The interdisciplinary WrightBros neXt project is designed as an extension, both in terms of the scope and the Consortium composition, of the “collaborative factory of the flight simulators branch of RISE” which was funded under H2020 programme and successfully completed as a WrightBroS project. Based on its results, the new concept of research on projectors-free flight simulators is proposed as an answer to challenges which occur when novel eXtended Reality (XR) technologies are applied to professional training of pilots. The goal of the new project is to: - develop innovative, projectors-free, flight simulators by using various XR technologies, and - compare the influence on human perception of various XR technologies used in these projectors-free flight simulators vs. classical setup with projector-generated scenery. The wide range of visualization setups developed in a collaboration between the Coordinator: Silesian University of Technology (SUT), Poland, flight simulators manufacturer: Virtual Reality Media (VRM), Slovakia, and software developer: LG Nexera (NXR), Austria, will be then tested by pilots during experimental sessions in Virtual Flight Laboratory at SUT. In such sessions the pilots will wear mobile EEG device capturing data about the influence of a given display system used in the flight simulator on a cognitive load and other brain activities. The assessment of the cognitive load, as a measure of the mental effort required to complete a task, will be made by SUT scientists in an interdisciplinary collaboration with the researchers from Psychology Department of University of Zadar (UOZ), Croatia. The EEG signals will be also analyzed by secondees from Dnipro University of Technology (DUT), Ukraine, hosted by SUT specialists experienced in signal processing and machine learning. The results will be used to predict real-time performance, fatigue, and stress levels of pilots testing particular XR visualization system used in the flight simulator.

The OptiQ project is focused on non-standard data and image processing methods which will lead to advances in quantum computing (QC). The project is designed as a platform for collaboration of academia (Silesian University of Technology in Poland), research (Austrian Institute of Technology and Security Business Austria) and industry (Boson Energy from Luxemburg, LG Nexera from Vienna, and Envelo from Warsaw) in a common purpose to achieve beyond state-of-the-art progress in applications of quantum optics phenomena for quantum communication and computation, in particular for quantum image processing and security. The deployment potential of these latter applications will be exploited by Boson Energy in green energy sector and by Envelo in digital secure communication, respectively. Through common implementation of an ambitious research programme, the project will generate novel skills for all consortium participants. Interdisciplinary and intersectoral staff training will serve as a basis for technology transfer and knowledge sharing between participants leading to elaboration and implementation of desired solutions. In this way, the project will strengthen collaboration between Beneficiaries in quantum computing and communication (QCC) and in optical image processing (OIP). In particular, the Consortium will focus on technology of entangled photons production and its application to Qbit building, quantum security, quantum block-chain technology and quantum communication. To facilitate contact with quantum optics, an Augmented Reality aided simulator & designer of optical quantum setups will be also developed. Particular attention will be paid to wide and efficient dissemination and communication. Due to these measures, OptiQ project will strengthen career perspectives of participating scientists, become the foundation for lasting collaborations in exploitation of results, and increase competitiveness of European Research Area and industry on the world’s QCC scene.

The project aims to foster students’ employability by developing their relevant professional competencies and civic engagement through the comprehensive tutoring and mentoring (T&M) system at partner HEIs as a response to the labour market demands. The university T&M system will function on the base of an integrated set of methods, algorithms, and procedures enriched with the dedicated IT-platform, university organizational structures, trained staff, and active senior students. In complex, it will become an element of the sustainable educational process, that will develop and improve students’ hard and soft skills, as well as active engagement in civic life.The project activities are focused on developing basic tutoring and mentoring schemes, installing T&M centers, developing teaching/learning materials and tools, training academic staff, students and mentors from industry, as well as cooperating between targeted HEIs through the internationalization of partners’ expertise, and strengthen their relations with the wider socio‐economic environment.The project conditionally is divided into five phases: 1) elaboration the methodology for the T&M system and establishing the T&M university centers; 2) development of tools for the T&M system: 3) training T&M staff, mentors, tutors, and faculty staff of partner HEIs: 4) piloting the T&M program at the regional level; 5) evaluation and dissemination of results. Additionally, project management and quality assurance will cover the whole project.Totally 4 sets of open educational resources will be developed: 1) a set of OES for HEI staff; 2) a set of teaching and learning materials for Mentors and Tutors; 3) a set of tutorial materials for Mentee and Tutee, and 4) a set of program support documents. The IT-platform will ensure the proper functioning of the T&M system, including application to the program, matching mechanisms for mentors, tutors, mentees, and tutees, as well as support and feedback tools.

The project’s primary goal was building partner organizations’ capacities for working with youth struggling from forced migration and involving them into local communities. Although we came up with the project’s idea almost 4 years ago, throughout the project’s lifetime, its topic has been still sharp and crucial. In feeling the project’s topicality for future years, despite COVID restrictions and fatal obstacles the project team faced, we worked hard in order to satisfy a youth need of better social adaptation while being migrants. We did it by introducing a new methodology allowing mixed non-formal and formal education into our partner organizations’ every day work. The tools for migrant youth involvement we were equipped with as we started the project were lacking a cross-sector methodology for NGOs-universities networks. Partner NGOs and academic bodies were not guided on ways of putting mutual efforts into adaptation of young migrants from the perspective of social communication and career pathway. Thus, in following our planned activities and taking decisions about their changes under the pressure of the pandemic, we managed to shape a strong network of youth organizations (NGOs + university) for involving migrant youth across Europe and countries of Eastern partnership. We strongly believe that after the project, the established network of organizations and activists provide necessary assistance and keep young migrants safe from the risk of radicalization and wrong life choices. This belief rests on the project’s direct fit with the objectives of participating organizations. In embracing now about 3,000 young migrants, the university partner seeked to mix formal education methods with non-formal tools provided by NGOs. The project gathered experienced representatives with various professional backgrounds working for NGOs and the university who launched intercultural dialogue, created migrant-focused sustainable youth networks and developed relevant methodology underpinned by a mix of non-formal and formal education tools. All this enhanced their personal and organizational capacities for better involvement of migrant youth into local communities. It is worth mentioning here that the project participants have made a true difference for themselves due to intercultural communication between young migrants and social activists.The most important outcome of the project maybe identified as shaping new friendly and tolerant environment for young migrants to be involved into local communities by helping some of them to avoid fears and believe in positive future in new society, training local youth activists to continue changing environment for better migrants’ adaptation and shaping a network ready to operate effectively. This main outcome could be produced by all the project participants due to the fact that we obeyed principles of innovative project methodology introduced as a pillar of all activities. Giving hope and support to hundreds of young migrants as a result of successful stories about new life shared by youngsters via the inspirational portal is also one of the main project outcomes. Unusual youth contributions across countries in “YOUth-to-YOUth” communication manner evoked faith and optimism about young migrants’ social activity, finding friends and following good career paths in other countries.Finally the project taught us to act under complete uncertainty and irresistible force. 3 years of projects instead of planned 2 because of the COVID pressure brought positive results. We learnt how to make fast changes with minimum losses and be resilient to challenges.

“The “Voluntary Youth Work Recognition for Employability” was a long-term Erasmus+ Capacity Building Project in the Field of Youth. It was developed by Social and Youth Workers and its European partners. Due to several meetings, the consortium set the most important goals of the project. The main objectives were to increase recognition of voluntary youth work in society and among youth field employers, to acknowledge and validate youth volunteering at local, regional, and national levels, develop volunteers' competencies and link them to the labour market through validation of the skills and knowledge gained as a part of non-formal learning.The main driving force to start this project was the high need to gain the acceptance of voluntary youth work in society and among youth field employers because the appreciation of volunteering varies from country to country. While in Western and Scandinavian countries there are plenty of recognition tools created for volunteers, Eastern Partnership countries have some problems with structured recognition methods of voluntary youth work. That’s why all the partners decided to improve the quality and validation of youth work, non-formal learning, and volunteering locally, and undertake this project to enhance particularly voluntary work, their synergies, and complementarities with the labour market and government. The project brought in a united platform and dimension variety of stakeholders of voluntary youth work, including governmental agencies, public educational bodies, and civil society organisations.This project involved a wide range of countries, bringing experience and cooperation from Spain to Armenia and from Norway to Cyprus. It included 5 activities, 4 international, and 1 local awareness-raising campaign. The project included both Capacity Building (Conference, Meeting) and Mobility (Study Visit, Training Course) activities. Youth workers and youth leaders from different European youth organisations joined for the development of recognition tools and used their existing experience to develop their own. The project played a crucial role in increasing the capacities of the involved organisations to work on the recognition of non-formal education and voluntary youth work: It increased the capacity of youth organisations and gave a possibility to develop national recognition tools specified to local needs.Due to this project young people understood that volunteering is an incredible way to learn new things, develop, grow their skills and career pathways, and discover what you’re passionate about. Participants also understood that volunteering can help people to build strong networks and transferable skills, such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, which can benefit their future careers. Another very important outcome of this project was the recognition tools created by the participants and partners involved in the project. Tools like L - EARN, Video refleCtiVe, Skills presenter, YouTHRec, and Open Online Badges were created, which had a great contribution in the realisation of the project aims. Unquestionably, this project gave us significant results, developing the capacities of all involved parties.