Globally, tourism sector is one of sectors the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to this and concurrent crisis such as the climate crisis, Ukraine-Russia war, energy, tourism sector is under great transformation. In 2021, tourism accounted for 6.1% of the global GDP contribution - compared to 10.3% in pre-COVID times, forecasting to return to 2019 levels only by 2025. Furthermore, in the last two years lockdowns and the energy crisis have heavily affected work-life, leisure, and recreational patterns of EU citizens, bringing significant changes to daily routines, new demands for sustainability and nature-based tourism. To face these problems and yield these new opportunities the sector needs to radically innovate, while keeping local communities and the environment at the core of its strategies. However, the sector lacks specific interdisciplinary and governance skills that generally refers to “sustainable tourism destination management” (STDM), while HEIs and VET are currently lacking training that foster the ability of young students, professionals, public officials to solve sustainability & innovation challenges. Therefore, WeNaTour aims to increase the capacity of HEIs, VETs and businesses to integrate research results, innovative practices, and digitalisation into a first-class educational offer to foster sustainable tourism and its principles while supporting the creation of new products and services on two emerging markets: (1) company welfare, and (2) nature-based tourism for health and well-being. It will do so by facilitating the co-creation of knowledge, developing high-quality multidisciplinary training among EU networks of HEIs, VET and businesses active in sustainable tourism. WeNaTour will actively work across Italy, Romania, Austria, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, while developing a wide international Alliance on Sustainable Tourism to replicate and exploit results and lead to sector transformation and long-lasting impacts.

In recent years, climate change has caused a remarkable instability which is affecting the availability and quality of water in many European regions. The lack and difficulty of managing this matter, not only within farming sector is generating tensions between regions and enterprises due to the availability, quality and distribution of water. Considering also the fact that certain products are of notably high water demand and that on certain countries the hydraulic network for agricultural activities is old with many leakages, the gravity of the presented issue is imperative.These evidences and missing short-term and long-term solutions/ perspectives for sustainable solutions build the basis for this project aiming at:raising awareness about the danger of water shortage and the risks of pollutiontraining allowing to optimize the use and quality of water resourcesExchange of examples related more efficient and less polluting farming techniquesWater is a primary resource for agricultural production as well as it is important factor for other sectors and at the same time a public good with public interest behind.Agriculture as the main user of water resources has a significant responsibility in managing of natural resources. And to widen further the topic: agriculture as a sector has influence on water usage; as well on climate change – at least the part of the change which is caused by humans.The project wants to follow a bottom up approach which means learning from practitioners and making their knowledge, patterns and methods in the field of sustainable water management on farming, based on 3 elements:Summary GuideCase studiesTraining modulesThe project’s training methodology is based on the Open Educational Resources (OER) approach, thus developing digital training materials that will be available under a creative commons license allowing their use and distribution free of charges.

Advanced textile materials are a thriving sub-sector in the textile and clothing ecosystem based on high added value and differentiation as unique selling proposition. Innovation in this field is key in the resilience building of the EU textile sector and its competitiveness, particularly in VUCA environments such as COVID-19 pandemic.Two major trends to increase the innovation ecosystem in the advanced textile sector are the update of digitalization and green innovations to address climate change and improve the sustainability of the sector. However, there is a lack of knowledge by textile SMEs in digital tools beyond traditional CRM and ERP. In addition, while sustainability is raising in the textile sector, many companies are still far from exploiting tools and principles such as eco-design.Therefore, a holistic approach fostering the digital and green transition is needed to boost innovation in the sector through knowledge transfer and co-creation between academia and the industrial sector. Clusters will bring together the triple helix of innovation along with industry.The ADDTEX project main objective is to facilitate the flow and co-creation of knowledge between higher education (HEI) and vocational education and training (VET), research, public sector and business sector within the advanced textile materials sector to foster new, innovative and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning. In parallel, the project aims to stimulate a sense of initiative and entrepreneurial attitudes, mindsets and skills in learners, educational staff and other workers, in line with the Green Deal and Entrepreneurship Competence Framework. ADDTEX will also improve the quality and relevance of skills developed and certified through education and training systems. The project will also reinforce the clusters in each region, supporting education and training of advanced textile materials companies through linkages with HEIs and VETs.

<< Objectives >>DI4TEX objective is to foster the digital transformation of the textile industry by providing its employees with the required skills to face the current challenges of the sector. The partnership will work together to lead the digital skills transition by adopting smart advanced technologies and further boost economic recovery, renewal and resilience. The adoption of digital transformation is key to allow the EU textile industry to be at the forefront of the new competitive market scenarios.<< Implementation >>The project will develop a set of innovative digital learning tools based on an innovative approach to transfer and create knowledge based on existent tools to foster digitalization. The 3 specific activities to be implemented are: the detection of digital needs and challenges in the textile industry in Catalonia and Slovenia, the design and development of a training programme and e-learning contents to face these needs and a pilot test and the dissemination of the developed training programme.<< Results >>The main result will be a virtual training programme covering the lack of knowledge in the Catalan and Slovenian textile industries related to digitalization, which can be extrapolated in other European territories. This will help to highlight clear gaps that are apparent in the textile industry in these regions and provide practical ideas on how to improve these gaps through the introduction and implementation of key digital tools, solutions and skillsets.

<< Objectives >>General objective: increase VET providers' capacity to prepare learners for the green transition.Specific objectives:- equip VET providers with GreenComp-based innovative practices and digital tools to foster learners’ sustainability competences;- increase VET teachers' knowledge and skills in sustainability education;- create a transnational cooperation platform for the continuous improvement and innovation of sustainability education;-increase VET learners' sustainability competences<< Implementation >>The consortium will implement a State of Art Research & Best Practices Analysis in fostering the 12 sustainability competences set out in GreenComp, in order to develop a Methodological Framework, a toolkit with management and educational resources to build an EU Sustainability Education Ecosystem (the Green Hive).The Ecosystem, a platform-based network composed of localised multi-stakeholder hubs (Green Combs) established within VET institutions, will be developed and piloted in 5 EU countries.<< Results >>The major project result will be the Green Hive digital platform, hosting and connecting 15 localised hubs and over 200 VET learners in 5 countries. The platform, dedicated to innovation of sustainability education, will include teaching and learning resources, capacity building for VET providers, activity co-creation, contest and event management tools. 500+ VET experts will be involved during the project and are expected to increase their capacity to prepare learners for the green transition.