Back in mid-February, we had the pleasure of participating in the official kick-off of CLERT-I4.0 (Collaborative Learning and Exchange in Research-based Teaching on Industry 4.0), a Unite! Seed Fund project funded by Unite! University Network for Innovation, Technology and Engineering, with a vibrant two-day meeting at Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya’s Terrassa and Barcelona campuses.

Together with our partners from Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, University of Lisbon, and Aalto University, we kicked off a new initiative to research-based education project in Industry 4.0 — bringing together diverse expertise, advanced laboratories, and international collaboration under one united framework.

Highlights included:

• Exploration of collaborative teaching formats
• Strategic discussions on student mobility
• Visits to cutting-edge laboratories at UPC
• Setting the foundation for interdisciplinary modules and joint research stays

We’re excited about the opportunities this project will bring — from advanced manufacturing and 3D printing to broader applications in sustainability, energy, and entrepreneurship.

A big thank you to Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya for hosting and to all partners for the engaging discussions. We also appreciate the support from Technische Universität Darmstadt.

We are excited to see the students step into this international research-based learning journey!