CREATIVE ENGINEERING

<< Background >>The CEDE project was developed in response to the growing need to foster so-called soft and transversal skills among engineering students—such as creativity, innovative thinking, problem-solving, digital literacy, and effective communication. Traditional engineering study programmes often focus primarily on technical knowledge, while neglecting these key competencies essential for success in the 21st-century labour market. Project partners identified the need to create innovative, modular learning content that would be accessible online and could be integrated into university teaching. The project also addressed the challenges of digital transformation in education and the need to strengthen the digital readiness of institutions, especially in light of the experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic. CEDE brought together international academic teams to develop a comprehensive solution that is open, inclusive, and applicable across countries and academic disciplines.<< Objectives >>The main goal of the CEDE project was to design, test, and provide access to an innovative modular course for engineering students, aimed at strengthening their creative and communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and digital competence. The project aspired to create high-quality educational materials that could be easily integrated into existing study programmes while also being publicly available through an open-access e-learning platform. In addition to developing the learning content, the project focused on piloting and collecting feedback from students and stakeholders to ensure the practicality and relevance of the results. CEDE aimed to support the digital transformation of higher education, foster collaboration between academia, employers, and policy-makers, and enhance the European transferability of educational innovation.<< Implementation >>The CEDE project was implemented through five main activities: development of an innovative curriculum (WP2), creation and management of the e-learning platform (WP3), pilot testing of content with engineering students, organisation of multiplier events and roundtable discussions with stakeholders, and regular partner meetings at both national and international levels (TPM, LTT). Each partner developed one educational module and contributed to the creation of evaluation tools. Students in five countries completed the online courses, provided feedback, and helped verify the platform’s functionality. Dissemination activities involved universities, professional associations, and policy-makers. Thanks to coordinated management, high-quality documentation, and mutual support, the partners ensured a high level of collaboration and adherence to the planned schedule.<< Results >>The CEDE project delivered several tangible results:1. Five thematic educational modules covering creativity, design thinking, problem-solving, digitalization, and communication in engineering practice.2. A publicly accessible e-learning platform (https://cede-project.eu), where all modules are available in six languages.3. Pilot testing with 104 students and collection of their feedback.4. Roundtable discussions and multiplier events involving more than 330 professionals and stakeholders.5. Increased visibility of results through the website, social media, and professional networks.The project exceeded its original expectations, particularly in terms of the integration of outputs into teaching practices and the improved level of digital readiness among partners.