The main goal of the CEDE project was to design, test, and provide access to an innovative modular course for engineering students, aimed at strengthening their creative and communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and digital competence. The project aspired to create high-quality educational materials that could be easily integrated into existing study programmes while also being publicly available through an open-access e-learning platform. In addition to developing the learning content, the project focused on piloting and collecting feedback from students and stakeholders to ensure the practicality and relevance of the results. CEDE aimed to support the digital transformation of higher education, foster collaboration between academia, employers, and policy-makers, and enhance the European transferability of educational innovation.
The CEDE project was developed in response to the growing need to foster so-called soft and transversal skills among engineering students—such as creativity, innovative thinking, problem-solving, digital literacy, and effective communication. Traditional engineering study programmes often focus primarily on technical knowledge, while neglecting these key competencies essential for success in the 21st-century labour market. Project partners identified the need to create innovative, modular learning content that would be accessible online and could be integrated into university teaching. The project also addressed the challenges of digital transformation in education and the need to strengthen the digital readiness of institutions, especially in light of the experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic. CEDE brought together international academic teams to develop a comprehensive solution that is open, inclusive, and applicable across countries and academic disciplines.