The future challenges and possible environmentally related competitive advantages are linked to the two generic technologies - Biotechnology and ICT. They are reducing and preventing the negative impacts of humans technology on environment and health, and ensure the potential of future sustainable development. In this context discussions about the environmental aspects of biotechnology and ICT and how they are shaped in interaction with HE trends is performed. This is also important as ICT technology is seriously embedded into many new biotechnological processes, products, etc. This outlined the project objectives to develop HE prospects for integrated environmental and innovation training in relation to interaction of biotechnology and digital technology areas. The objectives pursued and the innovative education offered will be focused on target groups in the following directions: - to define the applications of digital technologies in biotechnology - to create, using ICT, a virtual space and educational content, enriched with visual elements and simulations - to apply EQF/NQF/HE principles for qualification development ensuring technical competence and skills of target groups - to show the innovative character of digital technologies and their effect on green industry The project partnership is created with understanding for the HEs needs to shift educational policy from “knowledge” to “competence” and for introduction of LOs and ECTS within the Biotechnology & ICT education for green technologies development. It unifies EU partners from BG, GR, DE, IT, FR and comprises three HEIs, two SMEs with core activity in fostering quality standards in educational and Biotech management, and two R&D Centers having core expertise in implementation of sustainable scientific, educational and social practices. The project methodology is based on System Development Life Cycle concept, which divides the project lifetime into four Phases and seven Tasks/Activities: Arrangement of project management & administration; Project start up; Methodological framework & work plan; Intellectual Outputs production; Approbation of project deliverables; Performance of Dissemination & Use; Assurance of durable effect of project. During the project life cycle the following results will be developed: I) A comprehensive digital educational platform comprising Intellectual Outputs in the frame of Biotechnology and ICT, designed as LOs: O1: The Drivers of Digital technology and ICT in HE: A Case Study, examining the contribution of contemporary learning technologies to the institutional modernization. O2: Open Content Platform, an innovative tool using blended learning approach for a self-paced, free source of online education in the field of ICT for green Biotechnology. O3: Learning Area & Reference Model which will be focused on the development of the training programme and formulation of LOs/BLPs. O4: Guide "Teaching and learning in HE" designed for academic professionals and offering both the essentials of effective HE teaching and guidelines how to use the project web platform. O5: Students Smart Kit elaborated for BSc/MSc students and describing strategies for effective learning and the opportunities in the project. O6: Science for Educational Resources comprising latest innovations in the field of ICT for green Biotechnology and encompassing case studies, presentations, videos, visualizations, 3D-educational images, etc. The programme will be realized through actions assigning the following results: II) Results for project management & administration: derived during project conceptual design; complementing the Intellectual Outputs; processing multiplier events; assisting training programme piloting; related to project D&U; linked with Digit-BioTech sustainability provision. III) Results dedicated on the MEs performance and popularization of all project deliverables. IV) Results related with the organisation of TPMs. The expected impact of Digit-BioTech project is directly connected with the innovative achievements anticipated by it. The generic innovations that outline prospects for durable impact are focused on: - Development of innovative training materials and practical teaching and guidance tools oriented towards project targets - LO-based educational approach - offered in a blended mode and contributing to introduction of a training approach leading towards qualification - Amalgamation of a virtual space and educational content thus implementing digital strategies in HE training The potential of long-term benefits from the Digit-BioTech project is grounded on the envisaged possibilities for: - Implementation of project outputs into national educational systems at formal institutions and in-company training departments - Capacity development of HEIs to support and build up employability - Mobilizing science and technology and foster capacity for innovation - Improving the social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
The main Digit-BioTech project objectives was to develop HE prospects integrating environmental and innovation policies in Bulgaria and the EU participating countries in relation to the interaction of biotechnology and digital technology areas. The ambition of the Digit-BioTech project was to provide a programme for delivering digital education technology to HEs in an easy and affordable way, and to turn test sites into a platform for experimentation. The establishment of such a HE programme was expected to enable analyses that get deeper than the metaphor of ‘the knowledge society” as very knowledgeable and only having limited resource consumption. Thus, the objectives pursued, and the innovative education offered reflected the specific partner country needs and were focused on the target groups in the following directions: - Defining the applications of digital technologies in biotechnology; - Creating a virtual space and educational content, enriched with visual elements and simulations; - Applying EQF/NQF/HE principles for qualification development ensuring technical competence and skills of target groups; - Showing the innovative character of digital technologies and their effect on other green industries.
The future challenges of Education 4.0 and the necessity of environmentally related competitive advantages are linked to the two generic technologies - Biotechnology and ICT. They ensure the potential for future sustainable development by helping in reducing and preventing the negative impacts of human technology on the environment and health. In this context, discussions about the environmental aspects of biotechnology and ICT and how they are shaped in interaction with HE trends were performed. This was also important as ICT technology is seriously embedded into many new biotechnological processes, products, etc. There was also a need for more public participation in the shaping of future research and innovation strategies for biotechnology, as well as to overcome the weaknesses in the links between biotechnology and ICT: the competence gap between specialists in computer science and those in biological sciences. To address these weaknesses an improvement of higher education of the target groups, who need to work with digital tools was necessary and the Digit-BioTech tried to answer these needs by introducing an innovative educational programme for HEIs.