The project wants to answer to the VET sector specific priority of enhancing access to training and qualifications and to the horizontal priority dedicated to the promotion and adoption of transparency tools. In fact it aims to boost competences in arts&craft sector by developing a training path on digital modelling addressed and adapted to craft. The final aim of the project is to enhance arts&crafts performance in the local economy and with customers though exploiting the potential of advanced technologies. As long with this i twill provide with a complete profile for the MULTIDIMENSIONAL CRAFT ENTREPRENEUR aligned to VET provision to ensure the adaptability and adoption of the training profile by VET operators in the field of craft. Digital modelling and additive manufacturing technology is a game changer in the arts and crafts world, it provides a bridge between technology and hands-on crafting. In a way, this reverses the industrial revolution and takes it back to people building things in their own workshops. With a variety of 3D Printing materials that now go far beyond plastics, ancient craftsmanship and edgy technology can be beautifully blended to bring the emotion of a design to life. The EU takes a keen interest in the cultural and creative industries, among others because they are a source of economic growth. EU believes that, in addition to its intrinsic value, culture has a significant economic return. The cultural and creative sectors make up nearly 4.5% of the European economy, thanks to nearly 1.4 million small and medium-sized businesses generating and distributing creative content all over Europe and it also showed great resilience during the crisis – they actually continued to grow – while stimulating creativity and innovation spill-overs in other sectors. The integration of technology within craft practice can affect virtually every aspect of the craft product lifecycle, from conception and design to final sale, bringing varied impacts according to the level at which it is integrated. Integration of new technologies in design and making processes can contribute to enhanced efficiency, creative opportunities, interactivity, and the customization of products. The project general aim is to improve digital skills of arts&crafts professionals through 3D printing in order to improve their: o Market performance o Customer engagement o Marketing strategy o Use of IT tools for the production processes o Business possibility o Sense of entrepreneurship Therefore the project will develop two main outputs which targets two different type of categories: - Organization which support and provide training to craft entrepreneurs (fab lab, cluster VET etc.) which will benefit from a complete profile aligned to VET – for a total of 100 - Craft entrepreneurs which will benefit from a complete training course online about digital modelling and additive manufacturing and guidance on how to implement this technology onto their business – for a total of 120 The set of tools developed will be adaptable to other educational levels, accessible online, free to be use at TGs pace. Project activities will be carried out by organization which represents the various expertise need to carry out the project. Partners are expert in vocational education, digital skills, digital modelling and additive manufacturing as well as software development and e-learning tools. All together they will work closely for the realization of three Intellectual Outputs: - The MULTIDIMENSIONAL CRAFT ENTREPRENEUR PROFILE - The CRAFT 4.0 training course - The guidelines to deploy the multidimensional craft entrepreneur The implementation of the project will follow through the realization of these outputs which have been conceived to highlight partners experience and capabilities and will be tested with the TGs in each key step, thus to achieve high quality and usable products.
Context/background of the project Digital tools including digital modelling software and digital making tools such as 3D Printing are stretching the boundaries of making both in the process of creating form and in the development of designs and concepts. Furthermore, these technologies are becoming increasingly accessible and affordable. While the machine/computer is sometimes seen as a threat to craft, these technologies also represent a significant opportunity to support the production of hand-crafted objects and to enhance the development of the craft sector. The emergence of affordable digital manufacturing and fabrication tools are acknowledged as having the potential to radically reshape contemporary craft practice. Project Aims and Objectives Current trends in the craft sector show how important it is for craftspeople to embrace opportunities brought by the digital revolution. Craft 4.0 aimed to create training tools for craftspeople in the areas of digital modelling and digital/ additive manufacturing. Furthermore, the project aims to improve digital competences in the craft sector and in doing so enhance the craftmaking process. Providing an opportunity for the craftsperson to cultivate product design and development skills, increase sectoral networking locally and internationally while also increasing customer engagement, with the purpose of improving and developing individual craft businesses. Project Activities and Participants Craft 4.0 consisted of three main outputs underpinned by multiple project activities. IO1, delivered The Multidimensional Craft Entrepreneur, a Research Report based on the following activities: - A survey of 160 craft professionals from the partner countries providing direct insights into specific requirements for the development of a focused training strategy - A collection of 25 case studies sourced from the Craft 4.0 partners providing insights from established designers/ craftspeople who have adopted digital technology in their craft process - Organisation of 6 focus groups by the partners with 100 participants from the craft sector who are interested in developing their digital making skills, further informing and refining the design of the proposed training content. IO2 involved the creation of: The Craft 4.0 Training Platform The development of an online training platform which would be used to host the training content and support the learning needs of the craft sector in the area of digital modelling, digital manufacturing and additive manufacturing processes. The structure and functionality of the platform was developed during a 3 day design workshop hosted by Malardalens University and involving 12 participants from the partner organisations. The Craft 4.0 Training Content The development of extensive training content specific to the project in the form of video tutorials, presentations and tests, providing craft professionals with learning resources to help develop their practice and business through adoption of digital making technologies. In total there are 47 modules including 37 videos (177 minutes), 10 presentations and 4 tests. In particular, the decision to produce as much video content as possible is notable. Although not allowed for in the original plan, the partners felt that this was the most suitable format for the type of learning and target audience. IO3 involved 3 deliverables: Implementation of a Pilot Test of the training platform and content The project partners conducted a pilot test of 200 participants from 7 countries. 45% of the participant were from the Craft Sector, 38% from training providers and 17% described as others which included students. Evaluation of the Pilot Test The platform was evaluated via survey and a direct feedback loop to the project partners. The survey consisted of 19 multiple choice questions and 6 free text questions. There were 200 responses with 561 individual comments/ suggestions amounting to 7,700 words. Results and Impact The 3rd deliverable of IO3 was a report on the Pilot Test which summarised the outcomes of the pilot test and project generally. The overall satisfaction levels with the platform were very high. The survey evaluated the satisfaction level across 4 categories which included the Training Materials, Training Methodology, Training Platform, and Training Course Impact. The overall satisfaction levels with the platform were very high with the satisfaction level across the 4 categories greater than 8.5 out of 10 and average satisfaction level being 8.77 out of 10. Generally the feedback from the sector regarding the project was overwhelmingly positive. Further detains and insights are delivered in the Pilot Test Report which is available on the Project Results Platform and Craft 4.0 Website. At the time of this report, there were 4,100 site visits, 1,295 video views and 2,400 minutes of video watch time.