IPISA aims at enabling CETRI to recruit a specialist to join our team developing a smart sensor array of chemoresistive sensing elements for measurement of Volatile Organic Compounds and other hazardous gas. The sensor is innovative because its multi-material design and advanced data processing algorithms make it suitable for a number of applications and gases. The development work foreseen is on the synthesis, patterning (using inkjet printing and microfabrication techniques) and characterization of sensing elements to make the gas sensor exploitable with the highest efficiency. The IPISA proposal aims at exploiting an ultra-versatile sensing scheme based on the development of high-performance, low-cost, printed sensor array technology in order to fulfill the ever growing need for environmental monitoring. Α plethora of fields is expected to be benefited from such a technology in the near future, such as the industrial environment monitoring for labour safety and urban environment monitoring for the life quality monitoring. Moreover, the high societal impact of such a sensing scheme technology is reflected on current needs for enhanced safety monitoring in populated area, such as airports for the convenient detection of explosives, and fields where the knowledge of the exact environmental conditions is of paramount importance such as agriculture, livestock, pisciculture, etc. The specialist will also be working on the commercialization of the device and will formulate an holistic innovation strategy for market penetration of the sensor produced. For that purpose, a training program in innovation management and business management will be offered as part of the project (organised by the European Commission), as well as an internal training program in order to smoothly integrate the expert in CETRI's research team.

Non-invasive, inexpensive, and accurate assessment of adipose tissue (BAT) activity is crucial in the fight against metabolic pandemics such as obesity, and in various industries (e.g., foods, pharmaceuticals). However, the only technique available to measure the activity of this tissue is PET/CT imaging of the glucosetracer 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose , a highly invasive technique that is harmful for human health, expensive, and requires extensive equipment and facilities. The development and validation of non-invasive and practical techniques to accurately estimate human BAT activity requires the creation of new technology and the advancement of the current state of the art. Companies (particularly SMEs) do not have the technical capabilities to conduct R&D activities at the level of excellence required for such development. Academic institutions have the capacity to conduct the necessary R&D but they lack the expertise to develop the prototype post project. To solve this intersectoral problem, the ICI-THROUGH project will create a sustainable innovation platform of intersectoral collaboration between two academic (UOT and UOP) and two industrial (IMED and CETRI) European participants to exchange knowledge on the development of non-invasive techniques to estimate human BAT activity. This will be achieved via a series of clear and measurable research and innovation objectives that will be realized via staff exchanges of experienced and early-stage researchers divided into: networking, research and training, workshop, innovation, dissemination, and public engagement activities. The ICI-THROUGH project is effectively aligned with the scope of the RISE call and its success is in the interest of all participants. Also, exploitation of the obtained tangible outcomes (e.g., prototype) will ensure the partnership’s sustainability post project. Thus, the ICI-THROUGH project has high potential to become a self-sustaining innovation incubator between the four participants.

Bicycle helmets are a tremendously important asset against head injuries during accidents. However, their normal use is often associated with strong thermal discomfort due to the (thermally) insulating nature of the materials used in their structures. This affects directly the willingness to wear helmets, which has direct implications in terms of the risk to which riders are exposed to. However, the capacity and expertise to improve the thermal performance of helmets exist on academic institutions (e.g. expertise in thermal physiology, monitoring of bio-responses, active cooling) but they lack a viable supply chain to go from prototypes to finished products, ready for exploitation. On the other hand, SMEs lack the technical skills and research facilities to perform R&D activities, to solve the mentioned problem. To solve this intersectoral problem, the SmartHELMET project will create a sustainable ecosystem of collaboration and knowledge transfer between academic and industrial partners that will develop the next generation of bicycle helmets with smart thermal management. The project’s innovative aspects in terms of new products, processes and applications are very significant, as the new knowledge has many potential applications in the development of other smart headgear products (e.g. motorcycle helmets, industrial protective headgear, sports related headgear, etc.) as well as smarts products in other sectors where the thermal aspect is crucial (e.g. protective garments, sports clothing and footwear). To achieve its objectives, SmartHELMET will put together research expertise and resources from three large academic partners with market, commercialization and innovation experience from three SMEs, to exchange knowledge through intersectoral staff secondments. The project will bridge research initiatives between the academic and industrial sectors, creating long-term cooperation between them, while raising society awareness about its implications for citizens.

<< Background >>In the European Union, due to EU Directive 2018/645, all professional drivers with vehicles over 3.5 t total weight and professional drivers with buses with more than eight seats must complete mandatory training on specified topics amounting to 35 hours every five years. After completing the further training measures, the professional driver receives a so-called C95 code entered in the driving licence or the individual Member States receive their own C 95 identity card. For this reason, the further training measures are also referred to as C 95 training. Calculated on the basis of the current vehicle population in the European Union, this results in a training requirement of approx. 1,500,000 training days, which must be held by accredited trainers. The above-mentioned directive defines general quality factors according to which the accreditation of trainers is to be carried out. In practice, however, the authorities in the individual Member States have defined very different access requirements for C 95 trainers. The same applies to any mandatory further training required of trainers. This results in very different levels of quality in the training of professional drivers in the individual Member States. Furthermore, the permeability of the labour market for C 95 trainers is not given, as the different criteria make it possible to work in Member State A but not in Member State B. The current active trainers show that there is a high degree of mobility between Member States. Among the currently active trainers, findings from previous projects show that there are significant deficiencies in the area of didactic pedagogical skills. These previous projects have recorded the need, but have not developed products to meet the need.In addition, Covid Pandemie also showed that trainers' skills in using digital training tools to design long distance trainings are almost non-existent.Another area of need results from the fact that the topics of green thinking, sustainable business and digitalisation are hardly dealt with by the C 95 trainers.There is general pressure on the transport sector to reduce its carbon footprint and CO2 emissions. The ability of transport companies to make a difference arises from 2 starting points: what equipment and design technology is available and how drivers perform their work. Drivers' performance can be influenced through compulsory training. Educators with a broad understanding of green values and the importance of environmental friendliness in the transport industry are also able to communicate this to drivers. Therefore, there is a general need to create an entity for transport trainers in this area.Five sub-areas of need result from the above-mentioned reasons:The need for recording the necessary skills of C 95 trainers from the perspective of companies in the transport industry and from the perspective of training institutes.The need for standardisation of the necessary skills of C 95 trainers in order to ensure high quality training of professional drivers throughout the EU. This quality training will also support the European Vision Zero strategy to reduce the number of road deaths to zero in 2050. The need to increase the digital competences of C 95 trainers to develop and deliver long distance training and to meet the requirements for C 95 training after the Covid pandemic.Building on the above two needs, the need for a uniform training package for C 95 trainers.The need for an online-based uniform verification tool for the necessary existing skills of C 95 trainers and thus to increase the permeability of the labour market in the individual Member States.<< Objectives >>The implementation of this project is intended to define a uniform standardised framework for the necessary skills of C 95 trainers. This should also serve as a recommendation for the authorities in the individual Member States and ensure uniformity of the requirements for the activity of a C 95 trainer in all Member States in the future. This will also lead to a higher permeability of the labour market for C 95 trainers.Another effect of the implementation of this project will be a higher quality of the C 95 trainings offered, as the developed training modules that are available online will give a much larger number of trainers the opportunity for subject-specific and pedagogical/didactical further training. The lifelong learning approach of the C95 trainers can thus be carried out efficiently and quickly with the advantages of long-distance learning. Based on the perspectives of sustainable development and responsibility, we want to bring the skills of transport educators about green values to a level that will support and promote the achievement of carbon-neutral goals in the transport sector.Due to the increase in quality of the C95 trainings, the implementation of the project will also lead to a higher acceptance of the professional drivers and the companies in the transport sector regarding the necessity and importance of these trainings.Through the planned development of an online testing platform, it will be possible after the implementation of the project to carry out a certification of C 95 trainers and to renew this certification at regular intervals. This certification will lead to a definition of quality standards for C 95 trainers in the individual Member States. For the participants in the training courses and the companies in the transport sector, the certification of the trainers will provide a quality-oriented selection criterion.The Covid pandemic has shown that the previous C 95 trainings, which were almost exclusively conducted as face-to-face trainings, will have to develop in the direction of blended learning in the future. After the implementation of the project, the know-how of the C95 trainers will be increased towards the use of ICT tools in C95 trainings and the skills in the field of pedagogical/didactic design of e-learning or blended learning C95 trainings will be built up.By implementing key topics in the trainer training, such as green thinking and sustainable management, these topics will be implemented in the further training of professional drivers as well as in the practice of these professional drivers.<< Implementation >>In order to meet the objectives stated above, the partnership will carry out the following activities: Development of Project Results: Four innovative results will be produced as part of the C95trainer project. Each Result lead has the required expertise to direct the production of each result. The intended outcome of these results is to create freely-accessible materials to support more than 200 professional drivers’ trainers by equipping them with the knowledge, motivation, and tools to bring Europe closer to a more sustainable and harmonised educational material for the C95 trainings. Publicity: A publicity plan will be developed by the lead partner which will focus on the promotion of the project’s aims, objectives, and results. Adult education institutions and other relevant stakeholders will be targeted through a wide outreach effort by the partnership via online and in-person communications. Transnational Project Meetings: Four TPMs have been planned, one in each country represented by the partnership. Multiplier Events: Toward the end of the project’s life and after the Results have been developed, each partner will hold a national Multiplier Event which will showcase what we have created with the expectation that invited organisations will use the products. In addition, an international conference will be held in Finland to also present and discuss the European dimension of the project results. Evaluation: The partners will follow an Evaluation plan created by the lead partner which will evaluate the extent to which the project is meeting its objectives and intended outcomes, plus the effectiveness of the partnership. 4 evaluation reports will be produced during the course of the project. Sustainability: The partnership will create and conform to a sustainability plan which will ensure that the project’s results will be used long beyond the duration of the project.<< Results >>The project consortium believes our project work will change the skills and attitudes of C95 trainers towards digitalisation, inclusion and green values. The results of the project will allow us to indirectly influence the attitudes of the entire transport sector and drivers towards environmentally friendly thinking, reducing the sector's carbon footprint and sustainable development. In a first step the project will develop a competence folder for C95 Trainer. This means that a questionnaire will be send to stakeholders (transport companies and trainers) to find out which competent C95 trainers are needed. On this basis, a standardized e-learning and present 32-hour training programme for C95 trainers will be developed with a focus on Didactics, ICT tools. The main tangible results are: 1) R1 C95 Protrainer competence card: The result describes the common areas of competences required in the C95 trainer market. These competences will include the professional/technical skills but also didactic/pedagogical competences for the use of modern learning techniques (e-learning, blended learning, distance learning, VR technologies) in C95 training. Leader: PONS 2) R2 C95 Protrainer - Training path of a special training program for C95 trainers. One focus will be on the general pedagogical/didactic area, with the benefits of enriching C95 training with digital tools. A second focus will be on green thinking and ecology in the transport sector. The result is the creation of web-based learning material for a 32-hour blended learning training course for C95 trainers. Leader: Prenner &Partner3) R3 C95 Protrainer - Training Methodology and Transferability Guide: the output consists in a standalone document for trainers, VET organisation and stakeholders to support the correct implementation and evaluation of the training path created by the project. Leader: TTS 4) R4 C95 Protrainer - online test platform to test defined competencies of the trainers and to standardize access as C95 trainers. Leader: CETRI Apart of what result each partner leads, all project partners cooperate on all results development. Upon project completion, consortium aims at: -To develop common training content and methodology for trainers in the field of trainings based on EU Directive 2018/645 - Development of a standardised training and further education programme for trainers within the framework of the EU Directives 2018/645.- Development of a Europe-wide experience platform for trainers within the framework of the EU Directives 2018/645. - Development of a standardized online test platform to test defined competencies of the trainers and to standardize access as trainers.Project tangible results include: - 6 partner organizations actively participating/organizing four (4) transnational meetings in Austria, Spain, Greece and Finland, six (6) national multiplier events (Austria, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Finland & Poland) and 1 international in Finland combined with the final TPM. Project management results: - Successful implementation of the project and impact achieved: conditions provided through due professional strategic partnership establishment, careful planning, human and financial resources allocation, Project Management Plan, Quality and Evaluation Plan elaboration, etc. - Successful project dissemination and solid provision of project sustainability: Communication and Dissemination Plan elaboration, Dissemination activities realisation, outstanding outreach provided through planned activities and networks available, etc. - European dimension of project outcomes and cooperation between the organizations involved directly and/or indirectly: due professional strategic partnership establishment, spirit of cooperation, respect and support among the partnership

Thin film deposition methods are crucial to generate progress in Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) of strategic importance for Europe, including Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology, Micro- and Nanoelectronics, Biotechnology, and Photonics. Devices like photovoltaic cells, light emitting diodes, electronic and optoelectronic micro-/nano-sensors are prominent examples of thin film applications where the precise control of material deposition and its degree of order (crystallinity) are of paramount importance for their performance and function. However, technologies for thin film deposition have very limited capacity to tune the material crystallinity at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, or to create functional 3D architectures in a single and versatile manner. The requirement of high temperatures and vacuum conditions make them inherently costly and unsuitable for deposition on various substrates (e.g. plastics). Moreover, their dimensions are not compatible with miniaturization and integration in table-top interfaces that would broaden their potential use. These limitations restrain the development of ground-breaking functional materials and new-conceptual devices. The absence of a radically new deposition technology hampers innovation and the appearance of new and cost-effective marketable products. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to develop a radically new deposition technology to overcome these limitations, and that is at the core of the SPRINT project. SPRINT will develop a universal deposition technology of amorphous and tuned crystalline matter on multiple substrates, at room temperature and pressure. This technology not only combines the benefits of existing advanced deposition methods, at significantly lower cost and higher deposition rates, but also goes beyond the state-of-the-art in advanced materials development, to open new roadmaps to a plethora of future devices and applications.