Abstract:

The footwear industry in Europe is a traditional manufacturing industry that produces a high-added-value consumer product, part of the Creative Industries and European Culture and Heritage. The EU Footwear Industry has to meet the ever-increasing expectations of consumers to whom comfort has become a top priority. Footwear specialists have now to integrate higher manufacturing standards that take into account consumer wellbeing when designing their products.

The SCILED Knowledge Alliance (http://sciled.eu) is about cooperation and innovation in Higher Education, Research and Business aiming for:1) Boosting innovation in higher education, business and in the broader socio-economic environment and 2) Stimulating the flow and exchange of knowledge between higher education and enterprises. The Erasmus+ SCILED Knowledge Alliance has the primary goal of revising the footwear life-cycle to incorporate new knowledge into the design process in order to provide a scientific basis for drastically improved fashion, comfort and sustainable oriented products. The SCILED consortium is composed of fourteen partners from six different Member States: Belgium, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain. Each of them brings its expertise to the table: Higher Education institutions and research institutes, representatives of industry and businesses community; all closely collaborate to make the alliance’s objectives come to life.

In SciLED Knowledge Alliance, the footwear life-cycle is revised and new knowledge is incorporated into the design process in order to provide a scientific basis for drastically improved fashion, comfort and sustainable oriented products. New skills and professional footwear paths are developed aiming to improve the workforce’s creativity and competitiveness, rendering the sector more attractive to young people.

Project partners have investigated footwear comfort requirements, footwear sustainability parameters and looked into the role of specific materials in these aspects. They have extensively consulted with companies: qualitative research, taking the form of surveys and focus groups, has been conducted to understand the needs and difficulties of footwear companies in keeping up with the latest patterns of consumption. Together with other companies, research centres and Higher Education partners in the project, this Knowledge Alliance has in parallel analysed current footwear qualifications offered in Higher Education. Skills and competencies currently taught have been thoroughly reviewed, and innovative learning tools and methods have been identified.

Establishing the scientific basis to ameliorate product development is a critical need with an apparent gap in the current sector qualifications at the European level. Therefore, improved and modernised training modules are designed, tested and delivered to support the new profiles for current and future employees working in design and product development departments. The SCILED Educational Package contain course modules, videos, demonstrators and guidelines, online tools, as well a brand new Virtual fab Lab. These deliverables are the results of a co-creating process with the industry for delivering innovative learning tools for Higher Education.

Keywords:

Engineering education, design, virtual and digital learning tools.