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After months of intense collaboration between partners, the DiTwin project is reaching a crucial milestone. The collective efforts invested so far have laid a solid foundation, allowing the project to consolidate the results achieved and take another decisive step towards its final goal. By harnessing the potential of Digital Twin technology, DiTwin is shaping new educational methodologies that bridge the gap between innovation and practical application in the vocational education and training (VET) sector. The focus over the coming months will shift to implementing the DiTwin modules. This phase is a unique opportunity for participants to apply Digital Twin technology in real-world scenarios and explore its technical and pedagogical potential. The implementation will provide valuable insights into how this innovative approach can enhance experiential learning, making education more immersive, dynamic, and aligned with the evolving needs of Industry 4.0. In addition, the partnership is working on the implementation of WP3, “DiTwin Backpack”, a dedicated initiative designed to support teachers in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and competences needed to implement, lead, and evaluate practical and experiential learning through Digital Twin-based activities. These are the main activities foreseen by WP3: With these key activities, the DiTwin project is not only advancing in its technological implementation but also fostering a strong community of educators ready to embrace the future of digital learning. As the project moves forward, the partnership remains committed to ensuring that Digital Twin technology becomes an accessible and practical tool for teachers and learners alike, driving innovation in education across Europe. Stay tuned for more updates!

On Wednesday, March 12, the Spanish Multiplier Event of the European DiTwin project took place in Málaga, during Transfiere 2025 — the largest European forum for R&D and innovation in Southern Europe — which gathered more than 4,500 professionals from over 1,500 companies and institutions. The event, organized by Málaga TechPark and the University of Málaga, brought together 50 participants, mainly VET teachers, headmasters, academic lecturers, and representatives of international organizations. The session began with presentations by Sonia Palomo (Málaga TechPark) and Víctor Muñoz (University of Málaga), who introduced the DiTwin project and highlighted its role in fostering digital innovation in vocational education and training. Attendees also had the opportunity to take part in a hands-on demonstration at the Málaga TechPark stand, where they explored the robot developed by the University of Málaga as part of the project and experienced first-hand how Digital Twin technology can be integrated into teaching environments. DiTwin’s presence at such a large international innovation event reinforced its position as a reference initiative for the digital transformation of education and helped strengthen connections with industry and education stakeholders. The insights and contacts gathered during the event will contribute to further refining the DiTwin modules and supporting their adoption in vocational training across Europe. The Project continues to move forward in its mission to equip teachers and students with the digital skills required by Industry 4.0.

In January 2025, focus groups meetings for the European DiTwin project took place across all participatingcountries (Ireland, Spain, Italy, Poland, and Greece).  The focus groups followed a shared approach in every country. The sessions, held both in-person and online, brought together VET teachers, technology specialists, and industry representatives and focused on threemain topics: 1. The challenges of aligning VET education with labor market demands and Industry 4.0. 2. The support teachers need to integrate Digital Twin technology into their lessons. 3. The review and improvement of the DiTwin Handbook. The DiTwin project, funded by Erasmus+, aims to introduce Digital Twins into vocational education and training (VET). The meetings with teachers and experts helped identify key needs and refine the DiTwin Handbook, which is a crucial guide for implementing this technology in schools. These discussions provided valuable insights that will help tailor the project’s resources to meet the real needs of teachers. Main Challenges Identified 1. Mismatch between VET Curricula and Industry 4.0: Across all countries, the inflexibility of thecurricula was seen as a barrier to introducing new technologies. In Spain, teachers suggested addingDigital Twin modules during flexible training hours and adjusting practical activities to better alignwith Industry 4.0. In Italy, a lack of collaboration between schools and small to medium-sizedbusinesses (SMEs) was mentioned, as many SMEs struggle to provide the resources needed for partnerships with educational institutions.Strengthening ties between education and industry was emphasized as vital to ensuring that training better matches market needs. In Ireland, teachers pointed out that lessons are mostly theoretical and do not always reflect what industries actually need. There was also concern about the lack of technological training for educators, which limits theuse of innovative tools like Digital Twins. 2. A DiTwin Handbook that meets teachers’ needs: Everyone agreed that the DiTwin Handbookshould offer a simple, clear introduction to Digital Twins and how they can be used in teaching. In Spain, teachers suggested the manual should explain how this technology improves efficiency and predictive maintenance in industry, helping students better prepare for their careers. In Italy, teachers recommended including practical examples of how Digital Twins are used with ManufacturingExecution Systems (MES) to monitor processes in real-time and spot problems. In Ireland, the proposal was to include examples from local industries, ready-to-use modules, practical guides, and accessible software tools, ideally open-source or low-cost. In conclusion, the focus groups for the DiTwin project have been key in identifying what teachers need and improving educational resources. The next step is to update the DiTwin Handbook based on the feedback received and organize teacher training sessions. With this initiative, Digital Twins will become an essential tool in preparing vocational students for the digital skills the future job market will demand.    

On Tuesday, 10 December 2024, the DiTwin project hosted a multiplier event at the stunning Museum of Engineering and Technology in Kraków. The event was attended by 23 vocational school teachers, representatives of foundations, NGOs, specialist vocational education institutions, and 49 vocational school students. The meeting’s agenda included a presentation by second-year journalism students from UKEN, who introduced the concept of Digital Twin technology. Dr. hab. Krzysztof Gurba, a professor at UKEN, also delivered a presentation outlining the DiTwin project’s concept, assumptions, expected outcomes, and current progress. At the conclusion of the event, participants had the opportunity to network and engage with project contributors. The first presentation, focused on explaining what Digital Twin technology is, was delivered by second-year journalism students from UKEN: Kinga Tokarczyk and Mikołaj Kawa. During their talk, they defined a Digital Twin as “a virtual copy of a real object, system, or process.” The students further elaborated on the applications of Digital Twin technology in various fields: They also highlighted the benefits of Digital Twin technology, which include: However, they also acknowledged the challenges associated with its implementation: Dr. hab. Krzysztof Gurba, Prof. UKEN, delivered the second presentation, focusing on the DiTwin project’s relevance to vocational education. He explained how Digital Twin technology can revolutionize education. Prof. Gurba emphasized that the project aims to prepare young people for the challenges of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 by leveraging modern technologies as educational tools. He highlighted the international collaboration behind the project, which includes partners such as Learnable (Italy), Digital Smart (Italy), Innovation Frontiers (Greece), Training Vision (Ireland), Malaga TechPark (Spain), Universidad de Malaga (Spain), and the University of the National Education Commission in Kraków (Poland). The project’s outputs include: Prof. Gurba explained that the project focuses on three key areas: 3D printing, robotics, and process automation. The platform developed as part of the project will offer: To conclude, Prof. Gurba announced upcoming pilot tests and a demonstration event for the system. He invited teachers, institutional partners, foundations, and training organizations to collaborate in developing the teacher handbook. He also announced a focus study scheduled for January 2025.

The second transnational meeting of the DiTwin project was held on November 14–15, 2024, in Krakow. During the event, project partners reviewed progress, discussed achievements, and laid the groundwork for future advancements in technical training powered by Digital Twins.  Progress Achieved Significant milestones have been reached, including:  1. Competence Framework: Finalized, outlining key roles and skills required for Industry 4.0.  2. Specialized Training Modules: Developed for three critical professional profiles:     – Additive Manufacturing Technician     – Robot Machines Technician     – Automation Technician for Industry 4.0  The meeting included practical demonstrations showcasing the use of Digital Twins to simulate industrial machinery and integrate them with real-world devices.  The DiTwin Modules The primary goal of the DiTwin modules is to equip students with the skills necessary to thrive in Industry 4.0 using Digital Twins, digital replicas of physical systems connected to educational laboratories. This innovative approach provides an immersive and hands-on learning experience.  Target Professional Profiles The training pathways are tailored to meet the demands of three key roles:  – Additive Manufacturing Technician: Specializing in 3D printing technologies and additive design.  – Automation Technician: Focused on industrial automation and machine programming.  – Robot Machines Technician: Proficient in robotics programming and maintenance.  Key Features of the DiTwin Approach – Simulation-Based Training: Allowing students to practice safely in virtual environments.  – Digital-Physical Integration: Connecting virtual and real machines to provide practical, hands-on training.  This educational approach creates a synergy between theory and practice, preparing future technicians to meet the challenges of an increasingly digitalized and interconnected industrial world. 

The second transnational project meeting will be held in Krakow (Poland) on 14-15 October 2024, hosted by the UNIWERSYTET PEDAGOGICZNY IM KOMISJI EDUKACJI NARODOWEJ W KRAKOWIE. All project partners (Learnable – IT, Digital Smart Srl – IT, PARQUE TECNOLOGICO DE ANDALUCIA  – ES, UNIVERSIDAD DE MALAGA – ES, UNIWERSYTET PEDAGOGICZNY IM KOMISJI EDUKACJI NARODOWEJ W KRAKOWIE – PL, ETN Training Vision Ireland – IRL, and Innovation Frontiers IKE – GR) from five countries (Italy, Poland, Spain, Greece, and Ireland) will attend the two-day meeting, with at least two staff members per organisation. The upcoming project meeting will provide an in-depth review of the progress and next steps for the DiTwin project. The agenda will cover the following key topics: To learn more about the project’s advancements, you can follow our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

The digital twin technology has significantly advanced in recent years, with one possible use being in general education. For learners, approaching sustainability through digital twins can significantly enhance understanding and retention, especially in STEM subjects, where visual representation aids comprehension. For educators, digital twins offer a dynamic platform for developing and delivering curriculum, making abstract concepts tangible and interactive to foster learner engagement. Moreover, using digital twin technology can be significantly important in VET education and its connection to Industry 4.0. It can enhance the knowledge, skills, and competences of VET learners. For teachers and trainers, it can improve the necessary knowledge and tools to implement digital twin-based practical and experiential learning, ensuring students achieve the competences needed. Lastly, for schools and training centers, it can facilitate the implementation of practical distance learning. In more detail, learning and using digital twin technology early on can help learners prepare for the future job market, as digital twins are increasingly used in various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, smart cities, and logistics. Moreover, it involves understanding data analytics, IoT (Internet of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence), and simulation, all of which are essential skills in the modern workforce. Another advantage of the digital twin technology is developing data literacy, offering insight on how to collect, analyze, and interpret data. Digital twin technology also involves discussions on data privacy, security, and ethical considerations, preparing students to navigate these issues in their future careers. Digital twin technology is also very closely linked to STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). Learners can see real-time simulations and practical applications of theoretical concepts, which enhances their understanding and retention. A hands-on approach can increase engagement and motivation, particularly in challenging subjects like physics, biology, and engineering. Cross-sector and overall useful skills for everyday life, such as critical thinking and problem solving, can also be enhanced. Working with digital twins requires understanding and managing complex systems, as well as analyzing different scenarios and predicting outcomes. Those skills can also be transferred in academic environments. Another advantage of digital twins is the adaptability it can offer. By simulating different learning paths and outcomes, educators can tailor instruction to meet individual learners’ needs. By receiving immediate feedback on their actions and decisions within a digital twin environment, learners can move on to quicker adjustments and a deeper understanding of the material. Interdisciplinary learning is also supported, as it involves subjects like computer science, engineering, mathematics, and environmental science. Innovation and digital twins go, of course, hand-in-hand: learners engage in project-based learning, where they design, build, and analyze digital twins, fostering creativity. This transfers to real-world problem-solving, by simulating and solving real-world problems, such as climate change, urban planning, and healthcare management, providing learners with a sense of purpose and relevance. Academic or theoretical research can sometimes feel out of touch with reality, and being able to imagine precise applications and solutions offers motivation. Last but certainly not least, all skills developed can foster future global competitiveness, as an early understanding of cutting-edge technology can help schools and training centers can cultivate the next generation of innovators and leaders. The DiTwin project aspires to do exactly that: offer an integrated system (modules, DiTwin System, supporting materials and training paths) to support VET teachers in implementing Digital Twin-based activities at school. Bibliography: Ağca, Rıdvan. (2023). Using digital twins in education from an innovative perspective: Potential and application areas. Education Mind. 2. 10.58583/Pedapub.EM2306, retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376983460_Using_digital_twins_in_education_from_an_innovative_perspective_Potential_and_application_areas/citation/download Jin, S. (2021). DIGITAL TWINS AND THE FUTURE OF PRACTICAL EDUCATION, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, retrieved from https://digitalsocietyschool.org/project/digital-twins-in-practical-education/ Twinview (2024). Building Tomorrow’s Classrooms Today: How Digital Twins Are Reshaping Education, retrieved from https://www.twinview.com/insights/building-tomorrows-classrooms-today-how-digital-twins-are-reshaping-education

We’ve heard about digital twin technology in the media as a trendy technology. But what is it? A simulation of something real? a virtual world full of avatars? a digital copy of myself? or none of the above. In any case, what are they applications? This misinformation usually happens when a concept becomes fashionable and we are bombarded with different interpretations of its real meaning, giving us only a biased view. Therefore, this article is focused to provide us with a precise answer tothe above questions and presents the applications of digital twin technologies. Basic concepts: modelling and simulation Almost all of us have had the experience that, when buying a house or a car, the seller tells us: let’s simulate your loan, so that you can see the monthly instalments, the capital you amortize and the interest you pay. They use a set of financial equations that, when you enter the data on interest, APR (Annual Percentage Rate) and those other things we don’t understand, give you a list of how your payments will evolve in the future. The seller says that has simulated your mortgage or loan. That’s what simulation is: using a set of equations, called a model, to predict how something will behave in the future. Thus, through thesemagic equations, most of natural events can be modelled mathematically, as far as the knowledge of science allows. Models of the expansion of the universe, planetary motion, or the Earth’s climate can be simulated to know what will happen in nature in the future. But we can also make models of artificial systems, the devices created by mankind. We have played with flight simulators or car racing simulators that emulate on a computer the behaviour of a machine in interaction with the environment and the human who drives it. The digital twin: a step forward As we have seen, a model, through a process called simulation, can predict the behaviour of a machine in the form of output data, which can be presented in many forms such as graphs or three-dimensional animations. In this sense it is a closed process that anticipates the response of the simulated machine to given initial conditions. Thus, we can simulate the behaviour of a nuclear reactor in different scenarios to predict when it may become unstable, in order to develop safety protocols. But what happens if we connect the model to the real nuclear reactor? That is, we feed the same conditions from the existing reactor scenario into the reactor model and compare the output data from both. Then we have a digital twin of the reactor that is composed of the real system coupled to the mathematical model, so that by comparing the output data of them, I can diagnose or predict future situations or failures. This is the true utility of digital twins, the realisation of decision support systems that allow to act on the real system in the most efficient way possible to achieve certain objectives. Applications of digital twins: decision support Digital twins have an immediate application in all those processes, biological or productive, that require action on them to achieve certain objectives. Thus, in the medical field, there are digital twins of types of patients to achieveso-called personalised medicine, or the use of planners for neurological or orthopaedic surgery. In agriculture, they are used to decide on irrigation policy, fertiliser use and crop rotation. In the tourism sector, they are used to schedule tourist visits to monuments in order to predict the deterioration of the latter. In industry, of course, they are widely used in the Industry 4.0 concept to decide machine maintenance policies or to design more efficient production lines, among many other applications. It is common in this field to use models to test the operation of the production line before it is actually built. This is called “virtual commissioning”. Digital twins and education: remote laboratories They allow a democratisation of resources in education, in the sense that they can provide virtual laboratories for practice to schools that cannot afford to invest in a real laboratory. This is critical in technical degrees related to Industry 4.0, where there is a need for facilities that emulate the industrial reality of their production lines with specialised machinery, robots and other devices for automation. Therefore, the DiTwin KA220-VE project, funded by the Erasmus+ programme, will develop teaching tools based on digital twin technologies. This is intended to include practices based on remote laboratories, which will complement theoretical knowledge. The idea focuses on bridging the gap between theory and practical knowledge needed for Industry 4.0 enabling technologies. This project aims to improve the digital competences of VET teachers to support the implementation of digital twin-based activities and the achievement of the digital competences required by Industry 4.0. Contribution of the University of Malaga in the DiTwin project The University of Malaga, through the Department of Systems Engineering and Automation and the Imech.umaInstitute, is the partner within the DiTwin project responsible for the development of the digital twins relating to a remote laboratory of a robotic industrial cell. This educational tool will allow online practices of students of Higher Vocational Training on the programming of robotic arms, communications and the use of sensors, disciplines necessary in Industry 4.0. This remote laboratory will be integrated into the free educational platform DiTwin, which will also contain other educational tools and resources.

The project is progressing confidently to enhance education and vocational training for the future. An innovative competence framework has been specifically developed for Vocational Education and Training (VET) schools, teachers, institutions, and other organizations aiming to foster skills aligned with the demands of Industry 4.0. This effort seeks to align the identified professional profiles with the national vocational education and training curricula, ensuring that students are well-prepared for future challenges. The competence profiles which has been defined are as follows: ·       P1 Additive Manufacturing Technician. ·       P3 Cad/CAM Designer. ·       P4 Automation technician for Industry 4.0. ·       P10 Robot machines technician for Industry 4.0. These profiles represent key roles within the Industry 4.0 environment, each with specific skills and knowledge requirements. To support these profiles, modules focused on them are being developed. Then, the team’s effort will be centered on producing digital twins also based on the identified profiles. Digital twins are precise virtual representations of physical processes, products, or services that allow performance simulation and analysis in a digital environment. This approach enables students and professionals to gain practical experience and essential technical knowledge through realistic and advanced simulations. The final application aims to be compiled and served on the web, allowing any server to run it as an accessible application for everyone. This ensures greater availability and flexibility in competence training, reaching a broader audience and facilitating access to innovative educational resources. Finally, the second newsletter will be published in June, which will provide updates on the project’s progress, advancements in the creation of modules and digital twins, and other relevant aspects. To stay updated on project developments, please visit the project social media pages (Facebook and Linkedin).

In today’s rapidly evolving industrial landscape, the integration of advanced technologies and digitalization has given rise to what is commonly referred to as Industry 4.0. This paradigm shift brings with it a demand for a new set of skills and competences, posing challenges for vocational education and training (VET) institutions tasked with preparing students for the workforce of tomorrow. Recognizing the importance of addressing these challenges, the DiTwin project will develop a Competence Framework designed to bridge the gap between VET education and the requirements of Industry 4.0. The DiTwin Competence Framework serves as a foundational tool for aligning VET education with the needs of Industry 4.0, with a primary focus on improving the school-to-work transition of VET students. Here’s why this framework is so vital: By identifying industry-relevant competences, enhancing teaching practices, and improving student employability, the DiTwin Competence Framework represents plays a crucial role in ensuring that VET education remains relevant and effective in the face of technological advancement. To stay updated on project developments, please visit the project social media pages (Facebook and Linkedin).