved in the delivery of IOs, having clear responsibilities, by carrying on activities according to the Work Plan. The sequence of the activities follows a logical approach until the achievement of the final outcomes of the project. The ReFashion Expert Educational Program will be tailored for the ReFashion Expert job profile, as the solid and realistic base for the training program development and structured in accordance with the standards outlined in EQF and ECVET. The educational program will consist of curricula and course content; those will go through a validation process by target groups and stakeholders. The course will support VET Teachers/learners in acquiring and developing skills and key competences in SF&T, creating green jobs and fostering employability in the sector. Development of ReFashion ICT elements: the introduction of open education and innovative digital practices, making education available for all and facilitating new and innovative learning methods, will be facilitated by the development of the website and of the e-Learning platform. The ICT tools are going to be developed simultaneously and will be tested in different phases of the project. ReFashion Course Testing – will comprise of pilot trainings, organised in all countries according to the following sequences: (a) information, organizations and commitment of the target groups to participate in the demo trainings. (b) performance of the pilot trainings in all countries (c) collecting feedback (d) summarizing feedback for further improvement of the course. The pilot trainings will build on interaction and cooperation between educators and businesses. ReFashion implementation and testing of the e-learning platform, the activities refers to preparing the structure and content and prepare it for moving online, incorporation of interactivity in the content and conduction of the Online testing. ReFashion Consumer Guide will take the form of a handy and visually aesthetic guide with relevant information for consumers on SF&T. The guide will focus on raising awareness and educate consumers on how to be responsible, change consumption behaviour and lifestyle and will be wildly promoted and used, directly on the website. Project dissemination. Outputs: Communication and Dissemination Plan (CDP), info tools developed to communicate results. According to the CDP, partners will have clear tasks and timeframe to complete them. The promotion activities will be equal opportunities for interactions and discussions, targeted social media campaign, designed to promote “refashioning” and reach out wide audience.Four multiplier events planned in all countries in a systematic manner to disseminate the intellectual outputs, involve stakeholders at key steps of the project and demonstrate several sustainable fashion practices (clothing swap, street workshops, textiles selection workshops, etc); Project Management and Implementation. Outputs: Work Plan; Project Reports. The Methodology used for project management is: strategy formulation and revision (Intuitive, systematic and normative creative techniques, and Critical Path Method), implementation and control strategy (Gantt chart); Implementation and articulation of the vision, key values, and core ideology of the project; quality control, monitoring, reporting.<< Results >>The ReFashion Expert Educational Program consisting of the ReFashion Expert Job profile, curricula and interactive course content; (IO1) . In simple terms, the ReFashion Experts will be involved in the processes that will drive ahead the textile products and business sustainability. They could be business owners, fashion designers, product developers, buyers, NGOs employees, VET teachers/learners, environmental managers, etc. At the heart of the notion of the ReFashion VET course is, thus, a pragmatic and rational actor who optimizes the product and businesses’ sustainability performance. The ReFashion Online Course, in the form of an Open Educational Resource for all, will enclose a dedicated project website and e-Learning platform (IO2). This involves the development of a project web page, from where, users can access the training materials. The idea of implementing an e-Learning platform for ReFashion is to offer a modern, online vocational training, by providing updated training material according to relevant (EU) standards. The innovation elements of the platform consist of dynamic and collaborative learning experiences, such as involving participants by incentive educational resources such as video recorded interviews, assignments, quizzes, drag and drops exercises, mark the words, summary statements. The e-Learning platform will be used to display the training material elaborated in IO1. All partners will provide translations, the e-Learning platform will be available in several languages, allowing the broad participation of target groups in the countries. ReFashion Course testing, with the main aim of collecting feedback from target grouse and further improve the course, facilitating the interaction and cooperation between educators and businesses (IO3) . The objective of this IO3 is to evaluate and test the training content (IO1) and the functionalities of the ReFashion e-learning platform (IO2) during four pilot trainings performed in the all partners’ countries. The piloting will take the form of blended teaching activities, feedback collection further used for the refinement of the learning products. ReFashion Consumer Guide focusing on raising awareness and educate consumers on how to become more responsible, change consumption behaviour and lifestyle (IO4). The aim is to provide an informational guide for consumers that is easily accessible and understandable. This guide is an adaptation of the courses created for businesses, a simplified version catered to regular consumers to educate them on issues of the industry and what the appropriate attitude and behaviour is regarding the consumption care, and appropriate disposal of garments. Four multipliers events to promote the project and the sustainable fashion and textiles practices. The project implementation will have boosting effects on VET in 4 countries. ReFashion skills and knowledge can be multiplied by initiating further trainings in other areas of education; youth, adult education, HEI, due to its innovative set of products and novelty of the topics. The ReFashion educational programme will produce skilled and knowledgeable learners capable of solving sectorial problems related to the products design, use of resources, efficient production, more sustainable products, as well as new circular business models for SF&T.