The pressures of the Anthropocene (new geologic epoch - defined by our massive impact on the planet) threaten the future of humanity: extraction of increasingly limited natural resources; pollution of air and water; loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services; and increasing human populations. Climate change compounds all these pressures. The majority of these impacts will be felt by urban areas; over 50% of people already live in cities, and by 2050, this will be 80%. As estimated, significant factors that provide benefits that significantly improve urban environmental quality and human quality of life - carbon sequestration, storm water management, air pollution reduction, improved human health, social cohesion, etc. are trees and urban forests. As cities has begun to reinvent themselves in the face of climate change and the other challenges of the Anthropocene, arboricultural specialists and urban foresters role has changed significantly; meanwhile, increasing the scope of competences an European Tree Technician (ETT) should master to 1) remain competitive and 2) go ahead of new industry and global urban environmental changes.Erasmus + Strategical partnership project PROMOTION AND ALIGNMENT OF EUROPEAN TREE TECHNICIANS (ETT) QUALIFICATION IN EUROPE is planned to be realized by 8 European countries Germany, Latvia, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia and Denmark, and is aimed to support whole arboricultural industry development by aligning and promoting European Tree Technicians (ETT) qualification on European level. Thus, to realize this goal following project outputs are planned to be elaborated in frame of project:1) Extended ETT Curriculum,2) Aligned ETT Certification Exam model,3) ETT training Manual,4) comprehensive ETT Study Guide.Elaboration of above mentioned project outputs will result in1) significantly increased number of European Tree Technicians (ETT) training and certification centers in each particular country and in common in Europe,2) significantly increased number of Certified European Tree Technicians right after project conclusion,3) increased number of arboricultural specialists who master all the ETT competences starting from “tree knowledge” to ability manage urban ecosystems development process on local and European level and able to give his input and overtake the leading role here,4) closer collaboration in training and certification between different educational institutions, promoting common aligned Tree programs, and leading to increased teachers and students’ mobility between industry stakeholders, 5) arboricultural industry further development, increasing also industry’s financial flow and total turnover in each particular country and on larger scale,6) finally, taking into account each new ETT specialists potential impact on local urban ecosystem development and being aware of these ecosystems significance in global environmental issues, we predict increased network of developing urban ecosystems that further lead to higher urban environmental quality and human quality of life - carbon sequestration, storm water management, air pollution reduction, improved human health, social cohesion impact on global environmental changes etc. on local and global scale.

Olustvere School of Service and Rural Economics is a government funded vocational school which offers formal education as well as continuing education and retraining in agriculture, tourism, food processing, chef, secretary work and handicrafts. The purpose of this project is to enhance the quality of vocational education offered in Olustvere School of Service and Rural Economics, secure the sustainability of the school and to secure the well doing of the graduates in the EU job market. For this purpose teachers will be sent to France for a 2 week and to Finland 4 week mobility to become acquainted with curriculum development while taking into account the real needs of the job situation, the immediate cohesion of theory and practical study and the development of practical work. During the mobility the teachers will also complement their specialized knowledge, foreign language skills and cultural knowledge. During the project 5 students from the cooking field and 2 students from baker field will be sent to France for a period of 2 weeks to gain specialized and cultural knowledge and to increase language skills. And 2 students from the ceramics field will be sent to Finland for a period 2 weeks to gain specialized and cultural knowledge and to increase language skills. And 1 student from the glass field will be sent to Norway for a period 7 weeks+ 8 weeks, 1 to Latvia for a period 7 weeks + 8 weeks and 1 to Sweden for a period 4 weeks to gain specialized and cultural knowledge and to increase language skills and 1 to Sweden for a period 12 weeks to gain specialized and cultural knowledge and to increase language skills. As the result of the project the participants foreign language skills will increase and their understanding of the world will broaden as well they will gain new specialized skills and knowledge. As the result of the project the participants knowledge on tying the curriculum with the job world needs and applying the curriculum will increase. This is especially important today because it will determine in which field and in which school the student will start to study.

Diesel exhaust contains significant levels of small particles, known as fine particulate matter (PM) and is the largest source of particulate emissions in transport. In spite of the environmental benefit that rail carries over other modes of transport, over 70% of all the world’s railway locomotives are powered by diesel engines, consuming more than 34 billion litres of diesel fuel annually. To combat the problem of diesel locomotive emissions, the European Union has set stricter limits on the exhaust emissions of new locomotives. Stricter limits have caused a steep rise in the cost of purchasing compliant engines. The higher costs have made it much more difficult for rail operators to modernise their locomotive fleets. With a 45-year average operational lifespan, Europe has now reached the stage where 77% of its diesel locomotives are 30 years or older. The inefficiency of the engines in long service life vehicles, coupled with diesel prices, now make fuel costs a major problem for rail operators worldwide. Alternatives in clean and efficient fuel will allow operators to remain economically competitive. DiGas SIA is a pioneer in dual-fuel systems for diesel engines. We have developed NYSMART, a proprietary patented dual-fuel technology tailored for modernization of air-polluting diesel locomotives to clean and efficient operation. Due to its modular form, NYSMART is able to be quickly and simply installed onto any diesel engine type. Once installed, our advanced intelligent engine management system results in 30% reduction in fuel costs, delivering rapid payback for the customer; provides torque & performance similar to that of a diesel engine; and delivers PM and NOx emissions reductions.

The UHBR engine is one of the most fuel-efficient propulsion concepts available today. However, outstanding technical and environmental performances are counterbalanced by severe operational conditions of engine systems. The EVAL project aims to create a demonstrator of a passive cooling system, based on a loop heat pipe (LHP) technology, for efficient thermal management of the UHBR engine bleed system valves exposed to a harsh temperature environment. The EVAL innovation will consist in combination of (i) working fluids able to meet the bleed system valve cooling requirements and aeronautical standards; (ii) EU’s domestic patented technology of evaporator-reservoir modular unit (ALTOM), which makes possible to create superior in thermal performance, compact, lightweight, robust, reliable, easy-to-integrate and still cost-effective thermal management systems; and (iii) innovative technology of LHP charging on-site. The project activities will be concentrated within TRL 4–6 range and will result in a “degraded environment” demonstration of LHP-based passive cooling system capabilities to realize precise thermal management of aircraft engine bleed system valves. In the future, the EVAL thermal management system – playing the role of “enabling technology” – will ensure accurate and precise regulation of the airflow in the UHBR engine, thus, will contribute to reliable and efficient long-term operation of the engine in the whole. Therefore, EVAL project will contribute to high-level impacts expected by the Clean Sky 2 Programme within the key pillars defined in H2020. The project will be realized by R&D teams of (1) National Aerospace University “KhAI” experienced in complex thermal management systems for aerospace and terrestrial applications, and (2) Allatherm SIA, a high-tech SME with key specialization in two-phase heat transfer technologies and devices. Administrative management and coordination will be provided by the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU). Close collaboration between academia and business will ensure strong innovation and marketing potential of the EVAL project outputs.