The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the vulnerability of European industry and showed with greater emphasis the digitalisation of it as a strategic imperative. However, the challenge for European SMEs is not simply to be digital but to transform themselves into “Bionic firms”: companies that are capable of effectively combine technological, transversal and leadership skills achieving in turn more productive operations and greater innovation.

GIST has the aim to develop innovative training material for SMEs to provide them with the basic competencies needed to reach this “Bionic Status”.

The project especially focuses on the companies of the furniture sector, a field in with the 4th industrial revolution had not entered massively due to under-invests in the R&D&I, a typical SMEs disability. The organisations involved are indeed preoccupied with the shortage of skilled personnel and the ageing workforce. Hence, a life-long learning pathway to upskilling and reskilling the SMEs’ workers seems to be a priority. ​

GIST produces the following results:

IO1. GIST training path definition which encompasses a key study based on current knowledge, skills and qualifications regarding digital transformation. It will result in a Joint Curriculum that defines the needed learning outcomes and covers previously identified skill gaps.

IO2. GIST Training content development addresses the following topics organized in microlearning modules: I) Introduction to digital transformation; II) Industry 4.0 Key Enabling Technologies for Bionic transformation of SMEs; III) Transversal skills for Bionic transformation of SMEs and IV) Leadership skills for Bionic transformation of SMEs.

This is the main result of the project developed to be used by traditional companies in the furniture sector that think about moving forward to the digital transformation. The training course and the general methodology will be available for other centres and professional organisations and could be adapted for other manufacturing industries.

IO3. GIST Collaborative platform and verification action. In this intellectual output GIST will develop a collaborative platform where all the content developed in IO2 will be integrated based on micro-learning methodology designed to meet a specific learning outcome. Then, with a Verification Action the target users will handle, check and assess the final training content ensuring that it has a real utility and interest for the main stakeholders.

Main target group of the project are SMEs from furniture and related sectors.