Researchers of the Faculty of Design, KNUTD, participated in the kick-off meeting with partners of the EU Erasmus+ project “Innovations in smart and digital skills in vocational education for the modern textile industry” No. 101183393 – InnovaTex - ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CB-VET, which took place in Bucharest (Romania) from March 5 to 7, 2025. The organizer of the kick-off meeting is the main beneficiary of the project, the National Research Institute for Textiles and Leather (INCDTP – Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Textile si Pielarie).

The InnovaTex project will run from 2025 to 2027 under the leadership of Kalyna Pashkevych, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Design, and aims to provide continuous professional training in the field of 3D-smart textiles by updating existing vocational training programs and integrating the principles of 3D-smart textiles into vocational education curricula, as well as improving digital and innovation skills related to technical textiles among teachers and employees of textile companies in Moldova and Ukraine.

At the meeting, the project participants from Romania, Greece, Italy, Ukraine and Moldova presented their institutions: the National Research Institute of Textiles and Leather (INCDTP) (Romania), the University of Western Attica (Panepistimio Dytikis Attikis) and the Organization “Development of Creative Thinking” (Dimiourgiki Skepsi Anaptyxis) (Greece), the Center for Continuing Education (CIAPE) (Italy), the Technical University of Moldova and the State Institution “Center for Excellence in Light Industry” (Moldova). From Ukraine, the meeting was attended by the representatives of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design Kalyna Pashkevych, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Design and Olena Herasymenko, Doctor of Philosophy, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Art and Fashion Design; from Kherson National Technical University – Olena Chepelyuk, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Rector and Larysa Ponomarenko, Head of the Department for Educational and Research Work and International Activities.

During the meeting, the project participants discussed financial and administrative aspects, those responsible for each work package presented information on the specifics of the project implementation for each package, and discussed the work plan for the next 6 months.

Also, the project coordinator, Raluca Maria Aileni, researcher, project manager and head of the Research Department in Materials Science and Textile Processes, conducted a tour of the laboratories of the National Research Institute of Textiles and Leather (Bucharest, Romania).

We sincerely thank our partners in the InnovaTex project for their cooperation and fruitful work!

14.03.2025