<< Background >>Sustainable transportation is required to support the European Green Deal and the related targets for CO2 emission reduction. In the transportation sector, this means the development of the automotive power train, hybrid electric and full electric cars. Other alternative energy sources, such as hydrogen-powered cars, are being tested.Automotive industry has increased the level of automation in the cars considerably. Despite this, the current cars are only at the level of 2 within SAE classified autonomous driving categories (1-5). The technology to achieve higher categories are much more complicated than e.g. tranditional steering mechanisms in the cars. Changing technology is leading to a wider range of skills requirements from the automotive engineers and other personnel working on the automotive sector. Therefore, the objectives of the project are to •develop Bachelor level training in Sustainable Transportation to match the requirements of today’s and tomorrow’s automotive industry and CO2 reduction targets. •practice design science approach in developing new curricula, course modules and learning environments. •build the capacity of teachers in both, automotive technology and also in utilizing the novel teaching methodology and technology. •internationalize collaboration at department level at the partner HEIs.<< Objectives >>The project is aimed update and internationalize the automotive sector teaching, first in the partner HEIs and later (after the project) on larger network of educational institutions. The reform in the automotive technology is challenging the sector’s personnel education. New competencies are required from the auto sector personnel in order to successfully navigate through the reform. This forms the basis for the need for the Sustainable transportation -project. Simultaneously, new teaching technologies enable deeper international cooperation in developing and updating teaching. In the project, new curriculum and training material is developed for sustainable transportation matching the current and future needs of the autoindustry requirements.Co-developed curriculum and teaching as a whole also play a major role in the adoption of new teaching methods. All parties have access to online teaching tools, but seldomly used for virtual student exchange, for example. The opportunities for utilizing e-learning in a virtual international environment are great. With the project, online-mediated teaching collaboration will grow significantly. This serves all parties involved in the project. This benefits both the students and the teachers.The main target group of the project are the students of automotive sector from all participating universities. The project is particularly useful for students' skills. With the project, the teaching of automotive technology will be modernized and a continuous updating process will be created for it as well. Thus, from the perspective of automotive engineering teaching, the project changes the operating culture. The project will provide students with a significant improvement on their current teaching.<< Implementation >>The above objectives will be achieved by•co-designing, co-developing and updating the curricula with three new course modules at EQF level 6, each course equivalent to 5 ECTS. •developing new training materials for the course modules on Sustainable vehicle design and supply chain management (Skoda and OTH), Sustainable use, energy sources and intelligent driving (Thomas More); and Sustainable aftersales – maintenance, repair and circular economy (SeAMK). •setting up a joint training platform for the future joint hybrid training, knowledge and information sharing, and using a collaborative VR environment (e.g. Altspace VR) which enables collaborative working regardless of location in the same time. •training 11 teachers and 100 students in 3 intensive programmes and 6 online courses<< Results >>The outcomes of the project include joint study courses development and partially joint delivery of the teaching. Additionally, the similar courses in each institutions enable easier student and teacher exchanges in the future. The project will also increase the teachers capacity to utilize novel teaching technologies and methods. Results and Outcomes summary: i) 11 teachers and 100 students trained in 3 intensive programmes and 6 online courses; ii) 11 teachers build up their capacity in designing courses and course materials by using design science paradigm methodology; iii) online platform for material and teaching experience sharing for teachers. The project will produce a 15 ECTS study module, which will be the most significant output of the project. The study module consists of six courses, which are implemented on an online learning platform. With the project, renewed learning materials will be formed for these courses and the competences that a future automotive engineer will have to master will be drawn up. A significant output of the project is also the digital learning environment for automotive technology, which will be built together. The learning environment will utilize new and modern teaching technology. Thus, with the project, teaching will be comprehensively reformed, and in connection with the reform, international aspects will also be naturally taken into account.

Working populations in European Member States are ageing. In short, if most people continue to retire at around 60 years of age, the European labour force will shrink by around three million per year over the period 2020 to 2035 as reported by EU-OSHA. There is a need for a new and more comprehensive policy design to counter the shortage of workers in the future. Moreover in European production systems there is a growing demand of applications with arm-based robots, exoskeletons, smart and intelligent working tools, immersive virtual reality technology. All these last generation technologies if well applied have a big potential to preserve the productivity, quality and safety of the aging workforce by better powering their great level experience and extraordinary skills. The main objective of the MAIA Academy is to create a unique research and innovation staff exchange network focused on the ageing problem in manufacturing. MAIA project will provide a multidisciplinary approach to achieve objectives as: - The study of the aging workforce needs and requirements in European production and assembly systems; - The development of new design methodology to create assembly and production workspaces elderly-oriented by preserving productivity, quality and safety; - The development of new analytical models to support assembly and production line design elderly-oriented and validate them with world-wide case studies. - Design and test of new ergonomics devices in order to support aging workers during tasks, by helping them in reducing muscular fatigue and risk of muscle skeletal disorders - Design and test of new immersive and virtual reality instruments in order to guide elder workers and support them in the production process. MAIA will bring together 7 European partners and 6 Third country partners to create a new generation of knowledge towards the creation of age-friendly paradigms, models and methods for manufacturing systems.

The main objective of SPIN-FERT is to integrate optimised and validated innovations in soil management practices and improve peat-free substrates to enhance soil health in vegetable, fruit and ornamental crops. SPIN-FERT will exploit outcomes, including patents, from several related projects, in particular EXCALIBUR as 6 of its members are partners in SPIN-FERT. Multi-actor approach is at the core of SPIN-FERT methodology and consortium for extensive knowledge transfer and co-design. Specifically, SPIN-FERT will optimize the production process of chosen fertilising products and improve their formulation with innovative protocols to increase efficacy. SPIN-FERT will leverage agro-food by-products into resources for agricultural production, exploiting them further into peat-free substrates. These and reconditioned coir will be formulated with specifically selected microbial strains to improve their characteristics and applicability, particularly for nursery industry. All innovative products will be validated in field trials in 4 regions in Europe (PL, I, F and UK). Five tools will be delivered to support the correct implementation of the practices, to facilitate products registration and favoring policy development, including a Soil Holistic Quality Index. SPIN-FERT will carry out economic, social and environmental assessments of the peat-free substrates and soil management innovations, to demonstrate sustainability. All this information will serve to develop a comprehensive policy framework for measures fostering wide adoption of soil-friendly practices. To further ensure commercial relevance of the peat-free substrates and soil management innovations, SMEs, public authorities and citizen representatives partner or advise on SPIN-FERT for effective project delivery and maximum impact. Art&science and image-based tools will be utilized in communication and dissemination to increase awareness on the central role of soil health for humans and planet living.

Arterial hypertension (HT) is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and has an important cost for society. Pathogenic mechanisms underlying HT are complex and include genetic and environmental, vascular and hormonal factors. Detection of secondary forms of HT is particularly important since it allows for the targeted management of the underlying disease. Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common form of endocrine hypertension. Different adrenal diseases are responsible for PA: i) aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA or Conn's adenoma, ~50% of cases); ii) idiopathic hyperaldosteronism or bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH, 30-40%); iii) unilateral primary adrenal hyperplasia (documented unilateral aldosterone secretion without detectable adenoma, 5-10%) and iv) aldosterone producing adrenal carcinoma in rare cases. Once the diagnosis of PA has been made, it is important to identify its etiology, in order to distinguish between surgically correctable forms (APA and unilateral primary adrenal hyperplasia) and forms to be treated pharmacologically (BAH). Patients with PA exhibit more severe left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction than patients with essential hypertension and a high prevalence of myocardial infarction, stroke and atrial fibrillation. Moreover, among unilateral forms of PA, hypertension is cured after surgery in less than 50% of patients. The understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying PA is then essential to allow for the development of new diagnostic tools and biomarkers and for the identification of new therapeutic targets, concerning up to 10% of the hypertensive population. Increasing evidence shows the relevance of local mechanisms regulating aldosterone production in the adrenal, as opposed to cardiovascular regulation by the renin-angiotensin system. Our research project aims to investigate pivotal aspects of the mechanisms implicated in local control of aldosterone secretion in the adrenal through a strategy that integrates functional genomics, mouse models and clinical studies, with the aim to better understand the physiopathology of PA for improved therapeutic intervention in hypertensive patients. The three French partners and the German partner implicated in the project have a long-lasting and very productive collaboration record in the field of the study of the physiopathology of aldosterone production. In the framework of their previous studies, critical advances have been made in the understanding of the physiopathology of PA, with the characterization of the in vivo role of potassium channels in the regulation of aldosterone secretion by the adrenal cortex and the identification of somatic mutations driving APA phenotype. The first part of our project will focus on the identification of new genes involved in the pathogenesis of APA using the unique model of the Kcnk3 null mice previously characterized by our consortium, which present sex- and sexual hormone-dependent PA, and that allowed to identify a restricted set of genes with a potential role in the regulation of aldosterone secretion in the adrenal. Using a strategy that will integrate genetic, cell and animal studies, we will identify those genes that are relevant for aldosterone secretion in vivo and are associated to PA. In the second part of our project we will tackle the problem of the dissociation of hypersecretion and neoplastic nodule formation in pathological adrenals that overproduce aldosterone. We will produce the first mouse models with an altered function in genes whose homologs are implicated in APA and by genomic analysis we will identify genetic abnormalities in multinodular adrenals whose role in the nodulation process will be validated by producing ad hoc mouse models. We are confident that the results of our project will shed new light on the pathogenetic mechanisms of PA and allow to design new targeted therapies for this disease.