The SMART skills 4.0 project addresses the transversal skills shortage with respect to the capacity to think autonomously and creatively, to manage complex information, use resources, including digital ones, smartly, communicate effectively and innovatively, integrating digital progress into the new Business 4.0 models.The 2018 CEDEFOP Skills forecasts for tasks content of jobs up to 2030 shows the shift towards more autonomy, fewer routine tasks, less physical work, more social and intellectual tasks, and a large increase of ICT skills. Also, the 2019 CEDEFOP Skills analysis acknowledges the high-level skills mismatches, the most frequently occurring shortage being associated with high-skills level occupations for which a tertiary qualification is required.Given the challenges of workplace digitization, our project fits into the 1st priority of Renew EU Agenda for HE by tackling future skills mismatches and promoting excellence in skills development. It addresses the horizontal skills mismatches with particular regard to forward thinking skills (i.e. mix of digital, cognitive and social skills) of students, teachers and workforce in sustainability-relevant sectors posed by Business 4.0 which further enable their fully engagement in society as responsible and productive citizens working in a technology-rich environment. The project commits a series of activities which channel transformational change for a coordinated response of education to the complex social issues in a digitize world, strengthening cross–sectoral cooperation between education, training and practices. It addresses the need for shared values, personal fulfillment, sense of initiative and intercultural competences, civic and responsible behavior to drive sustainable Business 4.0 to contribute to well-being of local community.The SMART skills 4.0 project targets developing and transferring collaborative learning practices that shape complex skills for higher education students and practitioners involved in blended learning sessions to foster intelligence skills for sustainable Business 4.0 creation, and HE teaching staff trained to design and deliver future-oriented curricula for forward thinking skills needed to resolve complex social issues. It entails the involvement of a multicultural frame of transnational stakeholders in knowledge exchange for innovation in education and training for a better alignment to the skills for Business 4.0 by means of four project objectives:O1. Studying the emerging knowledge and related Forward Thinking skills required by industry 4.0, and designing future-oriented Curricula to drive innovation in business 4.0 by engaging transnational stakeholders from various sustainability-relevant sectors in survey research, and HE learners in intercultural knowledge exchanges and experience sharing.O2. Unlocking the transformative potential of education and training through developing modern learning, teaching and training resources in line with Business 4.0 trends, and exchanging of good practices, centred on the concept of forward thinking development, through the involvement of HE learners in intercultural knowledge exchanges.O3. Deploying the Educational Initiative by pilot testing the future-oriented Curricula to support the development of forward thinking skills required by business 4.0 through cross-border exchange, making the most use of ICT-based and collaborative learning practices, engaging learners in blended learning sessions and transnational teaching and training activities to foster innovation in business engineering education and training, and to enhance civic and responsible behavior.O4. Scaling-up the Educational Initiative in the area of business 4.0 by promoting synergies between education, training, and labor market, and engaging a multicultural frame of transnational stakeholders (students, teachers, practitioners, educators, managers, and entrepreneurs) in cooperation for stimulating forward thinking skills, civic and responsible behavior in line with new Business 4.0 trends. These give meaningful opportunities for collaborative learning which translates into impactful, measurable and scalable development results for students, teachers, and other practitioners which improve the capacity to take up a sustainable education culture and to make curricula more relevant to societal needs. The added value comes from cross-border cooperation opportunities which channels positive changes at the institutional level, adoption of new curricula approaches for better alignment to current technological advancement and Business 4.0 trends, strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation between education, training and practice for a coordinated response of education to the complex social issues in a digitized world.

Globalization and mobility, economic diversity and the emergence of vulnerable social groups, migrants, asylum seekers and the Roma, require effective responses to many challenges.High unemployment rates, social exclusion, religious and national inequalities and differences, further marginalization of particular social strata remain major social and economic problems in almost all countries irrespective of their current development and status.The main objective of the Project was to contribute to the enhancing of synergies between education and the labour market by designing innovativeprogrammes in the field of adult education with the aim of strengthening partner organizations. The objective has been achieved through the development of an innovative curriculum for the new occupation,accompanying pedagogical materials and training of 2 persons in each partner organization (except Osijek).The objective was also achieved by research and analysis as the third intellectual outcome, the purpose of which was to obtain relevant data on the position of the secondary target group in the eyes of employers in partner countries and on issues underlying their employment.The Project involved 6 partner organizations and the Open University Koprivnica as the coordinator.INFOR ELEA, Italy, a consortium of 250 legal entities engaged in the development and acquisition of entrepreneurial skills for employers, the unemployed and employees. Slovo 21, the Czech Republic, a non-profit and non-governmental organization with a wealth of experience in implementing education and cultural programmes for migrants and the Roma. The Vilnius Židinio Gymnasium for adults, Lithuania, has extensive experience in adult education and in applying new technologies in education. Spoleczna akademia Nauk, Poland, a private university with valuable experience in creating programmes for disadvantaged adults (migrants). MBM Training and Development Center, UK, an international non-profit organization that provides educational programmes for individual jobs and develops innovative UK programmes that affect community development. The Faculty of Educational Sciences from Osijek is engaged in the development of lifelong learning programmes and in encouraging the mobility of teaching staff.The main activities were related to 3 intellectual outcomes:1.Designing a curriculum for the profession: Expert for the coordination of education and employment - each of the partners has been the carrier of a specific module according to their profile of activities, while other partners have been actively involved in providing constructive advice and supplementing the subject matter, accordingly.2.Designing pedagogical materials that accompany each curriculum module. Each partner who worked on the module was responsible for the accompanying pedagogical materials, and all other partners actively participated in providing suggestions and supplementing the subject matter. At the same time, each partner contributed with extensive scientific and professional literature for supporting the contents of each module.3.Designing the third intellectual outcome-research and analysis. The main purpose of the research was to obtain data from surveyed legal entities and respondents on employment issues of target group members in general and in surveyed legal entities in partner countries. The analysis of the results showed, according to the specificities of partner countries, a relatively wide range of data that allows further use. The results from 287 completed questionnaires provide valuable data that can have impact on policies, as well as strategic and action planning in the field of education and labour market issues in the widest sense.Within the framework of educational activities, a presentation of each module was held for 2 persons from each partner organization who passed an online knowledge exam and received the certificate “Short term expert for the coordination of education and employment”.The Project's long-term benefit is in the strengthened staffing capacity of partner organizations through their education and taking exams based on the programme in order to be able to continue to work easier and access a secondary target group for the purpose of linking it to business entities in the capacity of employer. They will be able to detect the needs of the labour market more easily and in cooperation with the secondary target group and employer find a solution through the development of new curricula tailored to the specific needs of the employer.The Project's impact is visible in new contacts at local, regional, national and international level. Brochures were published O1, O2, O3 in all the languages of partner countries and the intellectual outcomes were uploaded on the Project's website and on the dissemination platform. The outcomes are the basis for further expansion of the consortium with the aim of upgrading the existing outcomes and creating new projects.

Sustainability reporting is a critical component of corporate responsibility and accountability in today's business landscape. It involves the disclosure of an organization's environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance to various stakeholders, including investors, customers, employees, and the public. To increase scrutiny of businesses’ sustainability performance and strategy, current legislative changes endorsed by the EC emphasize the shift from voluntary to mandatory ESG disclosure as a world effort to address climate change and social inequalities by having the same referential framework for sustainability information. Thus, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners should collaborate to drive progress in this critical area. Our proposal aims to create a transnational, cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary research network aiming to design and provide a comprehensive understanding of how cultural and contextual factors shape sustainability reporting practices i.e. corporate disclosure on ESG risks and opportunities. The research objectives are: O1. Investigate the cultural barriers and identify cultural enablers that facilitate high-quality non-financial disclosures of ESG–related matters. O2. Systematically collect and analyze the quality of information toward a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between cultural, regional, and industrial factors in sustainability reporting practices. O3. Define cutting-edge interdisciplinary models with culturally sensitive information and promote effective disclosure strategies for better sustainability reporting practices. The STAR project will move beyond the current debate over the quality of sustainability data and information and put forward robust research combining international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration to develop more effective and culturally sensitive reporting strategies as key means for greater transparency, accountability, and business resilience.

Fast changing educational market makes competitiveness of learning centers, economies and individuals dependent from knowledge and innovation. In this group innovation is generated based on experience-based skills and informal processes. It results from experience related to the crisis situation generated that will follow the Covid-19 pandemics episode. That requires availability of skilled teaching and training methods, organizational problems and lack of innovation expertise are main barriers to innovation. Obtaining innovation in this sector requires training and up- skilled staff, support for innovation in learning process and knowledge transfer. Innovation skills allow to generate innovation capacities of educational/teaching/training/development centers and continuously identify innovation opportunities by allowing their trainers to contribute to innovation, decreases risk of redundancy and increase employability. While ensuring trainers engagement across functions is crucial for educational and trainings innovation, low-skilled trainers presents significant lack of innovation understanding and skills. In preparatory phase study of the project, educational and training centers shows that 65% of their trainers doesn't recognize importance of innovation in scope of their activity. Cross-referencing specific questions allowed to define that the reason lies in 2 principal issues suggested by the lack of understanding of innovation, especially incorrect association of innovation with high-tech industry and assigning innovation activity exclusively to this educational and training centers. To fill the skills and knowledge gaps, the project aims at to build awareness of trainers and teachers of importance of innovation and related skills for their professional growth and employability, providing trainers with understanding how to contribute to innovation and innovation skills, developing innovative mindset and building awareness of educational and training centers of importance of building innovation capacities among them and how to integrate them in the learning processes. The innovation methods that will be applied in the content of the learning process will be ensured by 2 rules :1) The Black mirror rule: the trainer have the more options from where to choose how to carrying out the training programme in an interactive way, from stage to stage, from user to user;2) Breaking the fourth wall method where the methods applied by trainer are analyzed by specialists (in the teaching way, special techniques used for keep the participants in the process, how he used hid=s resources, public speaking or emotion management).To realize the objectives the project will provide open user oriented skills development path in innovation area that will allow in time and cost effective way provide low skilled trainers and educational and training centers with innovation skills. It specifically aims at up skilled low-skilled trainers from educational and training centers. By development, test and delivery of targeted methodology and integrated online digital tools, it aims specifically at increasing the supply of high quality skills development programs in innovation area that will suit individual needs of low skilled trainers or teachers across Europe, facilitate their access to up skeilled pathways in innovation area and increase the training poll with innovation capacities. Considering fast changing innovation in educational environment, ensuring integration of state of the art knowledge, diversified practical experience and their transfer across boarders is crucial to provide solution with expected impact, by ensuring strong synergies and relevant knowledge inclusion. Inclusion of international partners is specifically crucial not-only for providing a comprehensive base of knowledge, experience and different visions, but to ensure inclusion of less developed EU regions in transfer of state of the art innovation practices and increasing the innovative methods applied in the learning process.

"Our project keeps pace with current challenges concerning to complex skills development, social inclusion, active citizenship, democratic values and sustainable growth, puts its thematic focus on UN global goals (i.e. SDG #4. Quality education to create a sustainable development) and entails a mixt of actions which promotes the European common values and active citizenship, strengthening the Europes skills and identity, as outlined in the Gothenburg Social Summit (COM (2017) 673 final).The project attempts a coherent response to the key priority set by EC in Modernisation Agenda for HE and exploits the transformational benefits of ITCs to enrich teaching, improve learning experiences and support personalised learning, equipping students with transferable skills to contribute to competitiveness and innovation potential of the market economy {COM (2011) 567 final}. It creates vectors of cross-border cooperation, fosters open exchange of knowledge on SDGs, addressing the EU priorities and national challenges, grasping opportunities created by new developments in digital learning, creating stronger links to business communities and civil society, recalibrating education systems to enhance social cohesions and active citizenship. The project architecture builds a meaningful way to develop international collaboration via digital learning, expanding the use of ITC-based practices, offering the opportunity to build networks of international contacts, to actively participate in society and develop a sense of citizenship and identity, widening access and internationalization of universities, enabling further new forms of strategic partnerships in the European area. It aims to design, develop and multiply innovative pedagogies (Educational Laboratory) framed by SDGs education by stimulating social, civic, and intercultural skills development of students, teachers and practitioners towards sustainable business approaches, promoting learning and teaching ICT-based practices alongside with accelerated international cooperation between education, innovation and labor market. It entails the following objectives:PO1. Analyze good practices and worldwide knowledge on economic, social, and environmental challenges and develop innovative pedagogical curricula to promote learning and teaching for SDGs. It involves HE students, academics, and practitioners in the e-survey of SD practices and civil skills in relevant sectors (i.e. education, business, labor market, civil society) and supports intercultural learning for SDGs education for HE teachers exposed to innovative pedagogies. PO2. Develop and improve educational materials in line with SDGs education to strengthen social competence and knowledge co-creation on citizenship and sustainability of eco-systems. It engages HE students, academics, experts and trainers in testing, adjusting and augmenting Educational Laboratory work with knowledge for labor market and societal needs. PO3. Harness and strengthen active citizenship, social and digital skills through cross-border exchange, reaping all benefits of ICT and collaborative learning practices. It engages HE students, academics, and practitioners in a mix of six blended and e-learning sessions of Educational Laboratory work. PO4. Spread out the benefits of synergies between cultures and educational contexts, business sectors and community, and scale-up of good practices and knowledge transfer of SDGs education, social, civic and intercultural skills at European level. It involves gathering lessons learnt from HE students, academics, and practitioners, and exposing practitioners, teachers, students, researcher and specialists to the inventory of good practices needed to solve sustainability issues.The effects of ""EduLab4Future"" will be the virtual integration of innovative learning experiences with inputs on societal perspectives, enhancing learners’ readiness to operate sustainable businesses by multidisciplinary views on economic, social, environmental and business governance issues. By making the best use of modernized learning curricula, centered on the concept of citizenship with ICT pedagogical approaches, it will be able to be created a professional learning contexts for all participants giving opportunities for interactive learning and understandings of multicultural challenges which steer to strengthen social competence and knowledge on sustainability of eco-systems. Through the thematic focus on citizenship and education for SDGs, and the better use of innovation and digital technology, our project induces innovation changes which transcend the involved countries by pooling of synergies across different academic specializations e.g. engineering, business and management, economics science and business administration, different fields of education e.g. bachelor and master level, leveraging effects on similar initiatives at other European levels."