Enhancing the skills of professional designers through a cross-disciplinary training program, combining professional and transversal skills associated with creativity, innovation, and sustainability, both technological and nontechnological, is the aim of the project to be undertaken. In this context, the SHOEDES objectives are: • To anticipate the job-related requirements of the future footwear designers more effectively and explore new and innovative business/entrepreneurship models based on sustainable products and footwear design for the circular economy. • To develop a new framework for career guidelines and paths for sustainable footwear design by exploiting existing European instruments and initiatives like Europass, “Economy that works for people”, “European Green Deal”, which will result in better-qualified footwear design professionals and better services in the EU and Turkish footwear industry. • To develop new methodologies and learning tools based on MOOCs for re-engineering the training process targeted at the existing and future designers of the footwear industry.
There is an increasing pressure to reduce the environmental footprint of the industrial activities and to slow down climate change. The European Union has launched the “European Green Deal” action to boost the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean, circular economy to make the EU's economy sustainable. Previous projects and research efforts are mainly focused on eco-design tools and methodologies, such as life cycle assessment and others. However, other important dimensions of sustainability, such as the economy and society, are not given adequate attention. Sustainability requires an even economic development that respects and promotes equal opportunities. Over the last years, the European footwear sector has been changing in a way that demands more specialised expertise and new skills suitable to the company's specific requirements towards new business models, innovative and high-tech technologies. New sustainable footwear materials, eco-design, and marketing models are powerful tools to increase shoe differentiation. It is therefore a priority to equip footwear designers with a deeper understanding of the mechanics that determine sustainability and circular economy. Consumers increasingly demand sustainable shoes.