On the 8th and 9th February 2024, the picturesque city of Ancona, Italy, hosted the kick-off meeting (KOM) of the DigiGEAR project. Organised by The Way, the project coordinator, the event was attended by key partners from all over Europe, both in person and online, ensuring inclusive participation.
This event marked the beginning of an ambitious project, funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme, that aims to revolutionise vocational education and training (VET) in the automotive engineering sector through the integration of augmented reality (AR) technologies.
Salient Moments of Day 1:
8 February 2024 marked the official start of the DigiGEAR project. The day was entirely dedicated to the introduction of the consortium and the project, with a special focus on Work Package 1 – Project Management.
After a warm welcome speech by The Way, participants had the opportunity to introduce themselves, describing their organisation and their respective roles within the project. It was a key moment to build a sense of community and collaboration among all partners involved.
The Way then provided a detailed overview of the DigiGEAR project, explaining the different work packages (WP), expected outputs and responsibilities of each partner.
The project’s main financial management and reporting procedures were also explained.
Finally, the main Quality Assurance and Monitoring & Evaluation procedures were presented.
The first day of the kick-off meeting thus laid a solid foundation for effective and collaborative management of the DigiGEAR project, preparing all partners to work together to achieve their ambitious goals.
Salient Moments of Day 2:
The second day of the DigiGEAR project kick-off meeting saw the participants engaged in Work Package 2 – Communication and Dissemination, and Work Package 3 – Preparation Phase.
The day began with a presentation of the project’s communication plan, aimed at engaging target groups and achieving effective dissemination of results.
The project logo was then chosen by voting.
Next, the meeting was the occasion to review the project’s preparation phase, which focuses on the identification of emerging skills in the automotive engineering sector and the latest AR technologies. This phase involves the production of several key outputs and the preparation of reports and interviews to identify gaps in current VET labs and gather the opinions of experts in the field.
The second day of the kick-off meeting was full of discussions and strategic planning, laying the foundation for the next steps of the DigiGEAR project and further consolidating the collaboration between all partners involved.
The meeting successfully established a cohesive team and a clear roadmap for the project’s progression. The DigiGEAR project is poised to contribute significantly to VET by exploiting AR technologies, and the kick-off meeting in Ancona laid a solid foundation for its future success.
