On 13 January, Salesianos Pamplona took part in a national meeting on the internationalisation of Vocational Education and Training (VET) schools from southern and eastern Spain, held in Madrid. The event brought together around 20 internationalisation coordinators from VET institutions to exchange experiences, discuss European cooperation, and explore strategic initiatives under the Erasmus+ programme.
Within this context, Salesianos Pamplona presented the INFINITE project as an example of how European collaboration can respond to rapidly changing industry needs. The presentation traced the origins of INFINITE, highlighting how the project emerged from skills gaps identified by European clusters specialised in printed, flexible and organic electronics — and how these needs are now being addressed through joint curriculum development, teacher training and close cooperation with industry.
Particular attention was given to the paradigm shift represented by functional and printed electronics. Lightweight, flexible and resource-efficient, these technologies are increasingly relevant for applications in wearables, healthcare, smart buildings, mobility, packaging and the Internet of Things. For VET centres, this shift creates both a challenge and an opportunity: preparing learners for technologies that are already entering industrial production.
Salesianos Pamplona also shared insights from its role in implementing INFINITE. Activities include competence needs analysis with companies and VET centres, international teacher training and technical stays, the development of a specialisation course in Functional Printing, and investments in advanced learning environments that enable hands-on training. Strong regional stakeholder involvement aims to ensure that these efforts remain sustainable beyond the project’s lifetime.
The exchange in Madrid proved valuable in raising awareness of INFINITE among VET internationalisation coordinators and sparked interest in future cooperation. It also reinforced the project’s role as a reference for how vocational education can evolve alongside advanced manufacturing technologies — through collaboration, internationalisation and skills-driven innovation.