The main objective of the project was to improve the competences of a group of higher education staff from Poland and Slovakia. In addition, the main objective of the Project was to create a framework for education that would significantly improve the competences of higher education in the field of Industry 4.0, based on the experience and knowledge of international experts and practitioners of modern industry. The specific objectives of the Project are: improving the quality of education by developing international and innovative educational programs and a textbook, which will enable the transfer of the most up-to-date, comprehensive and practical know-how regarding solutions used in Indu. 4.0; expanding knowledge and promoting the concept of Industry 4.0 at universities; (3) strengthening cooperation between partner institutions in the field of shaping competences in the field of Industry 4.0 and increasing internationalization through the exchange of good practices and the development and dissemination of an innovative educational module, including educational programs and teaching materials. It was assumed that the implementation of the project would contribute to the increase in knowledge, skills and competences of students.
The main reason was the identified necessary changes in the way enterprises and universities operate and the desire to actively respond to these changes. The aim of our project is to fill the competence gap by developing and implementing educational programs that will focus on developing digital skills among students. We want to create programs that will not only provide theoretical knowledge, but also enable practical application of acquired skills in real projects. We want our students to become competitive on the labor market and be able to meet the challenges posed by the dark industrial revolution. The identification and preliminary research of industry needs conducted by the project team from Poland and Slovakia, as well as the analysis of available analytical data, indicate that among the long-term effects, analysts mention, among others, the widespread transition to so-called dark factories - fully automated, not requiring the presence of people or their negligible participation. The project team identified that despite the fact that young generations are growing up in the era of technology, many studies indicate insufficient digital and industry 4.0-related competences among students.